References

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2012). Facts for Families: Bipolar      Disorder in Children and Teens. Retrieved from http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Bipolar+Disorder+In+Children+And+Teens&section=F acts+for+Families

Bipolar Planet. Good Days, Bad Days. . . Retrieved from http://bipolar-     planet.blogspot.com/2011/05/good-days-bad-days.html

Busemeyer, J. Holistic Stress Relief. Holistic Treatment for Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from       http://holisticstressrelief.com/page7.html

Candidaabrahamson. (2012, April 29). Bipolar Disorder In Children-A Diagnosis in the     Doghouse. Retrieved from             http://candidaabrahamson.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/pediatric-bipolar-disorder-the-         problems/

Carey, B. (2007, September 4). Bipolar Illness Soars as a Diagnosis for the Young. New York        Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/04/health/04psych.html?_r=4&

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. (2013). Bipolar Disorder Statistics. Retrieved from      http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_statistics_bipolar_diso            rder

Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L., & Russell, K. C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, research, and      practice. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Grohol, J. M. (2007). The Story Behind the Rise in Bipolar Diagnosis. Psych Central. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/09/04/the-story-behind-the-rise-in-      bipolar-diagnoses/

Khalife, S., Singh, V., & Muzina, D. J. (2011). Bipolar Disorder. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved        from             http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/psychiatry-          psychology/bipolar-disorder/

National Institute of Mental Health. (Reviewed 2012, March 15). Bipolar Disorder in Children    and Teens (Easy to Read). Retrieved from             http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder-in-children-and-teens-         easy-to-read/complete-index.shtml

National Institute of Mental Health. (2007, September 3). Rates of Bipolar Diagnosis in Youth    Rapidly Climbing, Treatment Patterns Similar to Adults. Retrieved from            http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2007/rates-of-bipolar-diagnosis-in-youth-rapidly- climbing-treatment-patterns-similar-to-adults.shtml

Piktochart: Infographic and Presentation tool for Non-Designers. Retrieved from   http://piktochart.com

Web MD. (Reviewed 2013, February 1). Bipolar Disorder Health Center: Psychotherapy for       Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-       disorder/guide/psychotherapy-bipolar-disorder

Week 11: The Future of Adventure Therapy

Topic: Project where AT might be 10 years from today.




In chapter 14 of Adventure Therapy: Theory, research, and practice, Gass, Gillis, and Russell explore many aspects of AT that will need to be addressed and improved in order for AT to grow into the profession i has the potential of becoming. I can safely say that any projections I make are more so hopes for this profession because I believe in the potential it holds for the many and varied populations it can reach. So if I had any sway in the powers that be. . .

Ten years from today AT would:

Be more affordable and accessible.

Be backed by a decade of solid research and statistics in support of AT.

Respected by the government and the health care industry as a top option for treatment.

Have a sound and accepted governing body for accreditation, best practices, standards, and oversight of the industry.

Work together to manage land use so as to ensure the right for use as well as the integrity of the land itself.

Have access to highly qualified staff due to the AT specialized academic programs that have developed.

Decrease staff turnover by improving employee support programs and benefits designed to keep staff motivated and prevent burnout.

Be a thriving industry upheld by sound morals and values as well as the common mission to better the lives of all who seek AT.

I feel that everything listed above is possible, it will simply require a whole heck of a lot of sweat, brain power, and dedication. I thing that the Therapeutic Adventure Professionals Group of the Association of Experiential Education (TAPG website) as well as the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP Website) and the National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping (NATWC Website) along with other organizations will prove essential in the growth and prosperity of this profession. Exceptional work of programs and the individuals who make them up will be critical but I feel that it will be most important for programs to band together within these professional organizations. After all, these organizations are in place for the very purpose of creating a community AT professionals who can work together to better the industry as a whole. It will also be hugely important for these programs to effectively work with the American Psychological Association, colleges and universities, as well as governmental bodies to bring the future of AT I hope for to light.



References: 

Association for Experiential Education: Therapeutic Adventure Professionals Group. Retrieved from: http://tapg.aee.org

Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L., & Russell, K. C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

NATSAP: National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. Retrieved from: http://natsap.org

NATWC: National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping. Retrieved from: http://natwc.org/wp/

Week 10: Ethics

Topic: What are the ethical principles of APA most relevant to AT?

