Transcript Exploring Adventure Therapy at Teesside University PowerPoint

A Counselling Adventure
Exploring Adventure Therapy
at Teesside University
Pamela Jones and Callum Anderson
Outline and Aims
• To offer a sense of what Adventure Therapy is
like from a counselling clients perspective using
feedback and experiential elements
• To look at the reasons behind its development at
Teesside and how we have applied it on a
practical basis
• To explore how it is still changing and evolving to
fit the client group
Definition of Adventure Therapy
Adventure therapy is the creation of opportunities
to explore individual and group goals, in a safe
environment using perceived and actual risk
scenarios.
This is delivered through a mix of social and
adventure based activities, designed to
psychologically challenge individuals, and
promote a positive outcome to their goals.
Background – Why Adventure
Therapy?
• Expansion of our successful project, “Lighten
Your Load” which combines counselling with an
individual physical activity programme.
• Clients benefiting from using activities like the
University’s climbing wall in small groups.
• Recognition of the health benefits of being out of
the urban environment in green space(Barton &
Pretty, 2010)
Where we began
• Pilot project which ran in April 2008
• Joint project based in the Well-being Centre
incorporating Counselling, Sport and Well-being
and Disability Services (Mental Health)
• Combined approach using counselling with the
experience of an adventure activity in the natural
environment
What we did/do?
• 2008 – ½ day team building, ½ day
introduction to abseiling, 1 full day
abseiling and walking
• 2009 – ½ day team building, 1 full day
walking
• 2010 – ½ day team building, 2 full days
and an overnight camp. Canoeing,
climbing and abseiling
Aims of Adventure Therapy at
Teesside
• To take a small group of clients (max.10) currently
attending counselling or clients supported by our
Mental Health Advisor.
• To take clients out of their comfort zone in a
controlled manner using safe and managed
learning environments.
• To offer both a physical and emotional challenge.
• For clients to have a challenging and positive
experience.
• To move from “I cant” into “I can”, and apply this to
everyday life.
Aims of Adventure Therapy at
Teesside
• Transfer what they learn from this specific
experience to everyday life experience.
• To encourage the clients to work together and
share the experience with each other.
• To have a member of the counselling team
present to talk through their concerns or fears
during the experience.
• To have the opportunity to reflect at depth in situ
What works? (The theories)
• “I can’t into I can”
• 3 Responses
• Dominant theory in current group Adventure
Therapy seems to be narrative therapy.
• Integrative approach using a collection of
different tools - individual goal setting, reflective
journal writing, group reflection, individual
discussions and ‘crisis’ management (panic and
anxiety)
Life Effectiveness Questionnaire
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A 24 point questionnaire, looking at:
Achievement Motivation
Active Initiative
Emotional Control
Intellectual Flexibility
Self Confidence
Social Competence
Task Leadership
Time Management
Experiential activity
• Self selecting
• Risk assessed
• Trust exercise based around communication and
trust of strangers in a controlled environment.
• This is designed to place participants in a
situation of slight discomfort, and where they
need to trust those around them for their safety.
They have a final say if they start or stop.
• Questionnaires.
Client selection
• Clients all established, assessed and well known
to counsellors / Mental Health Advisor
• Self selecting, offered opportunity but no obligation
• No ‘at risk’ clients
• Clients who may have tackled other issues in
counselling such as depression, bereavement,
anxiety but currently presenting with low self
esteem/ confidence
• Clients involved in LYL project
• Clients who want a challenge but aren’t sure how
to do it for themselves – stuck in familiar patterns
Client Selection
• Pre- Exercise Participant Health Questionnaire
for Adventure Therapy (Teesside University)
• Consent Forms (Permissions gained for visual,
audio and written evidence to be used by
Teesside University anonymously)
Activity Criteria
• Each activity is decided using the following
criteria:
Group or individual orientated.
• Do we have / can we get resources for the
activity?
• Is it appropriate to the group and the individuals
it contains
• If something happens, can we escape?
• Time : travelling / activities?
What we have learned from the
experience- Outdoor activity
• That we need to have better resources to be
more flexible in our approach to the activities.
• To have prior knowledge of individuals goals
would allow me to tailor the activity to the clients.
• Which Activity to use ?
• Contributing factors regarding which activity:
• -Environment / Weather / Group /
Appropriateness.
What we have learned from the
experience - Counselling
• Every group totally unique!
