Adventure therapy has been a prominent form of recovery for several decades now. It’s very different from talk therapy groups in that it typically takes place in an outdoor setting with experiences that require problem solving skills.
In adventure based experiential therapy, you are able to face personal challenges relying only on yourself and your fellow peers, not the substances that may have been a crutch in the past. There are many benefits to this type of therapy, including from the trust and open communication bred from the environment, to the sense of accomplishment when achieving things that previously seemed unattainable (just to name a few).
5 benefits of adventure based experiential therapy
Perception Change
Obstacles in life often can seem impossible to get through because haven’t ever had to deal with it, or it requires a great deal of effort and collaboration with others. While it’s easier to shy away from challenges and fall back on substances, in adventure therapy, participants work through each situation until you accomplish it, which changes perceptions about the difficulty of challenges.
Self Confidence
Each activity requires participants to trust their choices and therapists are nearby to talk through negative behaviors that may arise. In the end, participants feel good about the decisions they made and feel a sense of accomplishment in successfully reaching the goal.
Problem Solving
Participants along with their peers, work to get through each activity. Communications styles and problem solving skills are used along each step of the way. Therapists are also nearby to talk through negative behaviors that may arise and help correct destructive patterns that got in the way of problem solving skills in the past.
Mood and Stress Improvement
The therapeutic qualities of being in nature reduces stress and has an uplifting effect on mood. In addition to benefits of simply being there, the physical exertion during activity also contributes to these improvements.
Better Understand Yourself
Adventure activities are followed with discussions that relate each action, decision, and behavior to real life situations. After having completed the activity, experienced the emotions of it, and talked through them, participants are able to better understand and master their own thought processes, behaviors, and coping strategies.
These are just five of the benefits of experiential therapy, but there are many more. If kayaking, skiing, and ropes courses appeal to you, call us today to learn about how these activities can help your addiction recovery journey. We care, and we want to help you create a new story for your life.
