Kate Namey
1700s-Now
Take a peek at some of the key Historical moments that helped shape recreational therapy
The History Of
Recreational Therapy
Understanding the history of the recreational therapy profession helps us understand the foundations of the practice, not repeat past mistakes, learn from sucesses, and prepare for the future.
1700s
The Orgins
Philippe Pinel and William Tuke
Two of the most influential pioneers of the humanitarian treatment movement.
1800s
Therapeutic Leisure
Medical professionals and specialists began recognizing leisure as a healing tool
1945
Philisophical Battles
Arguments over what it was.
What actually is therapeutic recreation? Is it a tool that can be prescribed?
Utopian Years
1965
Orginizations Align
A social movement began in the early 1960s to unite all leisure-oriented professionals together into one loosely structured organization
1985
Fragmented Years
The Big Debate
Tension still existed between the recreation therapy approach and the leisure orientation approach
21st Century and Now
2000s+
The Future is Bright
There has been a shift toward a strengths-based, empowerment-focused approach over the traditional medical model.
Take a peek at some of the key Historical moments that helped shape recreational therapy
19XX-20XX
DECADES OF
LOREM IPSUM
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Fragmented Years
1973
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1975
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1987
21st Century
LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut vitae ultrices lacus, eu varius.
The Future
1992
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1999
LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
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- Generate experiences with your content.
- It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
- Make sure your audience remembers the message.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
- Generate experiences with your content.
- It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
- Make sure your audience remembers the message.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
- Generate experiences with your content.
- It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
- Make sure your audience remembers the message.
Check out some of the ways leisure was being introduced as a medical tool
Leisure for Enjoyment at the Mayo Clinic
Medical Spas and Thermal Baths of Europe
After spirited and ugly debate, the NTRS membership turned toward a democratic method and allowed its therapeutic recreation membership to vote on the four positions. The results were decisive: 62.9 percent voted for the leisure ability approach; 22.9 percent, for the therapy approach; 10.6 percent, for the umbrella, or combined, approach; and 3.7 percent, for the recreation service approach (NTRS, 1982, cited in James, 1998). In May 1982, NTRS adopted the leisure ability approach as its official philosophical position
The leisure experience was what made therapeutic recreation distinct from occupational therapy and educational therapy. The view that leisure in hospital settings should be focused on freedom and enjoyment and not on therapy was supported by other hospital workers and medical staff.
But this decision did not end the tension within NTRS. Although 77.2 percent of the NTRS membership voted against a strict therapy-oriented approach to therapeutic recreation and believed that the leisure ability approach maintained unity while acknowledging a broader purpose or set of purposes (both therapy and leisure), members who followed the therapy orientation continued to believe that NRPA was too controlling, and they eventually developed a separatist mentality.
Philippe Pinel championed kindness in care, transforming asylum environments with compassion and respect in the late 1700s. They focused on humane psychosocial care and moral discipline. Tuke founded the York Retreat, a pleasant country home for people with mental illness
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
- Generate experiences with your content.
- It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
- Make sure your audience remembers the message.
National Recreation Association (NRA), founded in 1906American Institute of Park Executives (AIPE), founded in 1898 National Confederation on State Parks (NCSP), founded in 1921 American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AZA), founded in 1924 American Recreation Society (ARS), with its six sections, including therapeutic recreation–hospital recreation, founded in 1938.
Read this article to find out how recreational therapy has evolved, the role of evidence-based practice, and what the future holds for preparing professionals in this field.
Recreational Therapy
Namey, Kate Middleton
Created on September 11, 2025
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Transcript
Kate Namey
1700s-Now
Take a peek at some of the key Historical moments that helped shape recreational therapy
The History Of
Recreational Therapy
Understanding the history of the recreational therapy profession helps us understand the foundations of the practice, not repeat past mistakes, learn from sucesses, and prepare for the future.
1700s
The Orgins
Philippe Pinel and William Tuke
Two of the most influential pioneers of the humanitarian treatment movement.
1800s
Therapeutic Leisure
Medical professionals and specialists began recognizing leisure as a healing tool
1945
Philisophical Battles
Arguments over what it was.
What actually is therapeutic recreation? Is it a tool that can be prescribed?
Utopian Years
1965
Orginizations Align
A social movement began in the early 1960s to unite all leisure-oriented professionals together into one loosely structured organization
1985
Fragmented Years
The Big Debate
Tension still existed between the recreation therapy approach and the leisure orientation approach
21st Century and Now
2000s+
The Future is Bright
There has been a shift toward a strengths-based, empowerment-focused approach over the traditional medical model.
Take a peek at some of the key Historical moments that helped shape recreational therapy
19XX-20XX
DECADES OF
LOREM IPSUM
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut vitae ultrices lacus
Fragmented Years
1973
LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
1975
LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
1987
21st Century
LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut vitae ultrices lacus, eu varius.
The Future
1992
LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
1999
LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
Check out some of the ways leisure was being introduced as a medical tool
Leisure for Enjoyment at the Mayo Clinic
Medical Spas and Thermal Baths of Europe
After spirited and ugly debate, the NTRS membership turned toward a democratic method and allowed its therapeutic recreation membership to vote on the four positions. The results were decisive: 62.9 percent voted for the leisure ability approach; 22.9 percent, for the therapy approach; 10.6 percent, for the umbrella, or combined, approach; and 3.7 percent, for the recreation service approach (NTRS, 1982, cited in James, 1998). In May 1982, NTRS adopted the leisure ability approach as its official philosophical position
The leisure experience was what made therapeutic recreation distinct from occupational therapy and educational therapy. The view that leisure in hospital settings should be focused on freedom and enjoyment and not on therapy was supported by other hospital workers and medical staff.
But this decision did not end the tension within NTRS. Although 77.2 percent of the NTRS membership voted against a strict therapy-oriented approach to therapeutic recreation and believed that the leisure ability approach maintained unity while acknowledging a broader purpose or set of purposes (both therapy and leisure), members who followed the therapy orientation continued to believe that NRPA was too controlling, and they eventually developed a separatist mentality.
Philippe Pinel championed kindness in care, transforming asylum environments with compassion and respect in the late 1700s. They focused on humane psychosocial care and moral discipline. Tuke founded the York Retreat, a pleasant country home for people with mental illness
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
National Recreation Association (NRA), founded in 1906American Institute of Park Executives (AIPE), founded in 1898 National Confederation on State Parks (NCSP), founded in 1921 American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AZA), founded in 1924 American Recreation Society (ARS), with its six sections, including therapeutic recreation–hospital recreation, founded in 1938.
Read this article to find out how recreational therapy has evolved, the role of evidence-based practice, and what the future holds for preparing professionals in this field.