After reading chapter 12 of Adventure Therapy: Theory, research, and practice, I hold a solid understanding of the ethical considerations that surround the field of Adventure Therapy (Gass, Gillis, & Russell, 2012). By reviewing the ethical principles of the American Psychological Association, which can be viewed here, it is clear that the two fields share similar ethical values, which is entirely sensical. Under the section of the APA's 'General Principles,' the first listed is the notion of doing no harm, the 'Hippocratic Oath,' which is widely applied in human service fields, especially anything related to medicine, and is most certainly relevant to AT.

To answer the question posed above, it becomes necessary to consider what ethics are most important and at the heart of AT. The APA's ethical principles include 10 standards. The standards which I consider to be most relevant to AT are Competence, Human Relations, Education and Training, Assessment, and Therapy. Granted, all 10 of the standards are relevant to AT, however, I feel the five just listed are most relevant. These standards are wonderful examples of ethical guidelines that provide in depth considerations for the qualifications, abilities, and overall ethics of adventure therapists. I feel I could argue for the importance and relevancy of any of the information included on the APA's website regarding their ethics. They really cover all the bases, something of extreme importance, especially in preventing ethical dilemmas between therapist and client, therapist and company, therapist and government, and therapist and his or herself.

Understanding the potential for ethical dilemmas, what they could look like, and how one should go about solving such dilemmas is of utmost importance in Psychology, Adventure Therapy, and LIFE in general. In light of this, I have found a lovely article on solving ethical dilemmas from the Loyola Marymount University. Not surprisingly, step one is analysis of consequences, positing who will be helped versus who will be harmed. And we are back to Hippocrates.



References:

American Psychological Association. Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct: Including 2010 Amendments. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L., & Russell, K. C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

LMU/LA. Resolving an Ethical Dilemma. Retrieved from: http://www.lmu.edu/Page27945.aspx

Week 9: Adventure Therapist Competencies

Topic: How do competencies for becoming an adventure therapist compare and contrast with a different method of experiential treatment?

Gass, Gillis, and Russell provide a detailed chapter on the competencies held by adventure therapists in Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. The authors explain how a true adventure therapist is competent in three areas, holding the knowledge and skills of an adventure leader, a counselor or therapist, and a client specialist. Possessing an exemplary level of competency in each of these areas would take a substantial amount of time, therefore, I feel such individuals are extremely valuable.

Another form of experiential therapy that has a similar method for competency development is equine assisted psychotherapy. This website discusses the EFPL (Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy and Learning) Certification. Similar to AT, there are different areas of competency that come together to form a true equine therapist or a complete treatment team. These include a licensed counselor or therapist, an education specialist, a horse specialist, and a riding instructor. As seen here, according to the EAGALA Certification information, they require a treatment team of a mental health specialist and equine specialist as opposed to allowing one individual to perform both roles.

The Certification Board for Equine Interaction Professionals website provides information on this organization and the training programs they provide. This organization came together with the purpose of creating a knowledge base for best practices in this field as well as standards for excellence. The website expresses the concern felt when equine programs began to spring up and there were no such standards or certification boards. A few incompetent programs or services could catch media fire and potentially ruin the whole profession. AT professionals have also recognized the need to create standards and best practices as well as conduct research to inform the public as to the benefits of AT.

One thing is clear from the text and from both of the websites discussed here; in both fields, professionals are expected to continuously build their knowledge, skills, and overall competencies throughout their career. This not only means keeping up to date certifications and attending the latest training seminars, but also simply having an open outlook and always making room for growth.



