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 Step out of the commotion to invest in yourself.

A Glamping Adventure Therapy Retreat

CONTACT

Individual therapy through outdoor adventure.


Do you have a feeling about your life? That your life isn’t what you want it to be. A feeling that something is missing.

​You can’t define it or change it but it’s there. You want change. You want something different, something better.

​Maybe you’re distracting yourself with work, shopping, social media, substances, or sex/pornography.
​

It’s time for a reset. Take time out of the daily grind, step back from the monotony of life to do something life changing, to have a personal growth adventure.

​No phone, no distractions, no commotion. Experience 'The Solo: An Adventure Therapy Program'.

"In solitude there is healing. Listen to your heart. Sometimes in the absence of noise we find the answers."

​​Dodinsky
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Counselling Retreat

 The retreat includes one counselling sessions each day, a journal with guided reflections and access to a hand-picked library to encourage personal growth. There is also a session before and after the retreat.
adventure activities

Adventure Therapy

Attempt adventure activities: track the coyotes, trap a crow, navigate to find a secret cache, axe throwing, fire starting and slack line. Then process the adventure activities during counselling to learn about yourself.
wall tent glamping

Wall Tent Glamping

Spend 2 nights alone in a remote location glamping in a wall tent with bbq, fire place, and all kitchen necessities.
Research shows that adventure therapy and counselling is more effective than counselling alone.

​
​​Centre for Applied Psychology, University of Canberra, Australia 
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Covered by Benefits

Covered by most benefits and extended health insurance plans.
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Near Kitchener-Waterloo

15 minutes from Kitchener and 45 minutes from Mississauga.
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24 hr Emergency Support

Satellite radio for emergency support any time of day.

How it works

Timeframe

PREPARATION
A 1 hour virtual meeting anytime before the adventure therapy retreat including pyshosocial assessment and practical planning.

DAY 1 
A 1 hour meeting at the retreat location upon arrival. Review adventure therapy activities, discuss expectations, and answer any practical questions. Arrival time is flexible, anytime before dusk.

DAY 2
A 1 hour meeting at the retreat location. Process the adventure therapy experience.

DAY 3 
A 1 hour meeting at the retreat location upon departure. Celebrate and process the adventure therapy experience. Departure time is flexible, anytime after dawn.

FOLLOW UP

A 1 hour virtual meeting anytime after the adventure therapy retreat. Review short term gains and plan for long term maintenance. 

​

Costs 

Accomodations 3 days/2 nights and 5 counselling sessions all for $1000. Billled as 5 x $200 counselling sessions for insurance provider. 

Supplies

YOU PROVIDE
  • clothing
  • food
  • sleeping bag and pillow
  • personal hygeine
  • transportation to Kitchener
*Cannabis and alcohol undermine the process. Please leave at home.

PROVIDED
  • water
  • cooking pots and utensils
  • cooking stove and bbq
  • bed
  • transportation to the glamping wall tent

Efficacy of Adventure Therapy 

Alvarez, A. G. and Stauffer, G. A. (2001). Musings on adventure therapy. Journal of
Experiential Education, 24(2), 85-91.

Amesberger, G. (1998). Theoretical considerations of theoretical concepts in adventure therapy.
In C. Itin (Ed.), Exploring the boundaries of adventure therapy: International perspectives.
Proceedings of the first international adventure therapy conference. Perth, Western
Australia: AEE/COEAWA.

Bandoroff, S. (1989). Wilderness adventure-based therapy for delinquent and pre-delinquent youth:
A review of the literature. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 377 428).

Bandoroff, S. (1992). Wilderness family therapy: An innovative treatment approach for problem
youth. (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Carolina, 1991). Dissertation
Abstracts International.

Bacon, S. (1983). Conscious use of metaphor in Outward Bound. Denver, CO: Colorado Outward
Bound School.

Bacon, S. & Kimball, R. (1989). The wilderness challenge model. In R. D. Lyman (Ed.),
Residential and inpatient treatment of children and adolescents. New York: Plenum Press.

Banaka, W. H. & Young, D. W. (1985). Community coping skills enhanced by an adventure
camp for adult chronic psychiatric patients. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 36(7),
746-748.

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change.
Psychological Review, 84, 191-215.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundation of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Buie, A. (1996). National Association for Therapeutic Wilderness Camping: History. Webpage
http://www.natwc.org/history.html

Crisp, S. (1997). Definition of adventure based therapy. Unpublished manuscript.

Crisp, S. (1998). International models of best practice in wilderness and adventure therapy.

In C. Itin (Ed.), Exploring the boundaries of adventure therapy: International perspectives.
Proceedings of the 1st International Adventure Therapy Conference. Boulder, CO:
Association for Experiential Education.

Csikszentmihaly, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of optimal experience. NY: Harper Perennial.

Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson.

Gass, M. A. (1990). Adventure therapy for families. Unpublished manuscript, University of
New Hampshire.

Gass, M. A. (1993). Adventure therapy: Therapeutic applications of adventure programming.
Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.

Gass, M. A. (1995). Book of metaphors. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.

Gilbert, P. (1992). Depression: The evolution of powerlessness. New York: Guilford Press.

