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ONLINE BOOK
REVIEW
Posted March 2002
Facilitation Techniques
in Therapeutic Recreation. Reviewed By The book "Facilitation
Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation" provides
a thorough overview of a variety of primarily activity-based
interventions that are commonly used in therapeutic
recreation. The material included in the book provides
students and practitioners with a strong theoretical
understanding of each facilitation technique as well
as some practical suggestions for application of the
technique. The introductory chapter is particularly
striking in that it challenges students and TR specialists
to think, read, listen, and evaluate - all requirements
of becoming enlightened. This introductory chapter
certainly prepares the reader to be active consumers
of the material included in the rest of the book.
In reviewing this book, I feel it is necessary to articulate my beliefs about the therapeutic nature of activities in order to frame the rest of my comments. In the delivery of TR services, I believe the desired outcome is client change. I also believe that in order for an experience to facilitate change, clients must "make meaning" of the experience in their own lives. As a result, I tend to see the activity as a tool to present the client with an opportunity to reflect on their own lives and to learn new skills or ideas to enhance the quality of their lives. This transfer of learning occurs through the use of activities, and most importantly, through the processing or debriefing of the experience with the client. This book is an excellent source of how to use and modify activities so that they produce therapeutic outcomes. The book is not as thorough in presenting ways in which therapists can help clients transfer their learning and make sense of the experiences. The development of
this book occurred in an interesting way. Each chapter
was authored by a graduate student from the University
of Georgia in close collaboration with the primary
author. As such, the breadth of expertise from which
the material is drawn is extensive. In addition, the
close collaboration with the primary author resulted
in a consistency in quality that is to be commended.
The primary author of the book is very qualified in
the field of therapeutic recreation; this is but one
of several textbooks he has written for therapeutic
recreation professional preparation. The book was
used twice in his own facilitation techniques course
and was revised based on the comments of students
and practitioners. The book would be very useful in
any upper level TR facilitation techniques class.
Each chapter in the
book addresses a different facilitation technique
and includes a variety of information related to that
technique, including: introduction, definitions, description,
history, theoretical foundations, effectiveness, case
study, implementation exercises, conclusion, discussion
questions, resources, and reference list. The author
states that these sections were included based on
the needs of the field and upon educational principles.
The inclusion of such a wide range of both theoretical
and practical information makes the book particularly
useful. Students will be challenged to think about
the theory underlying the techniques along with being
provided with case study examples. The facilitation techniques
included in the book are: adventure therapy, aquatic
therapy, assistive technology, anger management, expressive
arts as therapeutic media, leisure education, moral-development
discussions, stress management, therapeutic use of
T'ai Chi Ch'uan, therapeutic horseback riding, therapeutic
reminiscence, therapeutic use of animals, therapeutic
use of exercise, therapeutic use of humor, therapeutic
use of play, therapeutic use of sports, and values
clarification. As the author stated, "The competencies
generated by the 1996 task force became the basis
for the identification of possible topics while individual
expertise and interest guided the actual selection
of the techniques presented in the book." The
topics selected appear to represent a good cross section
of the activity based interventions typically used
in therapeutic recreation. This reviewer notes
the focus on the use of various activities in a therapeutic
manner and while supporting the importance of this
approach, is cautious in that support. It would seem
that the book provides information about how to use
the various activities and identifies the potential
therapeutic outcomes but does not focus on the interpersonal
and therapeutic skills required on the part of the
TR specialist to make the activity truly effective
in facilitating change. For example, in the chapter
on adventure therapy, there is extensive information
about what adventure therapy is, how theory and research
supports the use of adventure therapy, and practical
examples of activities that could be used in an adventure
therapy context. However, there is minimal discussion
of processing/debriefing the adventure experiences
- an aspect of adventure therapy that is generally
acknowledged as being one of the most important components
of a therapeutic outcome. The comprehensiveness
of each chapter certainly provides students with enough
background information, theoretical content and application
opportunities to facilitate learning and familiarity
with the various techniques. The author does acknowledge
that some of the interventions described require further
training and certification before they can safely
be utilized by TR specialists. The sections on theoretical
foundations and effectiveness in each chapter contribute
greatly to the body of knowledge in our field and
allow students the opportunity to understand the underpinnings
of the various techniques. Moreover, the chapters
incorporate literature from a variety of areas, thus
expanding the foundation of TR service. The resource
and reference information is comprehensive and current
and will assist those students who wish to explore
the various techniques in greater depth. In terms of writing
style and presentation, the book is very accessible
to the reader and would be appropriate for the target
audience of upper level undergraduates. The examples
included throughout help the reader make sense of
the material and keep the information interesting.
The use of the twelve section chapter framework is
excellent and provides a great deal of consistency
throughout the book. All in all, this book certainly fills a tremendous gap in the therapeutic recreation literature. It is comprehensive, well-written and covers a wide range of facilitation techniques. Students who use this book will learn how a variety of activities may be used in a therapeutic manner. However, students and practitioners still need training and information in how to facilitate transfer of learning and "meaning making" on the part of clients - without an emphasis on processing the experience, we can not be sure that our clients are taking the therapeutic outcomes of activities and incorporating them into their lives. Reviewed By |