ASI SUP Instructor Launches New Wave Adventure Therapy Enterprise in Ireland
Posted: 20 October 2017
ASI SUP Instructor Phillip Stallard and wife Jasmin have launched New Wave Adventure Therapy, an innovative social enterprise based in Kerry, Ireland.
They aim to offer an alternative to young people and adults seeking therapy for a range of issues.
Adventure therapy is a professional therapeutic intervention service carried out through the medium of outdoor adventure activities including Stand Up Paddleboarding.
Phillip says: “We recently added stand up paddleboarding (SUP) to our programme menu of land and water based activities. The large paddleboard gives a sense of stability and helps build confidence, even for beginners or those who are nervous on the water.
Competency-based tasks through outdoor adventure help to build confidence, transferable skills, and coping strategies. Local beaches, lakes, mountains and trails are our office. Our clients are looking for professional interventions but delivered in a different way.”
Programmes like this bring a fresh approach and are ideal for; mental health recovery, behavioural issues, transitional life stages, recovery from trauma or addiction, bullying, occupational burnout and self-care management. The programmes are strengths-based and delivered on a one-to-one basis which allows them to be tailored to each client’s needs.
The outdoor environment brings a different perspective and puts the client at ease.
“Everyone has a different sense of adventure,” Philip explains. “One person might find exploring and wandering in forests and mountain trails to be adventurous, others are looking for more adrenaline in rock climbing or surfing. Then there are clients who have never simply walked on a beach or gone paddling on a lake.”
The idea for New Wave Adventure Therapy came about when Philip was working in a secure unit for young people and quickly saw that there were very few therapeutic interventions available.
Having a passion for the outdoors himself, Philip researched the area of adventure therapy and realised that therapeutic programmes in the outdoors could provide a helpful solution to some issues in the current health and social care systems.
Adventure therapy is not new. It is well developed in the US, Canada, and Australia but is only really now flourishing across Europe. A big part of the development of adventure therapy is ensuring that practitioners are dual qualified; in outdoor adventure activities and either social work, psychotherapy or counselling.
Philip realised that he would need to hold a recognised professional qualification so he trained to become a social worker.
“I have a range of activity instructor qualifications, an honours degree in Adventure Tourism Management and a research Masters from IT Tralee but I needed to essentially re-train so I completed a conversion course in Applied Social Studies in Trinity College. It took me another 2 years in UCC to complete my Masters in Social Work. It was challenging but well worth it!”
Research in the area strongly suggests that programmes of therapeutic intervention are most likely to bring about lasting effects. New Wave Adventure Therapy offers programmes of 6 or 12 sessions where a session is a full day of one-to-one intervention work with Philip.
Programmes include initial assessment, full day sessions, equipment and insurance, log book and debrief.
As with any intensive programme like this, the cost can be out of reach for some.
Philip and Jasmin recognise that financial support to access adventure therapy may be needed so they set up a bursary fund. They have invited businesses and organisations to contribute to the fund to help support local families and communities to access their programmes.
We wish our new ASI SUP instructor Phillip and Jasmin success in their amazing new venture and hope that the benefits of SUP and adventure therapy help those who need it most.
Applications for the adventure therapy programmes and for assistance through the bursary fund are available on the website www.newwaveadventure.ie
or directly from New Wave Adventure Therapy on 089 600 8185 or info@newwaveadventure.ie
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