Surveyed members of professional associations representing social work; counseling; occupational therapy; and health, physical education, recreation, and dance. Results indicated significant changes had occurred in the characteristics, education, and perceptions of professionals working in the field of aging over the last 20 years. (Author/ABL)

The leisure ability model is based on the concepts of internal locus of control, intrinsic motivation, personal causality, freedom of choice, and flow. It uses these ideas as the basis for three service components: treatment, leisure education, and recreation participation. The paper presents examples of utilization of this model and addresses the…

An inpatient rehabilitation program for recovering alcoholics and substance abusers provides outdoor experiences to enable clients to develop a connection with nature. Stories by two clients give testimony to the strong impact nature has had on their lives, providing lessons in humility, spiritual awareness, and the simplicity of life. (TD)

A powerful practical reclaiming strategy for youth at risk is to tap their potential for service to others. This counters a sense of learned helplessness. The term "learned helplessness" (Seligman, 1975) comes to mind when the author thinks about when she began working with troubled youth more than 20 years ago. Her and her co-workers often spoke…

Leisure counselling is defined as the systematic exploitation of a client's past, existing or prospective hobbies, activities and interests for broad psychotherapeutic purposes. It functions as a powerful agent in the invigoration of a range of existing but inadequate coping skills, and can also act in an innovatory style when such key skills are…

The field of adventure family therapy has emerged as a means to construct lasting functional change for troubled youth. Seven reasons why adventure therapy can be successful with troubled youth are: (1) therapeutic processes are centered in action-oriented experiences; (2) therapy is conducted in an unfamiliar environment; (3) adventure therapy…

This study identified characteristics of adventure programs valued by adolescents in treatment. Subjects included 11 experts in the field of adventure programming and 207 participants in adventure programs at 12 adolescent treatment programs. The experts, through a modified Delphi process, identified valued program characteristics. Program…

International sources suggest that Australian human service agencies must implement meaningful processes to meet increasing demands for accountability in service delivery. The development of adequate services for the disabled in Australia is influenced by the principles of normalization--the use of culturally valued means in order to enable,…

This publication contains the following articles: (1) "A Pilot Study of the Relationship between Co-Dependency and Recreation Using Women with Histories of Domestic Violence" (Pamela E. Foti and Lori S. Gelvin); (2) "Discretionary Time Use and the Chronically Mentally Ill" (Thomas K. Skalko); (3) "Therapeutic Recreation and Family Therapy: A Needs…

Focusing on the therapeutic aspects of camping experiences for delinquent and psychologically disturbed youth, this 382-item bibliography lists books, journal articles, theses, dissertations, and unpublished reports written from 1928 to 1983 on adventure education, wilderness experience, Outward Bound, therapeutic camping, experiential learning,…

The paper examines the role of the recreation therapist in the new trend towards home care for the ventilator assisted individual. The focus on home care necessitates that the recreation therapist familiarize parents with the rationale for activities as well as providing them with information about a variety of future leisure pursuits. In…

Traditional literary criticism, reader-response research, and the techniques of systemic therapy are brought together to provide guidelines for teachers and counselors concerned with using stories to further the emotional development of children. A theory of reader-story interaction is proposed, and a case is made for individually composed…

Therapeutic horseback riding for persons with disabilities provides physical, mental, social, and emotional benefits. Most research in this area has focused on the product or benefits of therapeutic riding, while the process of teaching horseback riding has received little attention. Research from the fields of regular education, special…

Explores a broad range of music interventions appropriate for addictive clients so as to fill a void in the music therapy and addictions counseling literature. Presents a rationale for the use of music intervention and presents case examples. Describes a social work intervention approach tested over a 10-year period. (RJM)

Identifies common imagery created by psychiatric inpatients through the amusement park technique; demonstrates how the artwork serves to identify the psychodynamic concerns of the mentally ill substance abuser. Connections are examined relating patients choice of image, psychiatric diagnosis, and drug of choice. This technique offers promise for…