TW Recreation Therapy

28/03/2024

What is on your must read list?

Once again, I am sharing with you my favorite list of books that have helped and inspired me on my own health journey. Today I share “How not to be afraid of your own life,” by author Susan Piver.

Susan is a Buddhist teacher and best-selling author of six books that align with her teachings and personal spiritual journey. Susan has been speaking all over the world for several years on topics such as meditation, communication styles, spirituality, creativity, and relationships.

In this book, Susan teaches us that through the practice of meditation, we learn to cultivate a power that allows us to live our lives without fear, and therefore without the limitations of fear. She shows us that most fear and stress come from our own minds and that if we put forth courage and knowledge, we can change our lives for the better, forever. And, to do so, we do not need to change anything about ourselves, we only need let go of many of the negative belief structures and thinking patterns we have become accustomed to. We have the power within each of us to live life conquering fear.

Speaking on self-compassion, self-care, which leads to self-healing…
“When you are filled with fear, anxiety, or other difficult emotions, the first thing you should always do is make friends with them.” Susan Piver.

“Tranquility, compassion and wisdom, are the components of fearlessness, not power, control, and remaining unaffected.” Susan Piver.

Happy Health everyone 😊 and thank you Susan Piver for helping so many readers change their lives for the better.
Here is a link to the Susan Piver website, please have a look at her book list: https://openheartproject.com/

For great info on optimal health please join me on my page, and for more info on therapy services please visit my website: https://www.twrecreationtherapy.com/

Susan Piver, author and meditation teacher, is founder of the Open Heart Project, an online community offering meditation, courses and support.

26/03/2024

Taking all of what makes us human, and making it worth while...

20/03/2024

Hello everyone,
I am asking parents in the community if they would be interested in having their child join a positive mental health Kids Club Program this summer. The program will include a variety of fun games, activities, and exercises, in music, crafts, visual arts, movement, and creative and expressive arts. Kids will have the opportunity to explore and build upon their strengths, and to learn tools to aid them in building and maintaining positive mental health. A fun road to feeling great about themselves!
Therapeutic components will include
· Anxiety reduction
· Expressing emotions in a healthy way
· Emotion and stress management
· Positive thinking
· Social skill building and social connections· Team building and peer support· Positive self-image
· Self-esteem and self-confidence building.

Please note: programs are run by a qualified recreation therapist specializing in pediatrics and mental health.

If you are interested in this program for your child, please email me and indicate what times and days work best for you, be it a full-day camp, half-day camp, or evening classes, throughout the summer.

I would also like your input on an adult positive mental health program that we are considering running this summer as well. If this is an interest for you or someone you know, please let me know.

Thank you for your input and time.

18/03/2024

What is on your must-read list?
Over the next few weeks, I will be taking some time to honor some inspirational authors who have changed my life through their compelling stories and teachings. I thought I would share my book list with you, in hopes that perhaps such books can help others along in their journey of health.
I begin with Louise Hays “You can heal your life.”
This self-help book encourages the reader to improve their life and health through changing their thought patterns. It is beautifully illustrated and filled with positive affirmations that one can use for different challenges one is facing.
If you are facing a challenging time in your life, stress, healing, or you are facing a lot of negative thinking, this is a great book to start with. It is inspirational, empowering, and will feel like you have a dear friend with you as you travel the journey of finding your inner strengths and self.
One of my favorite things about this book was where Louise suggests that to heal and grow, we must accept ourselves as we are.
“You have the power to heal your life, and you need to know that. We think so often that we are helpless, but we’re not. We always have the power of our minds… Claim and consciously use your power.” Louise Hays, 1926-2017.
Happy Health everyone 😊 and thank you Louise Hays for helping so many readers change their lives for the better.
For great info on optimal health please join me on my page, and for more info on therapy services please visit my website: https://www.twrecreationtherapy.com/

14/03/2024

When adults are trying to lose weight…

I’ve seen a lot of women on social media posting about their struggles losing weight and I am very sure there are equally a lot of men who are as well, but men are less likely to talk about it. I wanted to offer some help.
I can’t comment on the different diet plans available, but as a recreation therapist, I can suggest a few healthy tools/tips to help. Our physical health is directly linked with our emotional (psychological) health, so addressing that domain of health along with our physical health is important when trying to lose weight or make a change in our habits. Here are some helpful tips:

-Set goals for your health plan, but make sure they are SMART goals; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Don’t set goals that are impossible to keep. This just leads to self-disappointment.

