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Facilitating Change Through Leisure: The Leisure and Well-Being Model of Therapeutic Recreation Practice

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Positive Leisure Science

Abstract

Research on the relationship between leisure and well-being has been underrepresented in the positive science literature (Caldwell L, Br J Guid Couns 33:7–26, 2005). And yet, what domain of life has the potential to contribute more to well-being? Leisure is vast. In leisure, a person can climb a mountain, sail a sea, write a poem, volunteer at a soup kitchen, read to a child, or watch a sunset. Leisure, wisely chosen, has the potential to enrich a life beyond measure. Yet oftentimes, people do not appreciate the value of leisure in creating a life of meaning; nor do they have the knowledge or skills necessary to reap the greatest benefit from leisure. The primary purpose of therapeutic recreation (TR), a profession within the broader discipline of leisure studies, is to help individuals, especially those with disabilities or illnesses, cultivate well-being through leisure. Specifically, therapeutic recreation professionals facilitate individuals’ ability to engage in leisure to address the challenges associated with having a disability or illness, while simultaneously supporting the development of capacities needed to increase positive emotion and to build a life of personal growth and meaning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada

    Colleen D. Hood Ph.D., CTRS

  2. CTRS, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA

    Cynthia P. Carruthers Ph.D.

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  1. Colleen D. Hood Ph.D., CTRS
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  2. Cynthia P. Carruthers Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Colleen D. Hood Ph.D., CTRS .

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  1. Instituto de Educacao e Psicologia, Depto. Psicologia, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal

    Teresa Freire

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Hood, C.D., Carruthers, C.P. (2013). Facilitating Change Through Leisure: The Leisure and Well-Being Model of Therapeutic Recreation Practice. In: Freire, T. (eds) Positive Leisure Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5058-6_7

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