We, recreational therapists provide services for people with all types of different needs.
I watched two documentaries last weekend on Netflix that I think recreational therapists might want to watch because they’re about people.
First, I watched “Natascha Kampusch: The Whole Story.”
I had read the book about her many years ago. She had been kidnapped as a young kid and kept in a cellar. Luckily she was brave enough to make her escape when she got older.
I [Danny Pettry] provide services for children and teens who with abuse-reactive needs. All of the children who I provide services for have experienced some type of traumatic event in their lives. Many of the teens have too.
I purposely read books, like the one about Natascha to help me to become a better practitioner.
Emotional: Her story is heart-aching and yet I feel so happy and proud to know she was a survivor.
Second, I watched “The Real Sleeping Beauty”
This was the story of a young college aged woman who had been hit by a car.
She suffered injury to her head.
She had been in a coma for many years.
Amazingly, she “wakes up” after 20 years.
It appears she wasn’t completely in a coma during this time. She was able to recall things that were going on around her, like 9/11.
Now she is in a lot of therapy to help her regain muscle use, to feed herself, and to regain as much independence as possible.
It is amazing that she has come out of this.
This documentary would be beneficial for recreational therapists who work in physical rehabilitation settings.