Adventure-Based Counseling | Are You Up For An Adventure | Leadership Social Skills Camps

By Jim WestPublished On: June 22nd, 20192.6 min read

Orlando Adventure Based counselor Alan Davidson, MA, LMHC uses Adventure Therapy to teach anxious kids to face their fears and ADHD ASD kids to build their social skills. 10 year-old Ryan climbed into his harness, asking the entire time what would happen if he fell. You see, Ryan was about to climb the 40-foot rock wall aptly named Goliath. This feat was definitely not for the faint of heart, but even more intimidating for Ryan as he was challenged with high anxiety. Once Ryan had his harness securely tightened and he was hooked into his belay, he gingerly made his way to face of the wall, looking back to see if I had any last words of comfort. I then told him “the only way to overcome your fears is to face them.” Ryan didn’t seem to take much consolation in this fact, but he began to climb…

The type of therapy that Ryan is experiencing is called Adventure Therapy or Adventure-Based Counseling. In this type of therapy, a child or teenager has the opportunity to learn from doing rather than learning from conversation, as he or she would with traditional therapy. They will usually be outdoors with a group of peers engaged in activities that incorporate real or perceived risks, such as Goliath mentioned above. Through these types of activities the child can bridge what he or she learns outside to aspects in his or her real life such as increased self-esteem, overcoming fear, appropriate risk-taking, trust and trustworthiness, effective communication, problem solving, teamwork, and various social skills.

Children and adolescents with various types of disorders such as Anxiety, like Ryan, ADD and ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Bipolar Disorder , Conduct Disorder, Substance Abuse, Asbergers, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and other developmental disorders. Many students who participate in Adventure Therapy leave with invaluable life lessons. Cari, a 12 year-old girl said that she learned that she could trust people again. Robert, a 14 year-old boy said that he learned how to deflect jokes made at his expense. Jose, an 11 year-old boy said that he learned that some of risks that he was taking was getting him into trouble and that he should take healthier risks. Mariah, a nine year-old girl said that she learned to look a people when she talks with them or they talk with her.

Face your Fears – Ryan climbed and climbed, stopping at times nervous he would slip, scared he couldn’t make it to the top. But with much encouragement from his peers on the ground, Ryan diligently made it to the zenith of the wall. Ryan’s hard work and perseverance raised his self-esteem, strengthened his ability to focus, and gave his peers the opportunity to affirm someone.

If you would like more information on the Adventure Therapy with Total Life Counseling, please call us at 407-248-0030 or check out our website:

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Author: Alan Davidson, MA, LMHC

Jim West

Adolescent Expert, Jim West offers expert advice to Local and National TV News & Schools Internationally and provides phone or face-to-face counseling in the Orlando area. Jim is an Author, Communicator, School Consultant, Nationally Certified and State Licensed Counselor and specializes in counseling for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD). Jim has been interviewed for multiple TV, Radio, magazine and newspaper articles. He is president of Total Life Counseling Center and his Total Life approach accelerates the therapeutic & healing process by relating to children, adolescents and adults and incorporating wellness. Jim’s clients travel from all over Florida, England, Georgia, Cayman Islands and the Bahamas as he has been able to treat clients with ADHD, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, Depression and more with FDA approved supplements and Dietary Modifications. 85% of his clients have not needed medication or used less medication than when they first came to Total Life Counseling Center.

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Filed in: Anxiety, Blog, Orlando, Social Skills Group Curriculum

Total Life Counseling Center consists of Licensed Counselors, masters level therapists, Español counselors, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, business coaches, and image enhancement coaches who provide counseling for emotional, mental, physical and spiritual care including marriage, individual, family, substance abuse and more. TLC’s family, trauma and marriage experts have been interviewed on National and Local TV/Radio over 200 times for their expert advice on Fox News, OWN, WETV, ABC’s Medical Minute and more. Our skilled counselors are relational, approachable and specialists providing therapy services in the Central Florida area including: Orlando, Winter Park, MetroWest, Windermere, Dr. Phillips, East Orlando, Lake Mary, and Clermont, Boca Raton Florida, and Dallas, TX.