The “Search for Meaning” in Therapeutic Recreation

Abstract

Therapeutic Recreation (TR) has been likened to an existential therapy because it facilitates meaningful outcomes for participants. Logotherapy and Existential Analysis (LTEA) has previously been proposed as a suitable existential approach for TR. However, this proposition has not been examined extensively in TR; consequently, LTEA has not been adopted widely as an in-depth approach to practice. Deductive content analysis (DCA) is a research method that has been recommended for testing a theoretical structure in a new context. A DCA of four of the most recent introductory textbooks in TR was conducted to test the theoretical structure of LTEA within the TR context. Content in the textbooks that related to the theoretical structure—the sources of meaning in life—was extracted and formed into categories and overarching TR concepts. Based on these findings, LTEA aligns with TR and could be a suitable approach to TR practice with the potential of enhancing its therapeutic aims. Recommendations for practice and further research are proposed as a result of this study.