The Adventure Therapy Project for Women

Adventure activities inspire healthy choices

The Adventure Therapy Project has been inspiring and skilling women to make healthy choices for themselves by valuing self-care, spending time outdoors, challenging themselves in new ways, and being physically active. We’ve had amazing fun and free activities on the go throughout 2019 and 2020 including:

  • bushwalks
  • gentle nature walks
  • birdwatching
  • trail yoga (outdoors yoga)
  • mountain biking
  • canoeing
  • bouldering
  • nature craft workshops
  • camping

The Adventure Therapy Project

The evolution of The Adventure Therapy Project

It’s been super fun to be a part of this Project from identifying the gap in women’s outdoor activities in the community, to developing the concept, applying for funding, organising and implementing the activities, and seeing the women enthusiastically getting involved. The Project has been funded with a grant through the Empowering Our Communities initiative which supports communities adversely impacted by severe drought. The funds were made available through the Darling Downs West Moreton PHN.

The Project has hosted about fifty different events for a few hundred women mostly from the Southern Downs Region of southern Queensland. Six small businesses provided instruction in their speciality activities, and numerous community groups and individuals shared information about the activities. Many men and women have told me that although they haven’t participated, they’ve been inspired to get outdoors and get active simply by hearing and seeing the Project in action. How awesome is that!

The Adventure Therapy Project canoeing

Outdoor adventures are a valuable part of mental health and self-care

Spending time outdoors can be incredibly valuable for almost every aspect of human health and wellbeing. The outdoors, and especially natural spaces, have a pretty unique advantage. They offer infinite opportunities for the development, growth and restoration of the whole self. Nature can both challenge and heal your physical body, mind, emotions and spirit. Spending time in nature also supports connection with others, connection with the inner self, and a greater understanding and connection to the world around us.

Having worked for many years as a mental health worker in the public and private sectors I believe that mental health deserves much broader attention than what the current medical model allows. There is a tendency to focus narrowly on formal diagnosis of specific mental illnesses and treatments which frequently include medication and/or talking therapies.

I believe that we need to examine and adjust ALL the systems that impact mental health at an individual, family, workplace and community level. And we need to do this not only when someone experiences distress, but most importantly to prevent and minimise problems that inevitably will occur in life. Healthy lifestyle choices are particularly relevant to preventing and managing general mood disturbances such as feeling anxious, ‘down’ or mild to moderately depressed, stressed and tiredness (where there is no other known medical condition).

The Adventure Therapy Project MTB

Mental health can thrive when the foundations are strengthened

Thriving mental health is built upon strong lifestyle foundations of:

  • physical activity including general movement, exercise and activity levels
  • sleep
  • nutrition
  • mind skills, and
  • connection with the world around us including the natural world and social connections

A strong foundation does not mean that an individual will always bounce happily and easily through life, but it does mean that they are in a better position to manage their life stresses and challenges.

Your bio-chemistry changes when you move and exercise. It also changes with the nutrition you take into your body, the quality and quantity of sleep you have, the way you think, and the connections you have with other people and even when you spend time outdoors in nature. We need to value and adjust each of these systems to truly make a difference to mental health. Outdoor adventures go a very long way towards supporting each of these foundations.

The Adventure Therapy Project Nature Walk

The success of The Adventure Therapy Project

Two years ago I felt I needed to constantly justify why I wanted to take small groups of women on outdoor adventures. For years and years I provided talking therapies in closed rooms and saw patterns repeating themselves. Occasionally you can convince someone to get outdoors and get active for their health. But to actually take them outdoors and be active with them, that’s something pretty special. That helps to overcome some of the hurdles that get in the way. With increased exercise, connection with nature, new physical and mental skills, and new friendships, you’ll tend to sleep better as well.

The Adventure Therapy Project bouldering

What’s next for The Adventure Therapy Project?

It hasn’t been completely plain sailing for the Project. The funding targeted the drought affected community but when bushfires ravaged the region and filled the air with thick smoke, we pushed the pause button for a few months. Likewise, COVID-19 has impacted in a variety of ways. Following these disruptions the Project was extended for another six months and now it is complete. When another round of the same funding was announced in 2020, the Project was no longer eligible due to new guidelines which excluded face-to-face activities.

So, for now The Adventure Therapy Project has paused. I’m spending my time and energy this summer on creating some new online resources that I’ll be excited to share with the community shortly. If you’d like to be the first to hear about new releases and new adventure activities, be sure to subscribe to my Grounded Inspiration email.

The Adventure Therapy Project camping

Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended for general information only. Please always seek individual advice from a health professional or crisis centre such as Lifeline (ph 13 11 14) if you have any concerns about your own mental health and safety or the mental health and safety of another person.

Daisy Spoke

Discovering mountain biking as life’s ultimate parallel universe in her middle age, Kathryn Walton shares information and reflections that inform, inspire and empower women to a healthy and active lifestyle.

