A career in recreational therapy can be a very rewarding and fun profession for those who have a passion for helping other people, and enjoy working with different types of challenged patients.
One of a long list of healthcare professions that has seen increased demand over the past few years, and is expected to continue to do so, there are more job availabilities than ever before in the field of recreational therapy.
With numerous opportunities for advancement, and a median recreational therapy salary that is higher than many jobs, earning a degree could be a great option for anyone seeking a career in the therapeutic or rehabilitation segments of the medical profession.
How to Become a Recreational Therapist
With recent changes to the educational requirements for becoming a recreational therapist, students must graduate a minimum of a Bachelor's degree program to qualify for licensure.
However, their degree can be taken as either a dedicated recreational therapy program, or some other science-oriented bachelor's program as long as students include a required amount of coursework that is specific to recreational therapy.
In both cases, students are then qualified to sit to take the certification examination offered by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC).
The main difference in requirements to be able to sit for the examination is that those students not graduating from a specific program designed for therapists must have also fulfilled a certain amount of work experience under the supervision of, and observation of a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS).
This takes the place of any clinical experiences and observation that students enrolled in dedicated educational programs will receive, and ensures that those seeking certification are aware of what is involved in working in the field, and are good candidates for the profession.