ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors explore the roots of adventure group psychotherapy or adventure therapy from experiential education which focused on how individuals learn best by doing and reflecting on experience. This chapter defines adventure therapy as an activity-based group intervention which kinesthetically and holistically engages clients in the therapy process. It is a multisensory intervention that does not rely exclusively on talking about cognitive processes but includes the client’s active engagement. Hence, from the authors’ perspective, the adventure experience, or experiential activity, is one of the key components of the therapy and a primary vehicle for change. In this intervention, relationships are central, practitioners are an active part of the experience, and understanding the environmental context of clients as well as the impact of neuroscience and trauma on clients are key to our ability to effectively treat them. Over the past 20 years adventure therapy has evolved to include an interdisciplinary and international community of practitioners, as well as a foundational body of research to support its effectiveness.
