An Unfamiliar Learning Environment

I was asked recently to discuss in more detail the ‘why’ behind experiential and adventure therapy. A large organizational client was interested in adventure programming, but needed more explanation as to the significance of utilizing an off-site location.

Placing participants into an unfamiliar learning environment can foster the development of a variety of beneficial dynamics. Such environments are valuable beacuase they present a stark contrast to the learners’ familiar environments, allowing participants to see old behavior patterns in new light with a richer perspective as well as permitting participants to notice behavior patterns that they may have overlookied in familiar settings. Unfamiliar physical environments may also allow paricipants to “try on” new behaviors in an envirnomnet that does not encompass some of the limitations of fears of familiar settings. Successful new behaviors can serve as first steps toward integrating behavioral changes into more familiar settings.

I have noticed that utilizing an unfamiliar learning environment also helps destabilize perceived hierarchies that can keep individuals and colleagues from connecting and maintaining relationship. 

Inner Passage utilizes the mountains and deserts in the Catalina mountains outside of Tucson, as well as Joshua Tree National Park, to provide clients with a unique and challenging learning environment. Feel free to connect with us to discuss how off-site adventure programming can help your team, organization, and group come together and build upon its strengths.

AMGA SPI Course - new offering

Inner Passage, based in Tucson, AZ is bringing the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), Single Pitch Instructor Course (SPI) to Cochise Stronghold, AZ. It is the first course in the AMGA sequence of climbing instructor and guide training programs. Formerly the Top Rop Site Management Course, This three day course is intended for recreational climbers wanting to gain the next level of skills that they cannot gain from basic climbing instructional courses. It is also for instructors from private climbing schools and guide services, individual aspiring climbing guides and instructors and therapeutic outdoor program professionals. The course addresses fundamental educational and environmental principles as they relate to teaching climbing. Those seeking certification may go on to take the separate two day field exam following the course or at any time within three years after successfully completing the course. The course focuses on the learning and application of technical skills as they are applied in all forms of top rope climbing instruction - both base and top managed systems. The course also addresses fundamental educational and environmental principles as they relate to teaching climbing.

SPI Course

November 21-23, 2008

Cost: $450

SPI Exam

November 24-25, 2008

Cost: $300

Please call 520-360-1465 for registration, questions and availability

Therapeutic Rock Climbing

Inner Passage is proud to offer therapeutic rock climbing as a principal aspect of our services. Inner Passage is an industry leader in this developing field. We have offered this service to groups and organizations for many years and we are excited to now offer this to the general public.

Rock climbing offers a unique and powerful opportunity to connect your mind, body, and spirit. Rock climbing presents an experience that gives immediate physical, mental, and emotional feedback to the participant. This is a powerful experience that can yield quick results and does not allow the participant to hide behind posturing – therapeutic rock climbing can provide an experience that evokes the patterns and dynamics that parallel the participants habituated behaviors and thought patterns. It is a rich and rewarding experience.

 

Additionally, utilizing therapeutic rock climbing in a family, couple, or group situation exposes habituated roles and patterns that may keep the participants “stuck” in unhealthy patterns. Rock climbing teaches clear and specific communication, accountability and responsibility, healthy and calculated risk-taking, problem solving opportunities, and trust and empowerment.   

 

Please feel free to contact us about this service – we welcome the opportunity to discuss your situation and explore the various options that are available to help. Therapeutic rock climbing is well suited for individuals, couples, parent-child, families, and working groups. 

 

An Opening

Imagine an angry detached teenager sitting in your office. His parents thought it would be a good idea for him to see you to work on his failing grades, oppositional behavior, and seemingly addictive use of the internet and text messaging. You meet with him over the course of the next month - joining, empathizing, and focusing on his strengths. But, little movement is made and he appears “stuck” in his angst and malaise. 

Now imagine meeting that same teenager outside of your office. You are sitting next to him, a structural intervention that allows him to work with you (not engaged in an adversarial position), and looking out over a beautiful mountainous view. After a check-in you begin the process of educating them with enough information about rock climbing to reassure his safety, but not too much information to give away any of the upcoming experience. When asked about how this is going for him in the preset, he replies with the responses you have come to expect from teenagers: fine, ok, good. That’s fine that his replies are terse - your thoughts are to move away from cerebral engagement and work with him to connect his body with his emotions, through rock climbing. This connection will allow you to open up a dialogue that allows you to discuss unique outcomes to his own problem saturated story line.