MĀNUKA TRAIL

 

Mānuka Trail is a small group of up to eight children (all of a similar age).

The group is led by two facilitators – a qualified mental health professional (ACC-approved) and a highly experienced outdoor instructor. [More details on the facilitators below]

The group meets every Wednesday for 8 weeks, and each meeting is a 2.5 hour morning session that takes place in the same outdoor location each week. Having the same location each time helps create a sense of safety, connection and familiarisation with the land.

 

CHILDREN WILL EXPERIENCE HEALING THROUGH PLAY

With the help of Nature, we aim to inspire curiosity, awe and wonder, to help children feel connected to something bigger than themselves. We aim to provide opportunities to experience joy and fun, through creative endeavours, imaginative play, and movement.

 

CHILDREN WILL CONNECT WITH OTHERS AND EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF BELONGING

They may support a friend with a tricky weaving project, or help shift a heavy rock, or build a bridge over a creek. They will laugh, play, sing and eat to gether. They might quietly explore together, getting to know each other without the pressure to talk. Each child will discover their own strengths.

 

CHILDREN WILL BUILD SELF-WORTH, DEVELOP A POSITIVE SENSE OF INDENTITY AND FEEL EMPOWERED

They will have our support to make choices, set boundaries, and mastering new skills such as fire lighting, crafting, or recognising healing plants.

 

CHILDREN WILL LEARN WAYS TO COPE WITH PTSD

We support children as they learn and practice ways to reduce the symptoms and challenges that come with PTSD. For example, strengthening emotional intelligence (including non-verbal ways, such as nature art, movement-based play). They will learn and practice strategies such as sensory soothing and regulation, e.g. slow rhythmic activities like rocking in a hammock or wading through water.

 

The Mānuka Trail is open to children who are clients in ACC’s Sensitive Claims Service. 

To see which groups are coming up, please see Upcoming Programmes further down the page. 

 

REQUIREMENTS

• Children must be in regular counselling or therapy with an SCS Lead Provider, with a Support to Wellbeing Plan in place. There must already be established goals for therapy, and this programme will offer a safe supportive environment to practice and develop these skills.
• The child must be interested in this programme and want to participate.
• Caregivers must be able to commit to their children attending all eight sessions (with exception to illness or exceptional circumstances). Lead Providers and caregivers work together to create a plan around reliable transport to and from programme. Please seek support from ACC as you would for attendance at regular therapy sessions.
• The Lead Provider determines that the child is in a stable and supported place to participate in the programme, and can access appropriate care outside of sessions.
• The child is considered by the Lead Provider and the by the Clinician from Adventure Specialties Trust to be a suitable match with other group participants, to ensure a safe and positive group culture.
  Caregivers and Lead Providers will need to complete an enrolment form that includes giving medical information and consent. It is important to us that each child has a state of physical and mental health that allows for safe participation in this programme. This will allow our facilitators to choose appropriate activities for the group and support individuals accordingly.
• Lead Providers and parents/caregivers will liaise with school to explain that this programme is a key component of the child’s therapeutic plan and it is designed to support their emotional, social, and behavioural development. We welcome the school’s input into the relevant sections of the enrolment form, and we encourage the children to share their weekly letters with all the trusted adults that support them.

 

RESTRICTIONS 

• While we are able to accommodate many physical constraints, we are unable to accept participants with severe medical conditions or injuries that pose a risk when engaging in outdoor adventure activities.
• Additionally, we cannot accept individuals currently experiencing psychosis, or those who are unable to understand and follow basic safety instructions due to intellectual ability or psychological state.
• We are unable to accept individuals who are actively suicidal, experience strong and frequent suicidal ideation, or who pose a potential risk to others.
• Children who have a history of both experiencing AND engaging in harmful sexual behaviour will need specialized support beyond the scope of this programme.

 

All of the sessions will take place in the same outdoor location, to create a sense of safety, connection and familiarisation with the land.

 

AUCKLAND

Our Auckland clinician will let you know where the outdoor location is, once your enrolment process has been completed.

 

CHRISTCHURCH

Our Christchurch clinician will let you know where the outdoor location is, once your enrolment process has been completed.

 

CONSISTENCY

A gentle rhythm and routine will be established, providing consistency and smooth transitions between activities, and consistency between time at home/school/with caregivers and time on the programme.

 

A WARM WELCOME

Each session begins with a warm welcome and activity options as children arrive and get comfortable in the space. We then open with karakia and a group check-in to connect with each other and see how everyone is feeling. A shared morning kai follows, leading into a story that introduces wellbeing and therapeutic concepts in a way children can relate to. Facilitators use this story throughout the session to support individual and group interactions.

 

CHILD-LED PLAY

Children then engage in child-led play and exploration, with optional activities provided to help them transition into play. These may include:

Physical activities (like hut building and fire lighting),

Sensory experiences (like making mud pies or insect hunting or swinging in a hammock), or

Creative tasks (like weaving or charcoal drawing).

 

PROGRESSION

As the weeks progress, children will become more familiar with the space and each other, and facilitators can encourage them to take the lead in choosing how they play. Facilitators can support children by helping them  make choices, develop skills, express their feelings, and build trusting relationships.