References:

Certification Board for Equine Interaction Professionals. Retrieved from: http://www.cbeip.org

EAGALA. Certification Program. Retrieved from: http://www.eagala.org/Certification_Program

Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L., & Russell, K. C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

HEAL: Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy and Learning. EFPL Certification. Retrieved from: http://humanequinealliance.org/the-heal-model/efpl-certification/

Week 8: AT Assessment

Topic: Compare and contrast the approach to AT assessment presented in Chapter 7 to at least 2 different approaches to assessment in mental health treatment


In Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, Gass, Gillis, and Russell provide information on primary processes Adventure Therapists utilize in forming client assessments. The authors detail two models that compliment each other well when used simultaneously. The CHANGES (Context, Hypothesis, Action, Novelty, Generating, Evaluation, and Solutions) model provides a system for assessing the client at a macro level from the beginning of treatment to to solution discovery. On the micro level, the GRABBS (Goals, Readiness, Affect, Behavior, Body, and Stage) model provides an outline for assessing the client in the moment. Putting the two models together provides the Adventure Therapist with an overarching assessment ability as well as an in the moment assessment ability. It is key to recognize how much these models benefit Adventure Therapists in performing the ongoing assessment of clients throughout an AT experience. Ongoing assessment gives Adventure Therapists the necessary information to make treatment adjustments and shifts which is vital to maintaining a productive treatment plan concurrent with evolving client needs.

In my search for different assessment approaches, I came across this webpage from the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY). The webpage displays a table with an extensive list of assessment tools for "measuring mental health, substance abuse, and independent living skills in adolescents." The webpage provides three roles of assessments: "Identify strengths and needs; Measure baseline and changes over time; Accurately identify youth in need of treatment." According to the table, none of the assessments last more than 2 hours and the majority only take 30 minutes or less. Out of 39 assessment tools, 20 do not require any special training to perform the assessment. The good majority of these assessments are in the form of questions. From this information, it appears that these assessments are designed to gain information on a specific aspect of adolescent issues in a short amount of time.

A study from the World Psychiatry online journal studied the reliability and benefits of the development of the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool- Primary Care Version (GMHAT/PC). Results indicated that this computer-based assessment tool is reliable and due to its ease of use, it is very beneficial for Primary Care Physicians and professional who do not have extensive training in mental health disorders. The article spoke on how beneficial such a tool could prove to be because of the great benefits it would provide for early detection of mental health disorders. You can find the article here.

In relating these three different assessment approaches, I feel that each type obviously serves its own purpose. The purpose for which the GMHAT/PC was created is definitely important. Children and adolescents do not receive mental health treatment unless the need is noticed. For far too many, the supervision is not present that would notice such disorders. Having a way for the everyday general practitioner to quickly and effectively assess mental health in patients is extremely positive. If more adolescents were diagnosed earlier in their lives, they would be able to receive necessary treatment earlier as well. Suffice to say, this would decrease the likelihood of adolescents engaging in destructive and harmful behavior to themselves and others.

The many assessment tools listed on the table provided by the NCFY, are similarly beneficial for determining the presence of a mental health condition and appropriately naming it, however these tools are appear much more specific. For the purposes of my discussion here, administering assessments like these would be the appropriate next step. Of course, I will argue that an appropriate third step is AT. An Adventure Therapist can information provided from various assessments in determining the context of clients' situations. The main difference comes in the ongoing assessment of the clients. A seasoned Adventure Therapist can effectively utilize the CHANGES and GRABBS models to provide a system and means for assessment that is far more detailed, personalized, and up to date with clients' ever-developing treatment. I do not suggest any one tools as better or worse than another. They all have their use and place in mental health treatment.


References:

Assessment and Screening Tools for Measuring Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Independent Living Skills in Adolescents. Prepared for the Family and Youth Services Bureau by the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth. Retrieved from: http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/book/export/html/476

Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L., & Russell, K. C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Sharma, V.K., Lepping, P., Cummins, A.GP., Copeland, J.RM., Parhee, R., Mottram, P., (June 2004). The Global Mental Health Assessment Tool- Primary Care Version (GMHAT/PC). Development, reliability, and validity. World Psychiatry, 3(2). Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1414685/

Week 7: I Am a Rock - Simon & Garfunkel Lyrics

This song is a model AT participant!

Week 7: Metaphors

Topic: Examine psychological support for using metaphor in language to facilitate change.


In his article, The Law of Metaphors, Thomas R. Hersh discusses very interesting findings on the use of metaphorical language in the field of psychology. He mentions, "something like 97% of all talk about psychological phenomena is metaphor." He discusses the fact that psychological talk likens individuals with objects because there is no other way to describe mental phenomena in an interesting and understandable way. Hersh concludes the article explaining that metaphorical thinking requires imaginative thinking and the knowledge created through metaphorical and imaginative thinking is different than plain physical knowledge.

