REVIVE is a new Adventure Therapy day programme (one day a week over eight weeks) for clients who are being supported by ACC’s Integrated Service for Sensitive Claims (ISSC) therapists.
We have just completed our first REVIVE programme in Christchurch.
Anneke (a qualified therapist and our Adventure Therapy Clinician) and Amy (a qualified counsellor and our Adventure Therapy Manager) met up with seven women who are clients of ACC’s ISSC.
The group spent eight Tuesdays adventuring together – walking, rafting, sea kayaking, surfing, rock climbing, on the high ropes course, and orienteering.
Anneke recounts, “We’ve laughed and cried together, reflected and shared together, eaten and celebrated birthdays together. We’ve taken brave steps to try new things and get to new heights. We’ve turned to the natural world as a resource for grounding and calming, tuned in to what our bodies need and taken rest when we’ve needed it. We’ve expressed ourselves creatively and acknowledged all that our bodies can do! Our women plan to continue to meet up socially which speaks so beautifully to our hope that people leave our programmes feeling ‘woven into community’.”
Adventure Specialties Trust has contracted an Independent Researcher to evaluate this programme (and the next three), to ensure that we are adequately supporting these participants, and to demonstrate the benefits of this active therapeutic environment for participants who have experienced trauma and significant harm.
We have a men’s group in the pipeline too!
QUOTES FROM THE PARTICIPANTS
Here are a couple of quotes from our women, about how this programme has made a difference to their lives:
“I’m wanting to be outside – to feel the air, have the air in my lungs and to know, even when it’s raining and I am soaked through, that I am in my element and I love it.”
“I had to learn to trust while on high ropes – this has helped me to trust someone outside and not to believe the world is such a scary place.”
“My confidence has increased. My capabilities in what I can achieve has increased. My trust in myself and my body has increased. My self-esteem has increased.”
“The connections made in this group are priceless. The group plan on staying in touch, continuing to support each other and grow. It can be hard to find like-minded people, but this group rocked.”
FIND OUT MORE
Find out more about our REVIVE programme.
Or Contact Us if you would like to talk to someone about the programme.
Learn more about Adventure Therapy.
Browse other Adventure Therapy programmes.
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