 

REFLECTION

Towards the end of each session, we gather for a group game and activity, followed by journal time, where children reflect on their experiences by drawing or writing. The session ends with karakia before caregivers arrive to take them home.

 

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

After each session, facilitators write a letter to each child, summarising the day’s activities and offering encouragement. These letters can be kept in their journals and then shared with protective adults or therapists, to strengthen connections. If concerns arise about a child, facilitators will check in with them and follow up with their safe adult or Lead Provider during the week.

 

SUPPORT FROM TRUSTED ADULTS

In the first and last sessions, a trusted adult is invited to join each child for part of the session, to support their transition and help the child share their transition and help the child share their experiences.

 

OUR APPROACH

This programme draws on several different Outdoor and Theoretical approaches: Adventure Therapy, Nature Therapy, Forest schools and “Nature Play” are some of these.

For us, this means we provide an outdoor environment where children engage in child-led, inquiry-based, and play-focused activities. 

All our programmes follow a strengths-based approach, emphasizing children’s resilience and ability to drive their own learning and recovery.

We also are therapeutically oriented, integrating psychological and emotional healing within these experiences. For us, Nature is not only our setting, but is utilised as a tool for processing emotions, building self-regulation, and supporting trauma recovery.

CHALLENGE BY CHOICE

Challenge is definitely a part of our programme, and each activity will challenge everyone in a different way. Challenge can be good for us!

A choice-based environment supports children who have experienced abuse and the resulting powerlessness. In our setting, children are able to choose activities they would like to engage with such as art, sensory exploration or physical activities, and be involved in group projects, like building a dam, where their contribution is valued.

SUSTAINABLE GAINS

A sustainable healing practice is one that can be incorporated (by the child and their supporters) into every aspect of a child’s life. This might include games, activities, metaphors or strategies, and encouragement to find similar spaces at home or school.

We will support this with letters that show and remind children of what they’ve done each session. We will also encourage home play and invite caregivers to the final day to see all of this in action.

 

A TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH WITH CHILDREN

We understand the need for emotionally attuned adults who prioritise co-regulation, non-verbal connection, and playful interactions.

Our trauma-informed approach is to meet children where they are developmentally, and see any challenging behaviour as deep-seated fears and survival instincts. There are many examples in our setting that support a restoration of this sense of belonging and relationship, such as group rhythms and rituals, and collaborative projects.

We believe that trust can slowly be restored through repair and safe conflict resolution. For example, time alongside an attentive adult who invites restorative conversations in nature, or invites symbolic repair (e.g. rebuilding a fallen shelter).  

A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

First and foremost, it is a priority that that this group is a safe and supportive environment for all people.

Obviously, physical safety is important when doing outdoor activities! We have qualified outdoor instructors and a safety management system that is audited and registered with Worksafe NZ. We require that participants follow our safety rules.

‘Safe’ also means emotional safety. We put significant time and energy into building a group environment with healthy dynamics and healthy relationships. Activities are sequenced in a way that allows for safety to be firmly established in the group before doing activities that require higher levels of trust. We work hard to build a culture where children can talk openly, feel supported, and can be themselves, no matter what culture, gender, sexuality, age or personality they have.

We ensure that there are various options for physical shelter, to allow us to shelter from bad weather, and also for privacy and feelings of safety and containment.

 

Our Taha Tinana allows us to feel healthy, energetic, motivated, and physically capable of pursuing activities that bring joy, connection, and satisfaction to our days. 

HOW THIS LOOKS IN THE OUTDOORS:

Outdoor activities challenge and strengthen our bodies, promoting fitness, resilience and confidence. Physical movement, especially outdoors in nature, supports overall health, wellbeing and energy levels.  

Taha Whānau is about feeling a sense of belonging, connection and confidence in our relationships with others. It includes a belief that people can be kind, trustworthy and safe, as well as the ability to work collaboratively with others. 

HOW THIS LOOKS IN THE OUTDOORS:

Adventure builds teamwork, trust and belonging. Shared challenges strengthen relationships and provide a supportive space for growth, healing and connection.  

Our Taha Hinengaro allows us to feel balanced, hopeful, and positive about the future, with the capacity to navigate life’s challenges and celebrate its joys while nurturing a sense of self-compassion and self-worth. 

HOW THIS LOOKS IN THE OUTDOORS:

Time in nature reduces stress and enhances mental clarity, emotional resilience and self-awareness. Adventure activities encourage participants to challenge themselves which helps them develop courage and self-confidence.

Taha Wairua is about feeling a strong sense of self, identity, and connection to our faith, beliefs, culture, values, and purpose. It provides a foundation of meaning and direction. 

HOW THIS LOOKS IN THE OUTDOORS:

Being outdoors in nature fosters a sense of wonder, connection and purpose. Outdoor experiences deepen spiritual awareness, whether through faith, nature or personal reflection.  

Te Whenua is the foundation of Te Whare Tapa Whā. Connection to Te Whenua is about a sense of belonging in te taiao, the natural world, and drawing on that connection to support our wellbeing. It includes experiencing awe and wonder in natural spaces, fostering a sense of responsibility to protect and care for the Earth.