What is Peak (or High-Level) Wellness?
To Reach as High a Level of Wellness as the Individual is Capable of Achieving.
The highest-level wellness is gained when we exist in a "very favorable environment" and enjoy "peak wellness" (where illness and wellness are conceived along a continuum, with death on one end and peak wellness at the other). The "aim of 'well medicine' is to help clients move toward self-actualization. High-level wellness deals with health enhancement in contrast to the traditional medical model that concerns itself with treating disease ." - David R. Austin, Ph.D.
How Will This Help Me?
Clients "feel more and more able to be in control of their lives and to meet adversity as they move along the continuum toward higher levels of health.[...] Typical therapeutic outcomes include increasing personal awareness, improving social skills, enhancing leisure abilities, decreasing stress, improving physical functioning, and developing feelings of positive self-regard, self-efficacy and perceived control [.]" (The Health Protection/Health Promotion Model, David R. Austin, Ph.D., CTRS, FALS, via The British Columbia Therapeutic Recreation Association)
How Long Will This Take?
It is entirely up to the client. The duration of treatment is dependent on the wellness plan goals and the client's progression towards them (documented for each RT session and Periodic Evaluation). Most importantly, it will be based on the client's expectations, their capacity for self-development and their efforts.
Why Should I Work With a Recreational Therapist?
The practice of Therapeutic Recreation by Recreational Therapists is "based on a philosophy that encourages clients to attempt to achieve maximum health, rather than just recover from illness." (David R. Austin, Ph.D., CTRS ).
