1) This is the cover of Good Will Hunting. Many people argue Robin William’s portrayal of a therapist in cinematic history [despite strangling and threatening the client in that famous scene]. Still, look at where Robin’s character did his best work: #Outdoors 
2) This thread is about therapy outdoors as I was recently labelled as an “abuser”. I understand where this comes from my #research about survivors’ experiences in #WildernessTherapy. Good Will Hunting is not about Wilderness Therapy. They aren’t the same thing.
3) In 2020, I co-edited a book with Prof Nevin Harper titled Outdoor Therapies. This book examined #AdventureTherapy, #Nature-Based Therapy, Horticulture, #ForestTherapy, #Surf Therapy, #AnimalAssisted, &, yes, #WildernessTherapy.
4) The wilderness therapy chapter explored a specific Scandinavian practice where new clients are asked if they want normal therapy services OR the outdoor stuff. They get to choose. They prepare for the expedition for many weeks and can leave at any time.
5) I observed this very program for my doctoral research. Of the group of about 10 adolescents, two went home. They chose to and no matter how remote we were, they were home in their beds, with their family, that evening. In this program, “no actually means no”.
6) How wilderness therapy is delivered by many (not all) programs in the US is problematic. No person should call themselves a survivor and #nature should not be used as a prison. The rules enforced are harmful, paternalistic, and totalistic and counterproductive to good therapy.
7) These practices don’t happen everywhere. Sure, Australia has funded boot camps, but my independent program – delivered by #socialworkers cannot practice the way many have in the United States. Every client chooses to participate, or not.
8) We may go #surfing for an afternoon, or #canoe during the #school day. If they want to come on expedition, it’s only two weeks. They know when it ends and can leave at any time. We don’t tell them how to dress, who to talk to, when to sleep, when to eat, etc.
9) All outdoor therapy is not #WildernessTherapy. All #psychotherapy is a cultural endeavour. My great friend Tanya delivers amazing wilderness therapy with young adults in the Himalayas. That’s quite different than Utah. tanyaginwala.com
10) Here is an organization inviting #youngpeople living with #disabilities surfing. This is sort of an adaptive #adventure therapy. surfabilityukcic.org
12) Check out #AdventureTherapy #Latvia too. They recently ran a program for folks in an aged care facility. They had an 89 year old on a stand up paddle board. adventuretherapylatvia.lv/en/home/
13) #OutdoorTherapy has problems. Our evidence-base is not what it should be, and a team of international researchers are working on that. We encourage all outdoor practitioners to join us in a client-focused, progressive research program. willdobud.com/ATOM
14) When many people hear #Outdoors and #Therapy in the same sentence, they think of #BratCamp and the worst version of this practice. This is why I have worked with many folks to raise awareness about the problem, which many outdoor therapy providers might not prefer.
15) The article in The Guardian has serious problems. They're arguing that one program is bad because it's #TTI while calling another the 'gold standard' despite it also being part of this horrible #TroubledTeenIndustry. Those are apples and apples.
16) The issue is many people are working outdoors doing safe, effective, ethical, humane, and dignified practices that clients freely engage in. We're working on addressing the rest so no person has to 'survive' therapy or the outdoors.
@threadreaderapp unroll please
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