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[Please note that the photos in this article are not from the RESTORE programme, to protect the privacy of the programme participants.]

The benefits of small groups include:

• Meeting other people who are in a similar situation to you,
• Getting to know them, making friends,
• Trusting others,
• Communicating your needs and emotions and ideas.

Especially for people who are anxious about social situations, it’s an opportunity to practice so many skills and really build confidence in a social setting.

All of these things are much harder to achieve in individual therapy.

We often find that one of the things the participants appreciate most is the peer support that comes from the group sharing their experiences and thoughts and ideas with each other.

Take, for example, our RESTORE programmes which have been running in Auckland and Christchurch this year.

RESTORE is for people who are off work for mental health reasons (like anxiety, depression, stress or burnout) and are on the Job Seekers benefit. We use Adventure Therapy to support them on their journey towards hauora (health and wellbeing).

Check out the feedback that we have received from the participants:

“It was comforting to learn that EVERYONE goes through stuff and everyone struggles from time to time.”

“It gave me a reason to get out of bed and have interactions with people outside my immediate circle. Being able to have meaningful conversations impacted my day positively.”

“It’s helped me realise that people do care and there are programmes that help bring change and help bring life back.”

“This programme has made me realise how important connection is for my wellbeing. Connecting with nature and people help to lift my mood and give me a sense of belonging.”

“This programme has made a difference in multiple ways: communicating with others, feeling better in nature, different ways to look at things, and feeling safer in the community.”

“I’m more positive, confident and clearer about who I am and what brings me to life. I’ve learned that I don’t have to be perfect and giving my best is fine. I’ve learned too that I have a lot to offer other people because of who I am. I have appreciated this opportunity. I am no longer suicidal, I have more hope and can feel joy, self-pride and gratitude.”

[This article is from our Christmas newsletter. Read the rest of the newsletter here (PDF)]

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One of KidsCan’s projects is the KidsCan Youth Council. It is a year-long scholarship programme which supports young people towards success, leadership and community
engagement.

The Youth Council is made up of ten students (aged 16-18) from all around Aotearoa New Zealand, who have been under-privileged or come from resilient backgrounds or who have benefitted from KidsCan programmes themselves. They are young people who have a desire to help others and want the opportunity to have a leadership role in their communities.

KidsCan partnered with us to create a 3-day outdoor adventure programme which focused on supporting the Youth Council students in gaining confidence and leadership skills, plus developing individual goals for themselves.

Our instructors, Nat and Joel, took the group kayaking and hiking around Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.

They also led the group in some leadership activities which focused on understanding different values and different comfort levels within a group. For example, they were asked questions like “How comfortable do you feel in deep water?” or “How much do you value time alone by yourself?” or “How connected do you feel to your culture?”

Seeing everyone’s different answers helped the students to understand how we all have different values and experiences, which, in turn, helps develop self-awareness as well as empathy and understanding for others.

After the programme, the students gave us some feedback:

“The group activities have helped me be able to talk and communicate with people I don’t know.”

“I’ve learned to be ambitious [with my goals]. It could pay off.”

“Our hike was so hard. It felt good to complete it, though.”

Ray, the KidsCan co-ordinator, gave this feedback:

“Kayaking was a youth fav. There was a good balance of education, skill, ease, exploration and playfulness. The hike was incredible and a great challenge for the youth. [The instructors] both had a very relaxed nature which made it easy for youth to feel comfortable and safe around. Good safety and risk management. I look forward to working with Adventure Specialties Trust again!”

This article is taken from our December 2023 Christmas newsletter.

Click here to read the rest of the newsletter.

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Here are some quotes from the young women who attended:

• Discovering your strengths and building self-worth;
• Taha Hinengaro (wellbeing of the mind) and self-kindness;
• Taha Wairua (spirituality), awe and wonder, connection to the land and to nature;
• Whanaungatanga (family and community), our support networks, repairing and strengthening relationships;
• Tools for building hauora (health and wellbeing), managing anxiety, recognising glimmers of joy, mindfulness, gratitude.

FIND OUT MORE

Want to find out more about our INSPIRE programme? Or come along next time? Find out more about INSPIRE Auckland and INSPIRE Christchurch. Want to learn more about Adventure Therapy? Read about it on our website or pop in for a chat and a cuppa at our Auckland or Christchurch offices.

Read the rest of our Christmas newsletter

This blog post is from our Christmas newsletter. Read the rest of the newsletter online (PDF).

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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.

Return to Homepage.

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UPCOMING YOUTH CAMP: Our North Island IGNITE youth camp is now open for applications! Keep reading for more details …

WHAT: IGNITE is an adventure therapy youth camp, where we combine ADVENTURE (kayaking, bush walking, high ropes, etc.) with THERAPY (like group activities and facilitated discussions, one-on-one chats with our caring instructors), with time and space built in for rest, reflection, and spending time outdoors in nature with its proven therapeutic benefits.

WHY: This camp is aimed at young people who might be struggling at the moment – maybe with anxiety, stress, depression, or other mental health challenges.

WHERE: We will be based at an adventure camp in Ahuroa (north of Auckland) with one overnight camping trip during the week (there is also a South Island camp, check our website for more info).

WHO: Young adults (aged 15-18 years old). We have extremely limited spaces so please get in touch sooner rather than later! Our staff will include a qualified mental health professional and one or two highly experienced outdoor instructors.

WHEN: The IGNITE camp happens most school holidays. The next one is during the September school holidays. Five days of fun! Monday 25th – Friday 29th September 2023.

Find out more about the IGNITE camp on our website:
www.adventurespecialties.co.nz/programmes/ignite-north-island

Come join us on an adventure!

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THANK YOU RECREATION AOTEAROA! For funding some amazing programmes over the last few months: Big Brother Big Sister and Upside Youth Mentoring in Auckland, plus Active Muslim Explorers Camp and Big Brother Big Sister in Christchurch.

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Thank you, West City Sports Academy, for this wonderful feedback about our partnership with your alternative education programme.

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