It seems as though metaphors provide an opportunity for clients to look at themselves in a novel way and create new knowledge of themselves and their ability to handle life on life's terms. With Hersh's mention of the need for imagination, I wonder if clients with broader or more creative imaginations will be more successful or gain the most out of their experiences.

It appears psychologists recognize the benefits of utilizing metaphorical language in therapy. Goodtherapy.org provides information on an interesting therapist training program called "Mining Your Metaphors" by Gina Campbell; "Clean Language and Symbolic Modeling are largely language-based therapeutic processes that engage a client experientially with his/her internalized metaphors to foster clarity, enhance resources, and promote lasting change at the mind/body level." The description highlights the strong bond and trusting relationship that is created with this form of therapy. It mentions how this form of therapy promotes the client as the expert. 

This type of therapist training and other forms of 'metaphor therapy,' appear to provide a wonderful opportunity for the co-creation of meaning by both client and therapist. Like I mentioned before, this element appears critical to successfully facilitating any sort of change in the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of clients. So, how can Adventure Therapists ensure that they have the tools necessary to properly facilitate such experiences? Should Adventure Therapists rely on their own experience or would it be helpful to develop a therapy training program like Gina Campbell's specifically for AT? I definitely feel this is the type of skill where practice makes progress, but how can professionals promote a speedy progression? 


References:

Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L., & Russell, K. C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Goodtherapy.org (2013). Metaphor Therapy- Training. Retrieved from: http://www.goodtherapy.org/training-courses/clean-language-symbolic-modeling-metaphor-therapy.html

Hersh, T. R. Clinical Psychology: Psychological Thoughts. The Law of Metaphors. Retrieved from: http://www.psychological-observations.com/psychological-laws/law-of-metaphors

Week 6: Nature's Benefits

Topic: Pick one of the therapeutic benefits of nature and link them to research in one or more of the following areas: Abnormal, Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive, Developmental, Learning, and Social.

The therapeutic benefit of nature that I found most interesting in chapter 5 of Adventure Therapy: Theory Research, and Practice, is the idea of soft fascination originally theorized by Kaplan and Kaplan (Gass, Gillis, and Russell, 2012). According to the text, "Soft fascination occurs when involuntary attention is engaged and demands on a depleted direct attention are diminished, thus making restoration possible" (p. 106). An example of this is watching a butterfly flutter from flower to flower. This does not necessitate a great deal of attention on the part of the onlooker, but its ability to fascinate the onlooker is ever-present nonetheless. The text explains how cognitive reflection can take place during such experiences because the onlooker is fascinated and stimulated.

In this entry of her Blog entitled, Threads of Awakening, Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo discusses research on direct attention and soft fascination. She provides an interesting comparison between these two types of attention and two types of meditation. She links direct attention to breath work and visualization techniques. She links soft-fascination to sky gazing and simple resting meditation. She sums up her insight suggesting, "With directed-attention meditation methods, one pulls the attention back from its wanderings and places it on the object of meditation. In what I’m now viewing as soft-fascination methods, the task is to notice, to open, to include, and to rest – in fascination." 

In relation to Adventure Therapy, I feel that mediation techniques similar to this idea of soft fascination could be extremely useful tools. I think AT practitioners could build on soft fascination to teach participants meditation methods which they can utilize once they leave the wilderness. It would be extremely beneficial for participants who are to return to homes where they will not experience significant time with nature to learn a mediation practice that utilizes soft fascination but does not necessarily require a remote natural setting. 

In a Psychology Today article, Michael Formica discusses research on meditation and the brain. Results demonstrate long term meditators as having larger areas of the brain that deal with emotion regulation. "Meditators displayed a significantly larger volume of hippocampal tissue, as well as a similarly increased volume of tissue in the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus." Formica goes on to explain that while meditation has been long recognized to reduce stress and aid cognitive functioning, this research highlights significant evidence of such occurrences in brain structure. 

As seen here, there are many different recognized forms and styles of meditation. Some of this could be considered "directed-attention" methods and some "soft-fascination methods," and they may all have the potential for positive effects on brain structure and cognitive functioning. Project Meditation even provides meditation techniques for specific mental illnesses and overall psychological issues. 