• Clients may have goals they haven’t divulged –
now using personal goal setting to share with
counsellor in advance
• Managing anxiety and group cohesion a large
part of the role
• Accepting its a different role with continuous
exposure to clients over a 2 day period from
sitting for an hour a week with someone in a
counselling room
What we have learned from the
experience - Counselling
• Using a positive questionnaire (LEQ) that is
outward looking and suitable to this activity.
Life Effectiveness Questionnaire
200
180
160
140
Q1
Q2
Q3
120
Score 100
80
60
40
20
0
Questionnaire
1
2
3
4
5
Student
Q3
Q2
Q1
6
7
8
Costs
Staffing – Internal normal hours plus cover for any
time off in lieu.
Kit Hire – £235
Food - £133 (£6.05 / head)
Van Hire - £120
Fuel - £60
Accommodation - £0
Total - £131.50 per client
Client contribution of £20 new total each of
£111.50 Per client.
Client feedback
• Feedback sources – Colleague Alex
Kyriakopoulos Doctorate in Counselling
Psychology research based on qualitative
interviews with year 2008 and year 2009 clients
• CORE 10 and LEQ used pre, first day, end of
final day and one month post experience,
• Journals
• Activity Questionnaire one month post
experience.
Client Feedback Themes
Social Anxiety
“On first impressions all the others seemed to be
people I don’t usually surround myself with, then
one by one it began to slot together”
Social Anxiety
“With regards to the situation of being with so
many strangers, I found myself quite anxious at
times because I wanted to say things which
didn’t seem appropriate to say to someone I
didn’t know well. So this was quite annoying.
This taught me that I need to find a way of
saying how I feel to people who I don’t know
well. I do worry about hurting people’s feelings,
but at the end of the day, it’s not going to help if I
stay quiet.”
Trust
“This made me realise I was more comfortable
trusting other people than trusting myself.
This may be partially due to me not knowing
myself as I had previously discussed with my
counsellor, therefore I was afraid to put my own
life, so directly in my own hands funnily enough.”
Trust
“After our group talk and asking what we thought
was our greatest achievement and most fun, I
realised that one thing I didn’t think I had a
problem with. Trust.
I feel I didn’t have a problem with this issue, yet
talking together got me quite emotional on the
realisation. I trust people too easily.
It’s strange that it is this way though, as, with what
I have been through the last three years, I
shouldn’t be able to trust anyone”
Self Belief / Achievement
“Realising this I decided to push myself to abseil in
the theory that upon realising the issue I may as
well challenge it and hopefully build some trust
in myself. Of course I did not fall to my untimely
death and it was a good experience and I felt
proud of myself for doing it especially when I
initially did not want too.”
Self Belief / Achievement
“Best part of today has been....Reaching the top of
the rock face. I had done this on the climbing
wall once before, but to be outdoors, on the real
thing was awesome (even with the prospect of
the sharp, jagged rocks to fall down onto). “
Environment
“The best part of today has been the journey down
to the campsite in the canoes. Just the beautiful
scenery and lovely weather. This is happiness. “
“A few of us had a night boating trip after everyone
else had settled down by the beach campfire, it
ended up with four people in two boats.... in the
middle of the completely black lake looking up at
the moon, which was beautiful and amazing. “
Shared Experience
“The people I have met on this experience have
made this time even better. It makes you realise
your not the only one that thinks this way and
that your not the only one good at putting an act
on”
“Also seeing people doing the things which are to
them scary or tough, dare I say it, is inspiring.”
Shared Experience
“Secondly as we were going round the group I was
surprised at the similarities of some of the
fears/challenges and achievements listed and
the ones floating around my head … but it does
make me feel better somewhere inside to hear
that from other people who aren’t my friends
(who therefore I think might just be saying it to
make me feel better) and who you can see are
also working at it.”
Application to every day life
“So in part the trip did make me start questioning
the patterns I have, I hope to take that and use it
in everyday life. “
“I did take some of my new interaction confidence
with me to another similar situation later on, and
I did notice a difference. “
References
• Kyriakopoulos, A (2010) How Individuals with
Self-reported Anxiety and Depression
experienced a combination of Individual
Counselling with an Adventurous Outdoor
Experience: A Qualitative Evaluation.
Counselling & Psychotherapy Research. In
Press
• Life Effectiveness Questionnaire (LEQ) –
Richards,G and Neill, J. - www.wilderdom.com
References
• CORE 10, CORE System Trust (February 2006)
www.coreims.co.uk
• “What is the best dose of nature and green
exercise for improving mental health? A multi
study analysis”
Barton,J and Pretty, J. 2010.
Journal of Environmental Science and
Technology, March 2010.