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Philip Stallard.
A NEW company has started in Camp with an innovative way at providing therapy through outdoor activities.
New Wave Adventure Therapy, is a company run by Philip and Jasmin Stallard, launched this month.
It offers an alternative to young people and adults seeking therapy and recovery for a range of issues.
Adventure therapy is a professional therapeutic intervention service carried out through the medium of outdoor adventure activities.
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“Competency-based tasks through outdoor adventure help to build confidence, transferrable skills, and coping strategies,” said Philip Stallard.
“Programmes like this bring a fresh approach and are ideal for; mental health recovery, behavioural issues, transitional life stages, recovery from trauma or addiction, bullying, occupational burnout and self-care management. The programmes are strengths-based and delivered on a one-to-one basis which allows them to be tailored to each client’s needs.
The idea for New Wave Adventure Therapy came about when company director Philip was working in a secure unit for young people and quickly saw that there were very few therapeutic interventions available.”
Having a passion for the outdoors himself, Philip researched the area of adventure therapy and realised that the applications and potential outcomes of therapeutic programmes in the outdoors could provide a helpful solution to some issues in the current health and social care systems.
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Adventure therapy is well developed in the US, Canada, and Australia but is only really now flourishing across Europe.
A big part of the development of adventure therapy is ensuring that practitioners are dual qualified; in outdoor adventure activities and either social work, psychotherapy or counselling. Philip realised that he would need to hold a recognised professional qualification so he trained to become a social worker.
“I have a range of activity instructor qualifications, an honours degree in Adventure Tourism Management and a research Masters from IT Tralee but I needed to essentially re-train so I completed a conversion course in Applied Social Studies in Trinity College. It took me another 2 years in UCC to complete my Masters in Social Work. It was challenging but well worth it!”
New Wave Adventure Therapy offers programmes of 6 or 12 sessions where a session is a full day of one-to-one intervention work with Philip.
Philip and Jasmin recognise that financial support to access adventure therapy may be needed so they set up a bursary fund.
They have invited businesses and organisations to contribute to the fund to help support local families and communities to access their programmes.
Applications for programmes and for assistance through the bursary fund are available on the website www.newwaveadventure.ie or directly from New Wave Adventure Therapy on 089 600 8185 or info@newwaveadventure.ie
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