ATRA SoCal : 2026 Session Description

Rhonda Nelson, Ph.D., MTRS, CTRS, FDRT is an Associate Professor, Recreational Therapy (RT) Program Director, and Director of RT Graduate Studies at the University of Utah. She has extensive experience as an RT practitioner, educator, and researcher and is a strong advocate for evidence-based practice and professional collaboration. Rhonda is particularly passionate about RT programs and research that bring faculty/researchers, students, RT practitioners, and clients/consumers together to work on projects that advance the RT profession. Rhonda currently serves as President of the National Academy of Recreational Therapists (NART) and previously served as Chair of the Committee on Accreditation of Recreational Therapy Education (CARTE).

Ph.D., MTRS, CTRS

Jamie WriBen (Bennett) is a licensed and certified Recreational Therapist, faculty member in the Department of Occupational & Recreational Therapies at the University of Utah, and firm believer that Recreational Therapy deserves a seat at every clinical table. At the U, Jamie teaches core clinical practice and facilitation courses, oversees internship processes, and works closely with clinical sites nationwide to ensure emerging therapists graduate with more than just a diploma and optimism. Her academic work centers on clinical education, supervision practices, and the integration of evidence-based, ethically grounded approaches into the realities of everyday RT service delivery. Jamie brings extensive experience across mental and behavioral health and older adult populations. She has been recognized by the Utah Recreation Therapy Association with the Distinguished Service Award, served as URTA President, and completed a term on the NCTRC Board of Directors — contributing to local and national credentialing and professional standards, one committee meeting at a time. She presents locally and nationally on evidence-based practice, clinical supervision, and building a workforce that's genuinely ready for the job. Beyond the university, Jamie owns and directs Rec Therapy Solutions, providing clinical consulting, Medicaid waiver programming, and professional training across Utah — fluent in both the language of research and "here's what actually works on a Tuesday with a full caseload." Outside of work, she's co-managing the full-time adventure sport of raising a feral toddler alongside her wife. It's essentially fieldwork in behavior management and crisis intervention — and she wouldn't trade it for anything!

BS

Kathleen Kuzmic-Taylor, BS is a Masters of Recreational Therapy student at the University of Utah in the Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies. Kathleen received her bachelor’s degree from Black Hills State University in Psychology & Sociology with a focus in Cognitive and Positive Psych. Kathleen works at a youth residential treatment center in Utah as a Behavioral Health Associate. She has a passion for the outdoors and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and aims to focus these within the population of adolescents in treatment. She hopes to continue her growth in Recreational Therapy and looks forward to graduating next spring.

RT Student

Sky Rudd is a senior pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Recreational Therapy at the University of Utah through the Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies. He also completed a minor in Chinese through the Department of World Languages and Culture. Sky has a passion for music, running, and staying active through other recreational activities. Sky received funding from the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) for assisting with research on the impact of group drumming on the mental health of college students, and he is especially interested in utilizing musical opportunities as a modality in recreational therapy. After graduation, he is interested in working in a physical medicine setting, particularly in a rehabilitation hospital, with clients who have spinal cord injuries or acquired brain injuries.