Adventure therapy, a type of experiential therapy, requires groups to work together to complete a task or overcome a challenge. Such group work provides insight into individual, group, and family dynamics. Issues addressed in the process include self-esteem, communication, leadership style, problem-solving dynamics, and asking for help and support.

Such activities have been used for years by military organizations to unite personnel into efficiently functioning units. In the early 1960s, Outward Bound introduced these activities to America, giving summer youth camps, after-school programs, and correctional programs new teaching tools.

By the early 1990s, high ropes courses and low element challenge courses began finding their way into inpatient addiction treatment programs. The power and effectiveness of adventure therapy was acknowledged as therapists realized patients could no longer hide from their issues as they might in talk therapy. The benefits in family therapy are even more dramatic. When families are asked to cooperate and achieve a goal, family dynamics swiftly become apparent. Family secrets, control issues, fear, and communication problems can present almost immediately — far quicker than through traditional group or family therapy modalities. Adventure therapy also can help clients and their families access memories of past traumas, sometimes hidden for years in traditional therapies.

Adventure therapy is multi-faceted. It includes more than challenge courses, climbing walls, and portable kits. Games and initiatives that require few props and have fewer risk management issues are one of the most effective tools for therapeutic use. These games and initiatives can provide the same learning opportunities and self-awareness gains as a challenge course, allowing an individual’s survival skills and coping mechanisms to become apparent, hence providing opportunities for feedback from other group members. Communication style and problem-solving skills are revealed, giving insight into family history dynamics.

Although many clinicians see the value of adventure therapy and would welcome the opportunity to use it, there has been a large obstacle — budget. Construction of a high ropes course or low element challenge course can cost thousands of dollars. Besides material costs and specific requirements for course layout and safety considerations, funds must be allocated for extensive facilitator training. Not all treatment programs can afford to hire qualified builders, and many don’t have space available for a course. These issues led to the development of portable challenge courses. While portable kits definitely provide a valid alternative to building a permanent course, they provide some challenges as well. Some elements in the kits may be too heavy for one person to lift, and the kits are not conducive to air travel. Although much less expensive than permanent courses, these kits can still cost more than $2000, excluding training costs. For sole practitioners who want to include some adventure therapy in a group process or workshop, the bulk and cost of such kits may not be practical.

Therapists using any form of adventure therapy must invest in adequate training to learn activities, and more importantly, learn to process them. But with appropriate training and therapy skills, along with a little ingenuity, any therapist or clinician can have an adventure therapy kit. It doesn’t have to cost a small fortune. In fact, many items for an adventure kit are readily available at discount stores, yard sales, or even from your own garage. Your tool kit might include:

• plastic tablecloths
• used tennis balls
• retired climbing ropes
• paper plates
• hula hoops
• index cards
• duct tape
• carpet samples

Plastic tablecloths work great for activities such as Peek-a-boo, Space Ships, or some parachute games. (You’ll learn these and the other activities mentioned when you are trained. For more information see the reference and resource lists.) Used tennis balls can be used for a large number of activities from Group Juggle to Mine Field. A retired climbing rope, which you can probably acquire from your local climbing gym, has dozens of uses, including Group Jump Rope, Electric Fence, or Tug-of-War. Ropes are great items to have in your kit since they can also be used to define boundaries, create shapes for Blind Paragon, or be pushed in Reverse Tug-of-War.

Paper plates are another inexpensive prop with many uses. They can be used for activities such as Traffic Jam or All My Neighbors. Duct tape can even be used for these activities. Hula hoops also are inexpensive and have multiple uses. Use them for Circle the Circle, Hoop Relay, or Rodeo Throw. And you can always use them as they were intended — for a great ice-breaker.

If you or someone you know has basic carpentry skills, you can also make many of your own props. For example, platforms for All Aboard can be made from scrap lumber. The framework for Spiderweb can be constructed from 1-1/2-inch schedule 40 PVC pipe, and the web can be made from inexpensive parachute cord. Trolleys are another easy-to-make item using new or used lumber and inexpensive rope or 3/4-inch nylon webbing (found at backpacking supply stores).

By paying attention to props used during trainings and thinking creatively, you can discover ways to develop your own adventure kit on a budget. Adventure therapy is a powerful complement to traditional group work. Clients’ true issues are often revealed more swiftly through adventure activities. Clinicians need training to properly administer and process activities for client safety and appropriate results, but budget constraints no longer have to be a barrier.

Jerry Harmon, LISAC, CADAC, is an international workshop facilitator and trainer who
specializes in adventure therapies. He works with diverse populations including adults, adolescents, families, and corporate groups, and has worked extensively with First Nation and aboriginal populations throughout North America.

References
Gass, Michael A. (1995). Book of Metaphors, Vol. 2. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Gerstein, Jackie S. (1994). Experiential Family Counseling: A Practitioner’s Guide to Orientation Materials, Warm-Ups, Family Building Initiatives, and Review Exercises. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Rohnke, Karl. (1995). Silver Bullets: A Guide to Initiative Problems, Adventure Games and Trust Activities. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Rohnke, Karl and Butler, Steve. (1995). Quicksilver: Adventure Games, Initiative Problems, Trust Activities and a Guide to Effective Leadership. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Additional Resources include: Project Adventure, 701 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915; Phone: 978-524-4500.
Association for Experiential Education (AEE), 2885 Aurora Avenue, Suite #28, Boulder, CO 80303-2252; Phone: 303-440-8844.

This article is published in Counselor,The Magazine for Addiction Professionals, October 2005, v.6, n.5, pp.24-25.

---

Comments

Add New Search RSS

Write comment
Name:
Email:	do not notifynotify
Title:
UBBCode:	-color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.25

3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."