Activity Therapist Responsibilities

The activity therapist is responsible to take care of the people who are physically or mentally handicapped. He talks to the patients from time to time and asks them about the problems they are facing because of different people, places or things. Audio therapy and recreation therapy are some common examples of therapies that are provided to the patients. The activity therapist helps the patient to rehabilitate and enjoy a normal life once again. He also explains the pros and cons of the therapy to the patients as well as their families so that they can decide if they want to undergo the therapy or not.

Activity Therapist Responsibilities in detail

The activity therapist is a person who heals people suffering from various acute ailments by providing them different types of therapies. He takes care that the right type of therapy is provided to the right person. The activity therapist's major responsibilities are given below in detail:

Therapy sessions: The activity therapist conducts different therapy sessions for the patients to makes sure that they get time gap between every session. Also, he takes care that the therapy is proving fruitful for the patient
Counseling: Another responsibility of the activity therapist is counseling. He counsels the patients to ask them what problems are they facing and at what time. They also talk to the family members of the patient to inquire more about the condition of the patient
Treatment: The activity therapist treats patients who are physical, mental and emotional handicapped. He makes sure that the right kind of treatment is given to them so that they recover as soon as possible. He conducts sessions where he cracks jokes and talks to the patients about their personal life

Skills of activity therapist

An activity therapist performs a lot of functions to treat the patients with different ailments. He has to have certain skills through which he can excel in this field. Some of the major skills of the activity therapist are given below:

Communication: The activity therapist should have great communication skills in order to talk effectively with the patients and obtain the right information through them. He makes sure that his words are properly understood by the patients and they understand the process of providing therapy and all the pros and cons attached to it
Service oriented: Another major skill that should be present in the activity therapist is that he should like helping people. The therapist should be patient and calm with the patient as well as with his family to explain them about the therapy, treatment time and result
Humor: The activity therapist should have a good sense of humor so that the patients do not remain scared of the activity therapist. People should feel free to talk about their problems with the therapist and it becomes easier for the therapist to heal them accordingly

Academic qualifications of activity therapist

The person should be academically strong to become an activity therapist. He should have an in depth knowledge of the work he does and the treatment that he is supposed to give to the patients with different problems. The academic qualifications required to become an activity therapist are given below:

A course in recreation therapy
Course in therapeutic recreation
A prior work experience of at least 5 years in the same field and in some renowned organization

Career advancement for activity therapist

The activity therapist works for the well-being of the patients whether it is physical or mental. The activity therapist is responsible for conducting therapies from time to time for people suffering from different types of ailments. The activity therapist also talks to the patients and talk to them about their problems. Often they help the patients to get over some kind of addiction as well. He might get promoted to the post of senior activity therapist if he is exceptionally good in his work. Also, he should be very careful while giving the therapies to the patient keeping in mind the dosage and reactions of the therapies. He might also try in other organizations for the same post or the higher post if he possesses all the qualifications and qualities that the employer is looking for.