Wilderness Therapy: Does Social Work have a Wild Side?

Welcome back to the Social Work Café blog, and greetings for Season 2!

I couldn't be more thrilled to embark on this new journey, and I'm especially delighted to have my esteemed colleague, Dr. Will Dobud, join us once again in the café.

In this episode, we delved into his passion for wilderness and adventure therapy, a field that often flies under the radar in many social work programs. I certainly knew nothing about this field until Will became a colleague.

As we engaged in our conversation, I was struck by the insights Dr. Dobud shared regarding the origins and nuances of wilderness therapy, shedding light on its roots and its evolution, as well as the various forms and differing terminology such as adventure therapy, outdoor therapy, nature-based therapy and eco-therapy.

Clarifying the terminology with him was crucial, as these terms encompass a spectrum of practices.

Will explained that wilderness therapy typically involves longer expeditions in remote areas, while adventure therapy emphasises community-based mental health work through outdoor activities.

Nature-based therapy tends to involve being in nature intentionally as opposed to seeing nature as something to simply use.

Will and his colleagues have been working to unify these diverse approaches under the umbrella of outdoor therapy, recognising the need for collaboration and clarity within the field.

However, our discussion didn't shy away from addressing the challenges and criticisms facing wilderness therapy, particularly in the United States, where former clients have advocated for significant reforms due to issues and harms they've experienced.

Will emphasised the importance of acknowledging and addressing these concerns while also highlighting the potential breadth and versatility of outdoor therapy, which can encompass activities ranging from surf therapy to equine therapy.

One of the key questions that emerged from our conversation was whether we risk turning every aspect of human experience into a therapeutic framework.

While recognising the value of these therapies, Will and I agree we can lose sight of the existential and experiential dimensions of human needs.

He underscored the importance of being guided by the client's experiences and meanings rather than solely focusing on the activities and techniques involved.

Will shared valuable advice for listeners interested in exploring outdoor therapy, emphasising the significance of community building within the field and the importance of safety and risk management.

When it came time to talk about his favourite technique to use as a social worker, Will did what Will usually does, and gave me two great answers.

The first was about exception questions that are used in solution-focused brief therapy. Generally, in a first session, it can be helpful to ask clients what’s been better since they booked the appointment.

This exception-finding question gets them out of the problem narrative and into a solution-seeking mindset. Building on that type of question, Will’ s favourite one to ask is, what if your session is the exception to the problem as well?

Will explains that this question not only continues to encourage clients to find exceptions, but reminds the counsellor to stay in a curious position to observe those exceptions, especially during an adventure therapy program.

You can find more examples of techniques like this in his solution-focused book (still waiting for my free copy Will).

As our conversation continued Will then explained his other favourite technique, which involves building safety into an adventure therapy program so that a young person chooses to have a night on their own.

He explains that if you can give a client an adventure program that is an exception to their problem, it can have powerful impacts on them.

So, in answer to my question about whether social work has a wild side, Will definitely thinks we do and there are so many ways we can do this work.

In conclusion, our conversation left me with a newfound appreciation for the wild side of social work and the myriad ways in which practitioners can harness the power of the outdoors to facilitate healing and growth.

As we continue to navigate the evolving landscape of mental health care, it's essential to remain grounded in theory, guided by the needs of our clients, and open to the transformative potential of outdoor experiences.

So, does social work have a wild side?

According to Will, absolutely—and it's ripe with possibilities for those willing to explore it.

Go wild social work.

Dr. B