One of the modalities that helps people overcome difficulties and facilitate a better healing process is adventure therapy. Adventure therapy is a type of challenging activity that helps one enhance self-efficacy and build on their growth mindset skills. In the video “Adventure in Self-Efficacy: Increasing and Generalizing Efficacy in Outdoor Programs,” the two presenters talk about rafting as one of the ways to facilitate adventure therapy (aspiroadventure, 2013). Rafting helps adolescents improve their confidence and learn to work in teams. They learn to “read the river” and apply the knowledge they gain in school in real life (aspiroadventure, 2013). Hence, rafting as a form of adventure therapy helps people by putting them in challenging environments where they have to use their knowledge and skills to survive. After the rafting process, the therapists talk to these individuals and help them learn valuable lessons from this experience. This paper will present a reflection on the specifics of adventure therapy and its applications in real life.
The most interesting characteristic of adventure therapy for me is the combination of a sports activity and valuable life lessons that help promote healing. For example, in the video “Adventure in Self-Efficacy: Increasing and Generalizing Efficacy in Outdoor Programs,” the presenters talk about rafting and how it helps the participants of their program build important resilience and self-efficacy skills. Moreover, the presenters refer to research suggesting that after the students return to school after participating in adventure therapy, they have a stronger belief in their ability to perform (aspiroadventure, 2013). Moreover, I think it is a very helpful way to help adolescents build self-efficacy because they can go on and continue participating in rafting activities and further strengthen their self-efficacy after their therapy is over.
The most interesting thing about adventure therapy that I have learned from these videos is that the type of activity and specifics can be generalized and adapted based on the expected outcome. Hence, it provides a wide variety of options for the therapist and can be used when working with different types of patients. Apart from that, examples of adventure therapy programs, such as the Shepherd Center Adventure Skills Workshop, show that this method helps people with physical injuries as well (Shepard Center, n.d.). This program, in particular, targets individuals with spinal cord injuries and helps them to participate in challenging sports activities that the majority of people with such conditions avoid. This helps strengthen these individuals physically as well as supports their emotional well-being.
I would be interested in applying this modality when working with teenagers who have issues with low self-esteem and self-efficacy problems. I would choose an outdoor activity, such as rafting or hiking, that would help these individuals learn to rely on themselves and their skills, and I would discuss the lessons learned after these activities to strengthen their knowledge. If I were to become a recreational therapist, I would have to gain certification in a specific recreational activity to be an instructor and guide the participants through the activity. For example, to be a part of a program similar to the one discussed in the video, I would get a Rafting Instructor Certification from ACA (ACA, n.d.). The agency does not specify the cost of the training. However, one can become an instructor after six months of studying. In summary, this paper is a reflection on my preferred modality method, which is adventure therapy.
References
ACA. (n.d.). ACA rafting instructor certification. Web.
aspiroadventure. (2013). Adventure in self efficacy: Increasing and generalizing efficacy in outdoor programs [YouTube]. Web.
Shepard Center. (n.d.). Adventure skills workshop. Web.