Adventure Family Therapy [electronic resource] : An Innovative Approach Answering the Question of Lasting Change with Adjudicated Youth? / Michael A. Gass.
The field of adventure family therapy has emerged as a means to construct lasting functional change for troubled youth. Seven reasons why adventure therapy can be successful with troubled youth are: (1) therapeutic processes are centered in action-oriented experiences; (2) therapy is conducted in an...
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Full Text (via ERIC) |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[S.l.] :
Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse,
1995.
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| Summary: | The field of adventure family therapy has emerged as a means to construct lasting functional change for troubled youth. Seven reasons why adventure therapy can be successful with troubled youth are: (1) therapeutic processes are centered in action-oriented experiences; (2) therapy is conducted in an unfamiliar environment; (3) adventure therapy centers on producing a climate of functional change through the positive use of stress; (4) adventure experiences can be rich in assessment possibilities; (5) adventure experiences are generally conducted in a small-group, supportive atmosphere; (6) adventure experiences are constructed to be "solution oriented"; and (7) the role of therapist is changed. The problem with adventure therapy is the issue of the lasting effectiveness of treatment gains. One strategy to counter this issue is to create system change in the family through adventure family therapy programs. These programs are classified, in increasing order of complexity and psychological depth, as recreational, educational, enrichment, adjunctive therapy, and primary therapy. The five general stages of adventure family therapy include assessment, structuring, intervention, debriefing, and follow-up. Further exploration is needed to explore when and how adventure experiences fit within family therapy approaches. Therapists using adventure experiences need additional competency in marriage and family therapy to develop high levels of treatment efficacy. (KS) |
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| Item Description: | ERIC Document Number: ED384468. ERIC Note: In: Alternatives to Incarceration: Prevention or Treatment. Monograph on Youth in the 1990s. Issue #4; see RC 020 167. |
| Physical Description: | 17 p. |