Of course, it’s Therapeutic Recreation Awareness Month!

Meet Shannon Young.

Shannon is a Recreation Therapists in our Inpatient Mental Health unit and has been working at QCH since 2014.

Recreation therapy is an important part of the recovery process. It uses fun, leisure activities as a tool to stimulate cognition, memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. They also promote social skills as patients practice collaboration, cooperation, and friendly competition.

Some of Shannon’s favourite recreation therapy activities include playing board games, making art, listing to music, reading books, getting active, gardening, and even playing Wii.

By engaging individuals in enjoyable and meaningful experiences, recreation therapy not only helps them develop essential life skills and coping mechanisms but also encourages enhances quality of life.