Name: Leanne Y.
Credentials: B.S. in Recreation and Leisure (Therapeutic Recreation)
Practice Setting: Clinical
Location: Daly City, California
Why I Became a Recreational Therapist
Initially, I wanted to work with children in clinical settings. Over time, that desire grew into a deeper commitment to improving individuals’ quality of life through adapting and creating treatment plans for people in clinical environments.
Recreational therapy offered the opportunity to work directly with individuals, meet them where they are, and design meaningful interventions that support physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. That purpose continues to guide my work.
Why Recreational Therapy Matters
Recreational therapy matters because we make a real difference in the lives of individuals with physical, emotional, and psychological needs through our professional expertise and experience.
I have worked in recreational therapy for the past 18 years, including recent years in supervisory roles and working with veterans in palliative and hospice care. In those settings, quality of life was always the number one priority.
Recreation therapy helped individuals maintain dignity, connection, and meaning—especially during some of the most vulnerable stages of life. Being able to support veterans and their families through meaningful, person-centered interventions reinforced the profound impact of this profession.
What People Often Don’t See About Recreational Therapy
One thing people outside the profession often don’t see is the depth of individualized treatment planning recreational therapists provide.
We create treatment plans that address depression, anxiety, social skills development, physical goals related to rehabilitation and recovery, and even addiction-related needs. Many people also don’t realize that recreational therapists work with individuals of all ages, abilities, and diagnoses.
At the heart of it all, we treat people—not numbers.
And just as importantly, this work reminds us that we must sometimes practice recreational therapy for ourselves, too—something many of us forget to do.
🧡 Thank You, Leanne
Thank you, Leanne, for your many years of dedication to recreational therapy and for your work supporting quality of life, especially with veterans in palliative and hospice care. Your story reflects the compassion, skill, and humanity at the core of this profession.
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