This study reports the results of a meta-analysis of 44 studies that examined the impacts of participation in challenge (ropes) course activities. Overall, a medium standardized mean difference effect size was found (d = 0.43). Effect sizes were calculated for various study characteristics, including demographics and outcome. Higher effects were…

Describes team-building activities for mental health counselors who function as consultants to staffs, groups, or other intact work systems. Provides rationale for application of strategic systems and sociodrama techniques to an adventure activity that allows a group to metaphorically enact its common issue. Provides example of a consultation…

Activities commonly associated with outdoor adventure education can be used effectively in therapy for couples. The adventure education concepts of risk, trust, fear, anxiety, dependence/independence, problem solving, and intimacy are all dealt with in therapy and enrichment experiences for couples. While the outdoor environment has a tremendous…

Focusing on the therapeutic aspects of camping experiences for delinquent and psychologically disturbed youth, this 382-item bibliography lists books, journal articles, theses, dissertations, and unpublished reports written from 1928 to 1983 on adventure education, wilderness experience, Outward Bound, therapeutic camping, experiential learning,…

Recommends the use of adventure activities, put in a systematic sequence for success, in counseling groups. Structured exercises can be useful in confronting many interpersonal issues. Two case examples are used to describe the adaptation of adventure activities to group counseling with couples and single-parent-adolescent families. (Author/KS)

Books, journal articles, and dissertations are included in this bibliography of 47 references related to adventure-based counseling. Titles refer to the therapeutic uses of various outdoor activities and include mention of wilderness camps, family camps, recreational and initiative games, wilderness solitude, canoeing, wilderness survival, and…

Special characteristics of action-oriented approaches to therapy, cautions and tips for using these approaches, and sample activities are provided in this guide. An introductory section explains the relationship of action-based counseling to the traditional action-oriented methods and principles of Adlerian psychology and emphasizes the merit of…

A sequence of action-oriented games and initiatives is provided in this guide for group therapy leaders who wish to employ activities to promote trust, problem solving, and cohesion among group members. Introductory material discusses the objectives of action-oriented therapy, the adaptation of traditionally outdoor activities to indoor settings,…