Gratitude As An Intervention: How TR professionals can incorporate gratitude in their professional and personal lives

*This course has been pre-approved by NCTRC for 5 clock hours.

This course will explore the use of gratitude as an intervention for TR providers and related professionals. The course will work to define gratitude and review evidence to support benefits experienced when using gratitude. The course will also discuss how serotonin and dopamine are impacted through the use of gratitude. Finally, this course will discuss a variety of interventions that can be utilized as 1:1 interventions with a client, group interventions, and for individual use by the provider. At the completion of this course, participants will need to pass an exam with a minimum score of 70%. Participants must complete the course within 365 days of starting the course to receive a completion certificate.

Course Objectives

  • By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify a minimum of three benefits of gratitude on the individual.

  • By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify evidence-based and theoretical support for the benefits of gratitude.

  • By the end of the course, participants will be able to understand how to utilize gratitude as an intervention as part of the TR APIE process.

Valerie Lazzara Mould, MA, CTRS-BH

Instructor Bio:

Valerie is a graduate of The University of Toledo and she’s been a CTRS since 2008. In 2007 she earned a Bachelors of Science in Recreational Therapy and continued her education in 2008 with a Masters of Arts degree in Recreation Administration. She started her career at The University of Toledo Medical Center working on both the geriatric psychiatry and physical rehabilitation units. In 2012 she moved to Columbus, Ohio where she worked as a contingent staff member at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Additionally, she has been a part-time faculty member via distance learning for The University of Toledo School of Exercise Rehab Sciences. Currently Valerie is employed full-time at Nationwide Children’s Hospital with a focus on behavioral health. She continues to instruct for the university while also helping coordinate the University of Toledo Recreational Therapy Club conference. She has given many presentations over the years at conferences such as The University of Toledo Recreational Therapy Club Conference, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Therapeutic Recreation Fall Conference, The Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance State Convention, and the 2020 ATRA Annual Conference. Valerie is the current president for the Ohio Recreational Therapy Association.

Valerie Lazzara Mould, MA, CTRS-BH

SMART Instructor