Author's Sidenote: While preparing to head over to Canada to cross Niagra Falls off of my bucket list, I thought, “How does the field of recreation therapy work in other countries?” It has always been a challenge to explain my profession as a Recreation Therapist (RT), whether I am traveling or settled down in the homeland (Southern California). As many RTs will tell you, half the battle of our career is explaining what we do, why it is beneficial (to literally anyone), and letting people know we go further than simply “playing bingo” or "having fun". I began to wonder how Recreation Therapy is practiced in other countries, particularly with our neighbors to the North. So let’s start from the ground up: here is a general idea of what the practice of Recreation Therapy looks like and how Canada and the United States view and utilize the growing practice of Recreational Therapy.
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For many, the term "Recreation Therapist" seems vague; often Recreation Therapists (RTs) and those working in administrative roles will be asked if they work in parks and recreation, forestry, have their own office where they do things like talk therapy, or just directly hit with, "What exactly is it you do?"
The concise answer comes from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics:
"Recreational therapists plan, direct, and coordinate recreation-based medical treatment programs for people with disabilities, injuries, or illnesses" (2024). In other words, RTs work from evidence-based approaches to provide recreation (leisure) programming to groups and/or individuals.
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This programming could involve music, drama, cooking, dance, games, physical activity, outdoor activities, and creative arts (Cleaveland Clinic, 2022). The populations utilizing these activities include all types, from seniors to children to individuals varying in abilities, and sometimes require resources that can be adapted to improve their quality of life.
Many healthcare workers get tired of hearing the term "quality of life" being used; it is often overused in interview settings and repetitively used to paint a picture of a field that is so much more in-depth than that description. However, improvement in quality of life is what RTs look to provide: a life the individual wants to live, backed by science, supported and implemented with the help of a Recreation Therapist.
Essentially, the Recreation Therapist helps meet your personal goals, including physical, emotional, social, psychological, and cognitive goals. The Clevland Clinic Organization would say, "A recreational therapist is a healthcare provider who uses leisure activities to help you reach your goals" (2022).
There are a lot of avenues to be explored in the field of Recreation Therapy, including the process of certification through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC), a framework for standards of practice through the Canada Therapeutic Recreation Association (CTRA) (which also requires guidelines from the NCTRC), and various organizations that support the interest of RTs like ATRA. Requirements for obtaining certification are similar: Canada requires a diploma, post-secondary education or Bachelor’s degree and internship/professional experience. The U.S. Requires a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, professional experience/560-hour internship.
According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, RTs annual mean wages range from $57,260 in states like Florida, to a mean range of $89,660 in California (2023); RTs in Canada average with a median wage of approx. $31 hourly (aka $64,480), according to the Government of Canada. Similar to the dramatic variation between states in the U.S., Canada experiences varying differences in salary based on providence or territory. One thing that RT practices between the U.S. and Canada have in common: more progressive and densely-populated areas have higher rates of practicing RTs and, circumstantially, a better understanding of the importance of RT practices implemented by the board that governs them.
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Canada and the United States both serve similar populations; even countries with less of a footprint in Recreation Therapy practices (i.e. Australia) serve a variety of populations, whereas countries like New Zealand and parts of Japan focus mainly on the older adult population. The United States and Canada both work with geriatric, mental health, addictions, general medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, developmental disabilities, and pediatric clients in a variety of settings: hospitals, schools, communities, residential facilities, camps, hospice programs, etc (Hsieh, 2018).
Within the last decade, Canada has experienced similar hurdles as those practicing in the United States particularly when explaining their important role in the healthcare industry. There still seems to be a lingering comparison, according to the article "Advancing the Field of Recreation Therapy", stating, "Lack of acceptance of RT impacts employment opportunities, remuneration, and an appreciation of the therapeutic value of the services provided, that is accorded to other professions in healthcare" (Addetia, 2020). This can be reflected in their salary versus the cost of living in the area, and the demand to educate and defend their position to the public about the field.
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Overall, Recreation Therapy in the United States and Canada is more accepted and, practiced more frequently, in comparison to other countries. It is also more recognized for the significant benefits it brings to the healthcare industry, but still has quite a ways to go when it comes to providing means of living in certain high-populated (therefore more expensive) areas, educating others about the field, and achieving "status" in the healthcare field. There is more to be seen about how the field of RT will grow internationally, and when this happens, we can be assured the benefits for healthcare as a whole will be substantial. If you're looking to be an RT, countries like the United States and Canada are probably the best places to start and maintain a career.
Citations
Addetia, S. (2020, January 1). Advancing the Field of Recreation Therapy: Recommendations for Individual Practitioners. | Therapeutic Recreation, Practice & Research | EBSCOhost. Openurl.ebsco.com. https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A6%3A14549142/detailv2sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A143378155&crl=c
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, April 17). Recreational Therapists: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bls.gov. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/recreational-therapists.htm
Cleveland Clinic (Ed.). (2022, March 25). Recreational Therapist: Definition, Role & Average Salary. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22583-recreational-therapist
Hsieh, P.-C. (2018). Are We All the Same? Perspective and Scope of Practice in United States, Australia, New Zealand, & Japan. Canadian-tr.org.
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