Hike and Camp Weekend for Women

hike and camp weekend next to the waterhole

Spending a weekend hiking and camping in the Australian bush beside a waterhole was made all the more perfect by sharing it with a group of nature-loving women. The Adventure Therapy Project has guided women on bush adventures throughout 2019 and 2020 across the Southern Downs Region in southern Queensland. The funding sourced from Darling Downs West Moreton PHN was used to bolster the mental health of locals who’ve been doing it tough with severe drought for years.

The grant enabled small groups of women to experience mountain biking, canoeing, bouldering, bushwalking, birdwatching, nature walks, trail yoga, nature craft workshops and of course our Hike + Camp Weekend in the stunning Goomburra Valley in November 2020. All of these activities were fully funded so there was no added burden for the women to participate.

The time leading up to the Hike + Camp Weekend was filled with excitement as well as uncertainty as stormy weather systems that we hadn’t seen for a few years began to move through. The welcome downpour meant we needed to postpone for a few weeks to let the sticky black soil and clay dry out so we could safely access the property.

a grassy track on the property where we held the Hike and Camp weekend

Finally the day came and we eagerly met at the hay shed just below The Grain Shed Retreat. This private property is used for bush adventure and therapy by Bel and her team from Darling Downs Wellness Therapies. Bel was our very welcoming yoga instructor and camp host for our much anticipated weekend of balanced action and relaxation.

Bel was our host for the Hike and Camp weekend

We began with some yoga in the shade of the hay shed and I think we were all mesmerised by the sight of lush green grass around us. Awake to the beauty around us, we loaded our gear into the ute to be transported to our campsite for us and we moved into action. The uphill trek to our campsite was steep yet stunning. Even in the heat of the day we were unstoppable, pausing every few minutes for another breathtaking view of the valley around us. It was such a beautiful lesson about the value of persisting, pacing yourself and the power of group support.

stunning views on the uphill trek on the Hike and Camp weekend

Our campsite was cosily nestled among the gum trees next to the waterhole where we swam and cooled off whenever we felt like it. For some of us that was pretty special because women are so often focused on caring for others and getting things done, we don’t often prioritise our own self-care choices. The waterhole was also the perfect spot for sunset yoga and again early in the morning (we were so relaxed we didn’t quite make it for sunrise!)

campsites

Our delightful camp bathroom consisted of separate shower and toilet tents with all the mod cons you can imagine which made us feel so special despite roughing it for the weekend.

The hand built wooden deck looking over the waterhole, was perfectly positioned for us to settle in for the weekend. The tall whispering trees were like old friends standing by our sides, the trickling waterfall at our feet reminded us to bring focus to those things that revive us, and a clear night sky with the moon rising above us comforted us with its spectacular halo of light.

moon shining through the trees

Exploring the dry creek bed was one of the treasures we experienced during the Hike + Camp weekend. We discovered an incredible array of rocks, some of them sparkling intensely in the sunlight, some of them purple, some of them pitted with holes from volcanic days gone by. Others were a motley combination of rock and clay artfully stuck together on display. Each of them different and special – a bit like all of us. It’s amazing how things can sparkle and shine with their true colours even in the harshest of environments.

layers of rock forming the dry creek bed and banks

Over the weekend Bel shared stories with us of people who had walked the land before us. It was moments like these that we were reminded of the vastness and multi-dimensional nature of our world. Slowing down for the weekend opened up opportunities for enriching, heart-felt conversations, silent reflections about life, and lighthearted moments where we laughed wholeheartedly, doubled up and breathing deeply, wiping the tears of laughter from our cheeks.

3 women at the Hike and Camp weekend peer into a deep hole in the creek bed

In quieter moments we read books or created with craft. We ambled, rested, shared stories and came home to that inner part of ourselves as we reset and reconnected with the important stuff of life.

relaxing and resting on the deck overlooking the waterhole

The Hike + Camp weekend really was a time to practice balance. All the juggling we do in our every day lives was paused. We each chose a balance that was just right between action and relaxation, togetherness and alone time, introspection and outward expression. As we packed up camp and meandered down the mountain to our vehicles, each of us carried a sense of clarity about what it is that we need as an individual to nurture our energy levels and zest for life. For all of us that meant remaining connected with nature in some way.

grassy field with hills in the background and blue sky

I’m always inspired by the magic that happens when women come together for activities such as hiking and camping. With open hearts and minds we connect with nature, connect with each other, and most importantly we connect with our inner selves and when it’s time to go home again, we leave with a certain richness that inspires us in other areas of our lives.

INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT FUTURE BUSH RETREATS, CAMPING ADVENTURES AND NATURE-BASED ACTIVITIES? Sign up for my Grounded Inspiration emails so you won’t miss out!

You can also listen to the Outdoors is my Therapy podcast episode where I chat about all things to do with the Hike and Camp Weekend!

Daisy Spoke

Discovering mountain biking as life’s ultimate parallel universe in her middle age, Kathryn Walton shares information and reflections that inform, inspire and empower women to a healthy and active lifestyle.