All in all, there is a great deal to be learned about the benefits of meditation and soft fascination in the world of Adventure Therapy. I wonder what methods of meditation will provide the best results for participants. I also wonder in what ways soft fascination type practices will be beneficial and in what ways direct attention practices will be beneficial. Most importantly, how can AT professionals ensure that participants leave programs with such skills so that they can reap the benefits back home?

References:

Faregreen, C. Project-Meditation.Org. Meditation Psychology. Retrieved from: http://www.project-meditation.org/a_bom1/meditation_psychology.html

Formica, M. J. (June 10, 2010). Psychology Today. Enlightened Living: Mindfulness practice in everyday life. Research Suggests Meditation Increases Gray Matter. Retrieved from: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/enlightened-living/201006/research-suggests-meditation-increases-gray-matter

Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L., & Russell, K. C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Rinchen-Wongmo, L. (2009). Threads of Awakening. Environment, Meditation, & Soft Fascination. Retrieved from: http://threadsofawakening.com/environment-meditation-soft-fascination

The Meditation Society of America presents Meditation Station. 108 Meditation Techniques. Retrieved from: http://www.meditationsociety.com/108meds.html

Week 5: AT Research

Topic: Pick one of the outcome areas of AT research and link them to research in one or more of the following areas: Abnormal, Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive, Developmental, Learning, and Social.

In Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, Gass, Gillis, and Russell include the results of a few studies that showed a decrease in client substance abuse after an AT experience (2012). The key word here is ‘few’. The authors make it clear that more research with greater significance must be obtained to understand the relationship between AT and clients with substance abuse. With much time and attention, AT researchers will better understand this relationship, the AT elements that impact substance abuse reduction most, and how to best implement this knowledge and form programs that consistently report significant research results.

In chapter 13, the authors mention the “black box effect in AT research.” Essentially, clients enter an AT program, the “black box,” and exit a changed person. It is clear that the client has been transformed, however placing a finger on the exact elements of the AT experience which facilitated the transformation proves difficult.

In a best-case scenario: a client enters a program with a drug abuse problem and exits with the skills necessary to abstain from drugs, live a fulfilling life, and become a positive force in society. 

In a best-case scenario: the AT program providing this experience knows the exact aspects of the experience that facilitated the transformation and knows how to adapt them to other clients to produce positive results time and time again. 

 AT has great potential for clients with substance abuse problems due to the fact that the population with the greatest need for treatment falls in the age range of most AT programs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Drug use is highest among people in their late teens and twenties. In 2011, 23.8 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds reported using an illicit drug in the past month (Drug Facts, 2012).”

From much research, the National Institute on Drug Abuse also reports “Principles of Effective Treatment”.  The nature of substance abuse and its effects on the individual are explained in regard to effective treatment. The various principles are easily linked to each of these schools of psychology: 

• Abnormal: 
• Principle 9. "Many drug-addicted individuals also have other mental disorders."

• Behavioral Neuroscience:
• Principle 1. "Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior."

• Cognitive: 
• Principle 3: "Treatment needs to be readily available."
• When individuals think they may want help, it needs to be available because before long, the individual may reconsider. 

• Developmental: 
• Principle 8: "An individual's treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that it meets his or her changing needs."

• Learning: 
• Principle 5. "Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical." 
• Three months or longer is advised for substance abuse treatment.

• Social: 
• Principle 6. "Behavioral therapies—including individual, family, or group counseling—are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment." 

Overall, it is clear that AT research has a long way to go in determining the magic inside the black box. Multiple schools of psychology and respective research need to be in constant consideration and regularly utilized in the ongoing development of AT research and program development. It seems clear that the major difficulty will be determining the most successful practices and treatment programs for varied individuals. Between client factors of age, drug(s) of choice, co-occuring mental health diagnosis, family, education, and other demographics and AT therapeutic factors of instructor, therapist, location, activities, and discussion AT researchers have many variables to take into account and twiddle around with in the black box until the box turns crystal clear.

                                                                                                                  Picture done by me in Paintbrush

References:

Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L., & Russell, K. C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (December 2012). Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition). Retrieved from: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/principles-effective-treatment

National Institute on Drug Abuse (December 2012). Drug Facts: Nationwide Trends. Retrieved from: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends