Recreation Therapist Career Guide

Therapists in the field of healthcare play tremendous role in taking care of the needs of people and bringing them back to health. They are more concerned with making patients relax by working for long hours. This field entails a lot of stamina and dedication without which one will not be able to meet the job responsibilities. Individuals with attributes such as, compassion and devotion might do exceptionally well as recreational therapists.  Special training and utmost knowledge is provided to individuals to serve in the field of health care. In order to apply for a certification you must have required qualification which could be known after a tad bit of research on career and its prospects.

Career Snapshot

Recreation therapists provide complete treatment and remarkable recreation activities to people suffering from illnesses and disabling conditions. Their main motive is to help patients recover and maintain their emotional and physical conditions. They also work to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. To find out what a patient needs is the main concern of these specialists.  Patients are assisted to recover their basic functioning, thought process, and confidence to live a healthy and successful life. These treatments are incorporated with sports, drama, dance, community outings, animals, arts, music and other activities.

Recreation therapists strive for the improvement of the quality of life and contribute in biomedical research along with NIH staff and other medical professionals. They provide clinical services in order to assess the impact of various diseases and work to lessen those affects to avoid any sort of disability.

Job Outlook

These specialists might work in different health care settings such as, outdoor environments, private homes, clinics, rehabilitation hospitals and community facilities. The employment rate is projected to grow more in the years to come. Age related injuries are common and thus specialists are required to take care of illnesses and injuries. Opportunities in this sector might change according to location and qualification.

Salary Outlook

Recreation therapists experts on average earn approximately $8.56 to $22.64 on hourly basis after 1 to 4 years of experience, while they could even earn up to $15.35 to $26.63 with 20 years of experience or more. (payscale.com)

Educational Requirements

Students must have a college degree in recreation therapy and certification from National Board by passing an exam. Minimum educational requirement is either a diploma or degree in this subject along with a specialization in therapeutic recreation. Moreover, to work professionally with more chances of success a four year degree is mandatory.

You might be hired as a therapy assistant after a two years diploma. Students with a certification in first aid and CPR, training in patient assessment, and training in fitness instruction are hired mostly by the employers.  Your success depends entirely upon selection of right diploma or degree which should be accredited and fulfill the requirements of posts in almost every setting.

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