-Ditch dieting: dieting is a quick fix to losing weight and getting healthy. Choosing to change your eating habits and adapting to a healthy diet in general, for the long term, will be your best ticket to success. Speak to your family doctor about seeing a dietician. In Ontario, OHIP will cover a certain number of visits to a dietician. They can help you set some goals for healthier eating.

-Find a fun way to exercise; if you don’t like working out, then don’t spend a bunch of money to join a gym. Find something you enjoy doing for exercise. Be creative. Look into what your community has to offer such as swimming, pickleball, cycling clubs, or go for walks in your local neighborhood. If you enjoy it, you will learn to love it and stick with it.

-Look for triggers; you may find that certain things make you overeat or crave foods that are not good for you. Pay attention to these triggers so you can learn to avoid them or handle them differently.

-How are you feeling about you? if you want to lose weight because you aren’t happy with the way you look, this is something to address and heal. Ideally, it should not matter how you look or how much your way for you to be happy with yourself, or to think you are acceptable as you are. Consider speaking with a therapist about this. Feeling good starts on the inside, because no matter what we look like we want to feel good about who we are and the skin we are in.

-Consider Recreation therapy as a means of support for losing weight. We can work with you along your journey and give you the support you need to feel good about you.

Happy Health everyone 😊

For great info on optimal health please join me on my page, and for more info on therapy services please visit my website: https://www.twrecreationtherapy.com/

08/03/2024

When Women are stressed… Moms, partners, caregivers:
Being a woman is hard work, period. We often find that we are relied upon to be the solid rock of our family. If we have a loved one, parent, child, or partner, who is facing a challenging time, we are usually leaned on and needed even more, which can cause stress and pressure. So, what happens when we as women are overwhelmed but still need to be that rock for everyone else?
As a therapist, here are some things I can recommend:
• Know you are doing the best you can with the tools and knowledge you have today.
• Ask for help and let people help.
• Say no to things that are not top on your priority list.
• Take 15 minutes a day (at least) to just do something for you that relaxes your mind and body, go for a walk, take a bath, step outside, and sit on your porch, have a cup of tea while you watch your favorite show.
• Let your family know what you can do, and what you can’t. You have limits, EVERYONE DOES, THAT’S NORMAL.
• Know it’s OK to quit something you committed to if it is overwhelming for you.
• Take a break off screens, your phone, social media. We tell our kids to do this, but do we?
• Be aware of what you can and cannot handle, stop before you burn out or have emotional overload.
• Surround yourself as much as possible with supportive people, friends, and information, stay away from social media, news, movies, or events that upset you, join and attend things that uplift you.
• Get outside.
• Do something that makes you laugh, that’s fun.
• Practice deep breathing.
• Meditate.
• Journal about anything and everything… When you’re angry, sad, afraid, and when you have something good to share.
• Do something you love to do at least once a month. Garden, paint, go for a hike.
• Remember time alone is OK.
• Scream into a pillow!
• Talk to a trusted friend, to a therapist, to God.
• Stay hydrated and eat lots of greens!

I know as women we want to see our kids and families happy, but we need to recognize that we have limits. And if we don’t acknowledge these limits our body can start to get sick and break down. So, we must take care of ourselves so that we are strong and capable of taking care of those we love. And what better way to teach our kids that they need to take care of themselves, than by leading with example.
Happy Health everyone 😊 Happy International Women's Day!

For great info on optimal health please join me on my page, and for more info on therapy services please visit my website: https://www.twrecreationtherapy.com/

04/03/2024

We continue to look at the domains of health this week, let’s look at spiritual health. Spiritual health is achieved when a person feels at peace with life. You may practice a religion, be a ‘spiritual person,’ have a one on one relationship with God, or perhaps just a close relationship with your inner self, or soul. It is when you find comfort even in tough times, where you feel faith and trust with the process of life. Spiritual health also involves having a purpose in life, setting long term goals and feeling good about working towards them. It is an essential part of overall health and is sometimes overlooked in our Western culture.
To achieve healthy spiritual health, you can do things such as; spend quality time with yourself and build a relationship with you. Spend time out in nature, connecting with the peace around you. Set long term goals that come from an intention of doing good for others and yourself and spend time practicing your faith and connecting with your personal religious practice.
Here is a helpful website that talks about ways to build spiritual health and life external and internal peace: https://www.unh.edu/health/spiritual-wellness
Happy health everyone!

