On Adventure Therapy

As I work through launching my private practice and planning to offer some adventure therapy options, I am getting a lot of questions like "what is adventure therapy?"

What is adventure therapy?

• Adventure therapy is therapy that occurs in conjunction with adventure activities.

• Activities may include rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, or hiking.

• Individuals work on personalized goals through adventure experiences, often times in small group settings.

• Process is carefully overseen by a qualified and licensed mental health professional.

  

  Rock climbing in Tucson, AZ!

How does it work?

Adventure therapy is more than a guided outdoor adventure. It is an intentional, therapeutic process in which skills are worked on in real-time.

• Adventure therapy can expedite the therapeutic process - this is because skills can be practiced and debriefed in real-time allowing for stronger and more rapid neural pathway development.

• Adventure experiences are extremely transferrable to daily life - this helps clients move beyond just talking to actually generalizing and applying therapy concepts to daily life

• Outdoor adventure often enhances health and wellness outcomes, leading to positive effects on mental health.

• The therapist/facilitators work closely with clients to monitor their "challenge ratio"- too much or too little challenge hinders therapeutic progress. Adventure therapy professionals monitor this ration to help clients remain in their learning zones.

  

  It's worth the fuzzy picture to share old memories of a favorite mentor from a very important time in my life, and now fellow therapist. Climbing in South Dakota!

What are the outcomes?

In addition to working on personalized goals, there is a long list of positive outcomes that most individuals experience:

• Improved self-efficacy - perceived self-efficacy refers to people's beliefs about their capabilities to exercise control over their own activities

• Improved critical thinking and decision making

• Improved self-esteem

• Improved resilience and perseverance

What is my personal experience with adventure therapy?

I was first introduced to adventure sports through scouting as a high schooler. While not intentionally a therapeutic program, it was completely transformative. As a kid, teen, and even young adult I was so riddled with anxiety I could not speak in a classroom. 'Adventure' taught me how to grow through discomfort, it taught me how to ground myself, and it taught me just how capable I am.

28-days of mountaineering in Alaska reinforced that yes, I can indeed do hard things.

I chose to get an undergraduate degree in Recreation, with a focus area on Therapeutic Recreation. I set off to work as a wilderness therapy guide for 2 years and then spent several more years working in recreation therapy and program management for residential teen treatment programs. I continued on with my personal adventure endeavors, especially falling in love with mountain biking. After finishing graduate school with my master's in social work, I expanded into pediatric play therapy all the while continuing to volunteer with an outdoor adventure teen program. I have experienced and witnessed just how powerful and therapeutic outdoor adventure can be with the right support, relationships, challenge, and playfulness.

I have hiked and biked and climbed from Washington to Alaska to Arizona to Utah to the Adirondacks and back to Washington. I have worked with people, including myself, through some of their biggest fears, discomforts, backcountry poops, conflicts, and accomplishments. There is research and evidence behind it all, but more importantly I also feel it deeply in my soul. It works. It creates meaning and belonging.

How do I find an adventure therapist?

My qualifications include over 15 years of experience with youth, professional guiding experience, over 9 years in the mental health industry, and a clinical social work license. Some providers also have their CCAT (certified clinical adventure therapist), which requires additional training and supervision. You can search for CCAT providers through the Association of Experiential Education. Here are some key words and adjacent areas of practice that may be helpful during your searches:

• Adventure Therapy

• Nature Based Therapy

• Wilderness Therapy

• Recreation Therapy

• Ecotherapy

• Walk and Talk Therapy

Running into dead ends or have further questions? Email me: amber@eckertwesttherapy.com

Written from my own head and heart, without the use of AI

Amber Eckert, MSW, LSWAIC

Eckert West Therapy