Spotlights
Recreational Therapy Celebrates 50 Years
What do you do today in the Recreation Therapy profession?
I am the owner of a Recreation Therapy company here in West Michigan. I run, manage, and still provide recreation therapy services in homes and in the community. My role allows me to not only oversee the business operations but also to stay directly involved with clients, ensuring that our services remain personal and impactful. This hands-on approach keeps me connected to the core of our profession and the individuals we serve.
What inspired you to go to GVSU?
I loved the campus and the community I felt while I was visiting. In 2000, all classes were right on campus, and it was a much smaller campus. It felt like a little town where you would meet and know many in passing. I was not aware of Recreation Therapy when I came to GVSU. I knew I wanted to help people and work in the medical field somewhere. During my gen ed classes, I was struggling with Chemistry. I would do amazing in the lab but horrible in the classroom and on the tests. I met with the professor during office hours each week trying to work on my grade. He finally told me that he did not think that going the physical therapy route would be for me as I was already struggling. He saw that I loved hands on work and was good at that. He encouraged me to look up the field of Recreation Therapy and to go and talk with Dr. Teresa Beck. He changed my path, and I am ever grateful that he did.
Do you have a memorable moment from the time in RT program?
I have several memorable moments and have made lasting, strong relationships that I cherish 25 years later. While in the program, one of our requirements was to attend a weekend up at Eagle Village for team building and learning more on adaptive ropes courses and activities. I was on the golf team and I had to meet up with the group on Saturday. I was worried as I missed a full day of team building with my classmates and professors. When I arrived, it was time to pair up and do the high ropes course. I had no idea, until I reached the top of the telephone pole, that I was afraid of heights! My partner, and good friend to this day, Kelly, helped me every step of the way. She became my personal cheerleader, friend and guide while I was up there and fearful of moving. When I finally landed on the ground, I had a new appreciation of our profession, our classmates and professors, and adventure therapy. It was a defining moment in our program for me where I had all the feels of being a client and being guided by a therapist. It was also a moment when I knew I chose the right profession and appreciated my classmates.
How did your education at GVSU shape your career path to where you are now?
The hands-on component, the volunteer hours, fieldwork, and internship that we did through this program gave us the leg up on what it would be in the "real world". We were student therapists and the curriculum guided us through many scenarios like, making adaptive equipment, performing group therapy sessions, performing actual assessments, running community programs for youth, working on budgets and management of both community and in facilities. I felt so prepared to be able to be a therapist at every aspect of recreation therapy. When I graduated, I was prepared to apply for jobs in physical rehab, community, skilled, and mental health. I was confident in my abilities and knowledge of the field, I was ready!
What role has RT played in your professional life?
I have progressed in the field of RT for my entire professional life. I started with in patient and immediately had to advocate for our field. I was put to the test with my documentation and communication skills as I was the sole recreation therapist. When I arrived as a young therapist, the rehab director showed me a closet to decorate the bulletin boards on our unit. I knew then that advocacy and showing my skills was going to make or break me at this job. I kindly told my new boss that I would be happy to decorate the activity room and bulletin boards on my spare time and to show me where I can find the client files. During my first team meeting, I shared my report with the team and when the rehab doctor asked me what profession I was, he was shocked at my skillset as a Recreation Therapist. It changed his awareness of RT and what we can do for clients and I gained his respect. Starting out my first job with the confidence and skill set that I had, gave me the boost to move up in the profession.
Can you share a story about a client that illustrates the power of recreation therapy?
I have so many stories of clients that, through the power of recreation therapy, are living more active and independent lives. One client comes to mind—an older adult who was very active and recovering from an unexpected leg amputation. Through our sessions, he gradually regained the confidence to participate in adaptive sports, specifically, hunting, and social activities. Witnessing their transformation from isolation to active community involvement was both inspiring and a testament to the impact of recreation therapy.
How have you evolved since you graduated?
In 2006, two former classmates and I decided that we wanted to try to start a recreation therapy company. We all had the same goal of bringing recreation therapy to the community. We wanted to spend more time with clients than facilities would not allow. We wanted to go into their homes and work with them to better understand how we can help and guide them through leisure wellness and independence. It was a grinding start; it took many unpaid hours to get where the company is today. In 2016, I became the sole owner of Life Therapeutic Solutions, as the other two moved on to other opportunities. I have become a successful business owner doing the profession that I love. I can provide more recreation therapy opportunities to many individuals within our community and have built a team of recreation therapists doing the work they love to do in a community they love. It does not get much better than that.
What makes GVSU unique to other programs in Michigan/Country?
The recreation therapy program at GVSU is a specific field that solely focuses on recreation therapy. The curriculum is intended for recreation therapy and covers all areas with hands on opportunities and community experiences. The fieldwork opportunity allows for community recreation and camps, giving students an opportunity to experience the non-clinical side of recreation therapy. Whereas the internship gives you hands-on clinical experience doing everything from charting and goal review, to speaking during team meetings. Other programs have an "emphasis" in recreation therapy but don't dive into the specifics of the professions and don't have the hands-on opportunities to really see, interact, and learn how to be a recreation therapist.
How has GVSU's program contributed to the profession over the last 50 years?
GVSU's recreation therapy department has graduated hundreds of highly qualified recreation therapists. The statistics alone of the pass rate of the National Council Therapeutic Recreation Certification says it all. The students are prepared and ready to contribute to our communities straight from graduation. The professors have been guiding students to follow their passions within the field. The advocacy that the professors instill in us as students has allowed our voices to also be heard as we stand united in strong advocacy of our field.
What advice would you give students entering the field today?
My advice would be to dive in and embrace it all. There will be areas that you may not find appealing. For me, it was adventure therapy. But I was given the opportunity to experience adventure therapy firsthand to know that it was not for me. Try it all and spread your wings within the profession. You will walk away with more experience than other students and it will give you the confidence and skillset to get that first job. Ask questions, get involved, and take opportunities that are presented to you.
What do you hope to see in the next 50 years in recreation therapy?
My short answer is respect. I hope that the therapists and professors that came before me see that we have spread our wings in the field. We are seen more today than we were 50 years ago. However, we still struggle to gain the respect in the medical field that we have earned and deserve. I would love to see similar curriculum covered within universities that offer recreation therapy as a field of study. I feel that we need more of a consistent education where we all can graduate with skillset and confidence to say “no” to decorating activity rooms and bulletin boards. We need to get away from diversional activities and remain focused on the APIE process. It is here where I believe we gain respect. We also need to continue to advocate for licensure across the country in our field. This is another example of inconsistency in our field.
How can alumni continue to support the program and students?
Get involved. I, along with many alumni in the field become intern and fieldwork supervisors to stay involved and to contribute back to GVSU and our community. I feel so grateful to the professors who guided me along the way, that I feel this is one way I can continue to give back to our program and students of today. When I was a student, I remember wanting to watch and learn from therapists. I am thrilled to be able to provide that opportunity to students today as a way of saying thank you to GVSU and recreation therapy. It has been an exceptional ride, and I feel blessed every single day to be able to do the job I love in the profession I love most.
Interest Area(s)
Radiation Therapy
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