01/03/2024

Coming after March break- Positive mental health program for Kids The KIDS CLUB
An afterschool program at CORE School of Dance!
Our youth today are facing more stress than ever, with peer pressure, bullying, and struggles with mental health, anxiety, and self-esteem. This one-of-a-kind afterschool program will help teach children the tools they need to manage their stresses, feel confident about themselves, and boost their self-esteem.
This strengths-based program will be facilitated by Wellness specialist and Recreation Therapist Tina Woodward Hurley. Tina is an instructor at CORE School of Dance and now is bringing this unique opportunity to our dance studio. Tina specializes in working in pediatrics, and mental health, and as a therapist uses evidence-based research to design and host her programs.
All classes are held in a supportive, nurturing environment, that will allow students to feel safe and welcome.
This is not group therapy… While this program is designed with a therapy base, students engage in fun activities to boost the tools meant to be taught, the focus is always on a fun and engaging approach.
TIMES AND AGES--- Running...
Ages 8 to 12 Tuesdays 4:00 to 4:45 PM
March 18th to May 13th (post-March break, 9 weeks including 8 classes, & one make-up week.)
Classes will include a variety of fun games, activities, and exercises, in music, crafts, visual arts, movement, and creative and expressive arts. Kids will have the opportunity to explore and build upon their strengths. A fun road to feeling great about yourself! Therapeutic components will include:
Anxiety reduction
Expressing emotions in a healthy way
Emotion and stress management
Positive thinking
Social skill building and social connections.
Team building and peer support.
Positive self-image
Self-esteem and self-confidence building
If you are interested in having your child join the afterschool program, please contact Tina: rectherapisttwh@gmail.com

27/02/2024

Talking about self-care this week and looking at all the health domains including our mental health, physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual. Let’s look at social health- fostering healthy relationships with others and ourselves. Healthy relationships include trust, honesty, respect, and open communication with one another. There should be no imbalance of power, or control over another person. To build strength within a relationship we can practice always maintaining mutual respect, trust, affection, and kindness. We can extend these points of what a healthy relationship is, into other relationships with friends and family. Don’t forget that the most important relationship to foster with care is the one you have with yourself. Respect, love, and be kind to you- first and foremost, and if you have a belief in God or a higher power then that relationship is first and foremost as well, building strength, trust, and faith within that relationship, is key.

Happy health everyone.

22/02/2024

Looking at self-care for our mental health this week- we can practice exercises such as meditation to calm the mind and bring it to a neutral place, meditation can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths and bringing ourselves into the present moment, to doing something we love and focusing just on that. For emotional health, we can adapt stress relief practices, such as physical exercise, journalling, or praying. For cognitive health, we can keep our mind healthy by taking part in creative practices such as painting, creative writing, word searches, and puzzles.
Keep your mind clear, balanced, focused, and be good to it! Don’t overload it with overthinking or multitasking. Get proper sleep and learn when to say no to tasks or stress you don’t need to take on.
Happy Health everyone!

20/02/2024

Words to live by.

The power of the storm is determined by your perception of it.

19/02/2024

We continue looking at self-care- Physical Exercise... We need 150 minutes each week of exercise to create optimal health, so find something you like to do and get to it. Choose from yoga, walking, or sports, the list is endless. If you are stationary or are living with a disability, try doing yoga or soft martial arts sitting in a chair or on your couch. Start slow and increase your exercise time gradually. One of my personal favorites is Qigong because it stretches the body but involves deep breathing and meditation. Go alone, take a friend, involve your kids but get moving!
Happy health everyone!

15/02/2024

Talking about self care this and next week. Nutrition is on the list of course. Eating right can be tricky. One way to commit to eating healthy is to incorporate at least one SUPERFOOD into your meals each day.... Superfoods such as; berries, fish, legumes, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil are some good starters.
Happy health everyone.

15/02/2024

If a challenge in your life presents fear... TAKE THE CHALLENGE. Spiritual health is one of the most important things because it is your life journey...

14/02/2024

For anyone who needs to hear this today... Be mindful of where you are focussing your energy, be sure that it is towards something that is helping you in your life.

As you exist in each moment.. you utilize energy.

Isn’t it a better idea to direct the very same energy in a more growth direction?

Hmmmm….

12/02/2024

Hey everyone- we are looking at self-care this week. It's a practice that we need to keep all the time, and more so when we are stressed or going through a difficult time in our lives. Let's start with something easy... (or not easy for some)... hydration.
Find a healthy drink you like, make sure it is EASY to create, and then stick to it every day. (It takes 28 days to form a good habit.) If you don't like water on its own, try fruit in your water, sparkling water, clear herbal teas, or smoothies. Hydration adds good things to your health, physically and mentally, so add this to your self-care, and make you a priority!
Happy health everyone!