Gillis, H. L. (1992). Therapeutic uses of adventure-challenge-outdoor-wilderness: Theory and
research, 35-47. Keynote Presentation given at the meeting of the Association for
Experiential Education.

Gillis, H. L. (1995). If I conduct outdoor pursuits with clinical populations, am I an adventure
therapist? Journal of Leisurability, 22(4), 5-15.

Gillis, H. L. & Ringer, M. (1999). Adventure as therapy. In J. Miles & S. Priest (Eds.),
Adventure programming. State College, PA: Venture Publishing.

Golins, G. (1978). How delinquents succeed through adventure-based education. Journal of
Experiential Education, 1(1), 26-29.

Golins, G. (1980). Utilizing adventure education to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents. New Mexico
State University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 187 501).

Gomes-Schwart, B. (1978). Effective ingredients in psychotherapy: Predictions of outcome
from process variables. Journal of Consulting and Clincal Psycholgy, 46, 1023-1035.

Groff, D. & Datillo, J. (1998). Unpublished manuscript.

Greenwood, P., Lipson, A., Abrahamse, A. & Zimring, F. (1983). Youth crime and juvenile justice
in California (Report No. R-3016-CSA). Santa Monica, CA: The Rand Corporation.

Herbert, J. T. (1996). Use of adventure based counseling programs for persons with disabilities.
Journal of Rehabilitation, 62(4), 3-9

Itin, C., (Ed.), (1998). Exploring the boundaries of adventure therapy: International perspectives.
Proceedings of the first international adventure therapy conference: Perth, Western
Australia: AEE/COEAWA.

Kelley, F. J. & Baer, D. J. (1971). Physical challenge as a treatment for delinquency. Crime and
Delinquency, 17, 437-445.

Kimball, R. & Bacon, S. (1993). The wilderness challenge model. In M. Gass (Ed.), Adventure
Therapy: Therapeutic applications of adventure-based therapy programming. Dubuque, IA:
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co..

Kraft, R., & Sakofs, M. (1985). The theory of experiential education. Boulder, CO: Association of
Experiential Education.

Minuchin, S. & Fishman, C. (1981). Family therapy techniques. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press.

Maslow, A.H. (1971). The further reaches of human nature. New York: The Viking Press.

Nadler, R. S., & Luckner, J. L. (1992). Processing the adventure experience: Theory and practice.
Dubuque, IA : Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co..

Newes, S. L. (2000). Adventure-based therapy: Theory, characteristics, ethics, and research.
Unpublished manuscript. Pennsylvania State University.

Orlinsky, D.E., Grawe, K. & Parks, B.K. (1994). Process and outcome in psychotherapy. In
A.E. Bergin & S.L. Garfield (Eds.). Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change (4th
Ed., pp. 270-376). New York: Wiley.

Orlinsky, D. E., & Howard, (1986). Process and outcome in psychotherapy. In S.L. Garfield &
A.E. Bergin (Eds.). Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change (3rd ed., pp. 311-
384). New York: Wiley.

Priest, S. (1993). A New model for risk-taking in adventure programming. Journal of
Experiential Education, 16(1), 50-53.

Priest, S. & Baillie, R. (1987). Justifying the risk to others: the real razor's edge. Journal of
Experiential Education, 10(1), 16-22.

Raskin, N. J. & Rogers, C. R. (1989). Person-centered therapy. In R.J. Corsini & D. Wedding
(Eds.). Current psychotherapies. (p. 155-196). Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock.

Ringer, M. (1994). Adventure therapy: A map of the field: Towards a definition of adventure-based
therapy: Workshop Report. Unpublished manuscript.

Rohnke, K. E. (1995). Silver bullets. Hamilton, MA: Project Adventure, Inc.

Royce, D. (1987). Adventure experience and affective learning: Where are we going? Journal
of Adventure Education, 4, 12-14.

Russell, K. C. (2003a). An assessment of outcomes in outdoor behavioral healthcare treatment.
Child and Youth Care Forum, 32(6), 355-381.
Schoel, J., Prouty, D., & Radcliffe, P. (1988). Islands of healing: A guide to adventure-based counseling.
Hamilton, MA: Project Adventure, Inc.

Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman.

Taylor, F. (1989). The influence of an outdoor adventure recreation class on personality type,
locus of control, self-esteem, and selected issues of identity development of college
students. Dissertation Abstracts International, 51(04), 1122A.

Wichman, T. (1991). Of wilderness and circles: Evaluating a therapeutic model for wilderness
programs. Journal of Experiential Education, 14(2), 43-48.

Witman, J. P. (1987). The efficacy of adventure programming in the development of cooperation
and trust with adolescents in treatment. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 21(3), 22-30.

Witman, J.P. & Presenkis, K. (1996). Adventure programming with an individual who has multiple
personality disorder: A case history. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 30(4), 289-296.

​Yalom, I.D. (1995). The Theory and practice of group psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.
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  • Counselling
    • Anger Management
    • Addiction
    • Adventure Therapy Retreat
    • Family
    • Marriage/Relationship
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
  • School Presentations
    • Bullying
    • Cyberbullying
    • Self-Esteem
    • Helping Hard to Serve Youth
  • Resources
    • Reduce Bullying in Schools
    • Bullying Research
    • How to Choose a Therapist
    • Counselling Options in KW
  • Contact