Reflection

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In this journey of exploring adventure therapy in the context of occupational therapy I have found that there is limited articles and research on this topic.


Yet there is much overlap between the underpining principles of both.


I think that this is still a relatively new area that is being explored by various therapist's who are enthusiastic about the results they are getting.


Reflecting I think it is because both really value the "doing" of activities. An essential element in any kind of occupational therapy I think through adventure this aspect of "doing" can become "overcoming" as new challenges are met and achievements that were gained from pushing outside ones comfort zone redefines ones meaning and spirituality. I think its this spirituality that gives real "meaning" to meaningful activity.

Aotearoa - Our Eden

In my opinion, our country already has all the natural resources we could need! 

We have the.....

...beaches, mountains, bush, lakes, rivers, caves and more!! NZ has the set up - the environment! In my opinion link of spirituality makes adventure therapy not only appropriate to Occupational Therapy but also to our client population group as it makes it a relevant health component to Maori and Non-Maori. Adventure is the perfect opportunity to give people a real life and meaningful challenge to their physical, emotional and spiritual selves.

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SPIRITUALITY - the link

In the previous post the links between adventure therapy and occupational therapy where established.
This post I will take a different angle and explore how spirituality links occupational therapy and adventure therapy and how this fits into our New Zealand context. Levack (2003) first proposed this unique link of spiritual occupation.


Part of being human is making sense of and giving meaning to our lives.

We all attach meaning to ourselves, others and the things we do.

Human beings are meaning makers. We make and express meaning through our performance in activities. Therefore we express who we are and constitute our sense of self through this performance. We attribute this meaning to both our own and others activities. Demonstrating through our actions what we mean and who we are. "Making meaning in everyday activities is considered the essence of spirituality." (Urbanowsky & Vargo, 1994, as cited in Levack, 2003).

Spirituality is acknowledged as having  a substantial effect on an individuals motivation.

Levack (2003) further acknowledges that the occupational therapy framework, Canadian
Model of Occupational Performance, four performance components of a person are identified with the client at the centre. These four components are the physical, affective and cognitive aspects, and at the heart of these, the spiritual aspect of a person. Therefore it is recognised that spirituality is a performance component in occupational therapy. The spiritual aspect of a person, as a performance component, is subject to disability and illness just as the other three performance components of a person are. (McColl, 2000, cited in Levack, 2003).

When a person engages in an adventure activity, pushing outside their comfort zone, abseiling down a rock face or kayaking in the ocean, it is their spiritual aspect that is affected.

These adventure activities have a powerful impact on the person's ability to live in the world, in believing in their own abilities and self efficacy. This impact on their life changes the way in which the person understands and gives meaning to their life therefore affecting their spiritual component of themselves.

This spiritual component is especially relevant to our Aotearoa bicultural context because of the emphasis on recognising spirituality in Maori models of health. (Levack, 2003).

TE WHARE TAPU WHA

The Maori model of health, Te Whare Tapu Wha, decribed by Durie (1989) is based on four foundations of health:

• Taha wairua - spiritual                                           
• Taha hinengaro - mental 
• Taha tinana - physical
• Taha whanau - family 

Taha wairua is considered the most essential component, as spirituality is woven throughout all of Maori life. It is through spirituality that links are made to each other and to the environment.  

Spirituality is a connecting link for both Maori and Non-Maori. Adventure therapies ability to address the spiritual component of a person makes it a particularly suitable medium for working with New Zealander's in our unique country.

Levack, H. (2003). Adventure therapy in occupational therapy: Can we call it spiritual occupation? New Zealand Journal of Occupation Therapy, 50(1), 22-28.

The Compatibility of Adventure Therapy and Occupational Therapy

So how does using adventure as a therapy fit with occupational therapy?




Occupational therapy is concerned with three areas of occupation; self-care, leisure and productivity.
The New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists explain these occupation categories through Townsend's 1997 definition as "Everything people do to occupy themselves including, looking after themselves (self-care), enjoying life (leisure) and contribution to the social and economic fabric of their community (productivity)."


Mann (2007) proposes that adventure activities can fit into all three of these categories:

SELF-CARE: Using adventure as a means to keep physically active and healthy, engaging in social interactions, using it as stress relief, exploring ones identity and using interactions with nature to increase wellness

LEISURE: A number of NZers engage in adventurous activities for recreation, which can be participated in for enjoyment and social interactions.

PRODUCTIVITY: There is potential for adventure pursuits to be developed into a career and can be used as a means for community groups to strengthen community bonds, develop the communities young people or for an individual it can provide a community service.

