Teenage Girls + Mental Health

Bex | Adventure Specialties Trust — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 03:03:27 +0000

During Term 3, we ran an INSPIRE Adventure Therapy day programme (one day a week over eight weeks) for young women who have been struggling with their mental health.

Here are some quotes from the young women who attended:

“I feel hopeful about my future and that life is worth living. Before this course, I saw no purpose in life. This course has made me see the beauty in life. I no longer feel alone.”

“I have learnt to trust my thoughts and opinions. I have learnt how to handle my stress and calm myself down. This will help me to get better and recover from my depression.”

“I have learnt new skills for problem solving. This course has changed how I view life and my purpose of living.”

“It has been helpful to know how to manage my feelings and this has helped my relationships with my mum and my sister.”

“I learnt that there are always other people to help you [when you are] in need, so in the future, when I am stressed, I can always ask for help.”

“It has reminded me that there are others that have similar feelings about life and that I am not alone.”

What happened on the INSPIRE programme?

Instructors April and Justine took the young women on a different Christchurch-based adventure each week, including kayaking, coastal hīkoi (walk), high ropes confidence course, raft building, biking, and bush activities.

As well as the outdoor adventure activities, there was a daily theme which was woven into the activities and group discussions. The themes included:

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).

The post Teenage Girls + Mental Health appeared first on Adventure Specialties Trust.

7-day Girls Journey through Marlborough Sounds

Bex | Adventure Specialties Trust — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 02:26:35 +0000

Seven-day Girls Journey

Here is a reflection, written by the young women who went on the recent 7-day Journey through Marlborough Sounds with our Christchurch instructors, Grace and April.

“We really enjoyed spending a week in the outdoors as a group and had an awesome time in a new environment (Marlborough Sounds).

“We have learnt so much about ourselves and in particular how we can manage ourselves and others most effectively in a positive manner. We have grown in confidence, whether that was mountain biking, kayaking or just being more comfortable in the outdoors, but also with our collaboration skills, communication, adaptability and resilience over the course of the week.

“P.S. Thanks Grace [instructor] for saving Lexi from losing her front wheel while mountain biking.”

Paul Ferguson, their Outdoor Education teacher at Hillmorton High School, Canterbury, added a few extra thoughts:

“Congratulations to Lexi Phillips, Bethan Edwards and Noelani Ritchie on their successful seven-day leadership journey to the Queen Charlotte Sound.

“These three girls (along with four other Canterbury secondary school students) made the most of this amazing opportunity to sea kayak and mountain bike the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound over the recent holidays. A massive thanks to Adventure Specialties Trust for providing this rich experience for Horomaka [Banks Peninsula] students.

“These opportunities are another example of the huge range of experiences available to Horomaka students. It reminds me of a smorgasbord with a wide variety of delicious food and dishes. Our students are so fortunate! It is so good to see students making the most of these opportunities!”

Thanks for sharing your reflections with us, Lexi. Bethan, Noelani and Paul.

Here are some more photos:

WANT TO COME ALONG NEXT TIME?

SOUTH ISLAND:

We have another girls programme coming up: IGNITE South Island. Six days of adventure in Queen Charlotte Sound during the July school holidays.

Check out our website for more info: https://www.adventurespecialties.co.nz/programmes/ignite-south-island/

NORTH ISLAND:

We also have a North Island IGNITE youth camp, also during the July school holidays, for young men and women.

Find out more:

https://www.adventurespecialties.co.nz/programmes/ignite-north-island/

GET IN TOUCH:

If you have any questions about either of these programmes, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! We’re happy to chat with you about any questions you might have.

Flick us an email (office@adventurespecialties.co.nz) and our lovely office lady, Kerryn, will pass you on to the relevant person.

Or call us (Auckland 09-837-6033 or Christchurch 03-348-4547).

Or just pop in any time for a cuppa!

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outdoor adventure for young women Archives - Adventure Specialties Trust