TAPG Conference - Things I Learned

Recently, I attended the Association of Experiential Educators' Therapeutic Adventure Professionals Group's Best Practices Conference in Columbus, OH. In attendance were therapists, psychologists, social workers, university professors, researchers, as well as undergraduate and graduate students considering this field as a career. Additionally, I met program operators from across the country including as far away as Alaska. This is a group of very dedicated people sharing information, techniques and concerns regarding the therapeutic use of adventure. As a group they defined therapeutic as "moving toward healthy change with intentional interventions."

One of the workshops I attended was on trauma. I learned that the degree of trauma that a child experiences can be reduced or increased based on the reactions of the adults caring for the child. For example if the adults react minimally the effects of the trauma can be reduced, but if the adults are running around, screaming, acting frantic then the child will realize or internalize a greater degree of psychological trauma.

Another issue regarding trauma is Survivor Guilt. A child that witnesses abuse of another, like the mom being abused by the father, may initially hide from the abuser. At the same time, the child may feel compelled to help stop the abuse. But being unable to do so will often times cause the child to feel a greater degree of guilt and thus traumatized to a greater degree than the person actually receiving the abuse.

Over the years, my factories have held sales meetings to teach us how to properly use their new products. These were basically hands-on training sessions or in some instances maybe some role-playing as to how to properly present and sell the product to the buyer. But I have never attended a meeting so focused on play activities in order to bring about change. As I participated in what initially appeared to be "just kid games" I began to see how effective such a tool can be in getting people to respond. A big part of therapy is the ability of the participant(s) to process the experience. As someone mentioned in the conference. we don't learn by the experience, but by the ability to intentionally do something different the next time. In other words, if we do the same thing over and over the same way each time, we've never really learned anything different. However, if we have an experience that shows us a different and better way of doing the same thing, we must internalize that difference and use it in that process in order for it to be considered learned.

I also attended a workshop that reviewed a group of students that participated in a 10 day hike basically 25 years ago. The researchers were able to connect with four of the 20 children that participated in those hikes. There was general agreement that it was a great benefit and that even their children should participate and enjoy such an experience. But at the same time each person internalize the experience different than the others. For one it was the sense of accomplishment. While for another, it was specifically standing on top of a rock looking out over the night sky and thinking he could touch the stars. For another it was journaling during the trip, and then using it in later years.

Also, I heard the history of how the Alaskan natives were forced to give up their language and with it their culture. How whole generations were not allowed to speak in their native tongue and perform their rituals. Now that is being corrected. Slowly language and culture are being restored. The hard part is that much was never written down so it is up to the elders that are left to pass this along. Language and culture very important to who one is.