Jansen (1999) states that there is a strong correlation between both occupational therapy and adventure therapy. As both involve the means in which to engage and work with people with a range of dysfunctions, with both having professional goals to improve participation and quality of life. Effecting change in the person, their thoughts and behaviours is the focus of adventure therapy and is also inclusive of one of the areas that occupational therapists target. Both occupational therapy and adventure therapy have activity as the core of there practice with an emphasis on learning through the process of doing.

As with all activities used in occupational therapy to create and facilitate change in people, adventure activities can be analysed,  synthesised, graded and adapted to enhance outcomes.

"The point of difference we bring to any activity as an occupational therapist is that conscious process of recognising the therapeutic value in participation and occupation." (Mann, 2007, p.8)

Jansen, S. (1999). New ground to venture? Adventure therapy as a potential therapeutic medium within occupational therapy. Dunedin: Otago Polytechnic.
Mann, I. (2007). Is adventure therapy, occupational therapy? A therapist's perspective. OT Insight, 28(2):8-10.

Adventure Therapy!! What is it?

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Adventure therapy involves activities that take place in an outdoor setting or natural environment. The activities are adventurous in nature and often push participants outside their comfort zone. It is inclusive of activities such as rock climbing, kayaking, abseiling, hiking and high ropes.

Gillis and Ringer (1999, p.29, as cited in Levack, 2003) provide a definition of adventure therapy as the "deliberate, strategic combination of adventure activities and the therapeutic change process with the goal of making lasting changes in the lives of participants."

Principles of experiential learning underpin adventure therapy. Experiential learning maintains that for learning or behaviour change to occur the individual needs to directly participate in the experience of the activity. This dynamic process involves the participant to get actively involved and requires problem solving, curiosity and reflection (Gass, 1993, as cited in Levack, 2003).

Adventure therapy capitalises on this experiential learning and the largely positive change that occurs when one pushes their personal boundaries and is placed outside of their comfort zone.

Wilderness adventure therapy has been documented with a variety of clinical and disabled populations including at-risk girls and women, at-risk youth, post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, learning difficulties, spinal cord injury, substance abusers, mental health in oncology, adolescent obesity, eating disorders and traumatic brain injury (Shanahan, McAllister & Curtain, 2009).

So what are the advantages of using adventure as a therapy medium?

Therapeutic benefits and outcomes of adventure include:

• improved self-esteem and self-concept
• change in interpersonal relationships
• increased ability to trust and accept others
• increased development of interpersonal skills
• individual growth and development
• physical benefits
• ability to express opinions and needs
• improved locus of control
• enhanced coping skills
• behaviour modification
• social integration

(Jansen, 1999; Shanahan et al., 2009)

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REFERENCES:

Jansen, S. (1999). New ground to venture? Adventure therapy as a potential therapeutic medium within occupational therapy. Dunedin: Otago Polytechnic.


Lavack, L. (2003). Adventure therapy in occupational therapy: Can we call it spiritual occupation? New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapy, 50(1):22-28.


Shanahan, L., McAllister, L., Curtain, M. (2009). Wilderness adventure therapy and cognitive rehabilitation: Joining forces for youth with TBI. Brain Injury, 23(13-14):1054-1064.

Occupational Therapy

The dreaded question: "What do you study?"

Anyone who's studied OT will be familiar with telling people they study occupational therapy and the typical responses of; "Cool", the blank glazed over look, or "Oh, so you get people jobs".

Then trying to explain..

So what is occupational therapy?


World Federation of Occupational Therapy (2004) defintion:

"Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the 

activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by enabling people to do things that will enhance their ability to participate or by modifying the environment to better 

support participation. 

 

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Occupational therapy is practiced in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, health centres, homes, workplaces, schools, reform institutions and housing for seniors. Clients are actively 

involved in the therapeutic process, and outcomes of occupational therapy are diverse, client-driven and measured in terms of participation or satisfaction derived from participation. "

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"Occupational Therapy: Enabling people to participate in meaningful occupation."


Townsend, E.A., & Polatajko, H . J. (2007). Enabling occupation II: Advancing an occupational therapy vision for health, well-being, & justice through occupation. Ottawa, Ontario: CAOT Publications ACE.

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!

KIAORA!!

This blog has been created as a presentation for my paper for 3rd year occupational therapy.

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Follow me as I explore adventure therapy and its application to OT and how this fit with our New Zealand flavor in our country's bicultural context.

I would love to hear your opinions, please leave any comments or questions you have!!

WATCH THIS SPACE!!!