Tag: adventuretherapy

Top 10 Benefits of a Live-In Therapeutic Coach in Our Wellness Adventure Program

10 Benefits of a Live-in Therapeutic Coach on our Wellness Adventure Program

In our wellness adventure program, a live-in therapeutic coach is not just an integral part of the support system; they are a catalyst for transformation. With their constant presence, expertise, and collaborative approach, they play a pivotal role in helping our students embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth. At Rooted Life Adventures, we are dedicated to providing the highest level of care and support, ensuring that every student’s wellness adventure is a meaningful and transformative experience.

Top 10 Benefits of a Live-In Therapeutic Coach in Our Wellness Adventure Program

1. 360-Degree Wellness Adventure Insight

When it comes to our wellness adventure program, having a live-in therapeutic coach offers a unique advantage. With their presence throughout the day, our therapeutic coach has an all-encompassing view of our students, observing their actions and behaviors in various contexts. This real-time insight enables them to provide timely guidance and support, making every moment a teachable one.

2. Leveraging Successes for Personal Growth

Our therapeutic coach is adept at recognizing and celebrating our students’ successes during volunteer experiences, cultural immersions, and active adventures. These accomplishments serve as powerful teaching tools, allowing our therapeutic coach to draw on them to support coaching efforts. It’s about turning achievements into stepping stones for personal growth.

3. Real-Life Learning in the Heart of Your Wellness Adventure

Understanding each student’s unique challenges is fundamental to our wellness adventure program’s success. Our live-in therapeutic coach is well-versed in each student’s challenges. They are also knowledgeable about past care initiatives, allowing them to tailor their approach to what works best for each individual.

4. A Collaborative Care Team

We believe in a collaborative approach to wellness. Our live-in therapeutic coach maintains communication with each student’s at-home therapist, acting as an extension of their care team. This collaborative effort ensures that all parties are aligned in their approach and goals, fostering a holistic experience.

5. Continuity of Care

We understand the importance of uninterrupted care. That’s why students continue their weekly sessions with their long-term at-home therapist during our program so no ground is lost. Our stable collaborative environment allows for ease of transition to, and from, program with their trusted at-home therapist helping them adapt to a new environment, learn skills away from home, and then utilizing their newly developed skills when they return.

6. Real Life Learning Environment

Our wellness and core curriculum are a welcomed break from the traditional therapy setting. We create a safe environment that encourages students to learn from one another through real-life experiences. This approach helps build essential life skills and reinforces personal growth, while also bringing in the healing power of play and silliness in a “camp-like” fun and games environment.

7. Group Sessions & In-the-Moment Coaching

Our live-in therapeutic coach facilitates two group sessions each week, providing students with a platform to explore and discuss their thoughts and feelings. Additionally, daily check-ins and in-the-moment coaching are available as often as needed, ensuring students receive timely support.

8. Thoughtful Transition Planning

We understand that transitions can be challenging. Our wellness adventure program includes comprehensive transition planning involving students, parents, home therapists, and educational consultants. This collaborative effort ensures a smooth transition from our program to the next phase of a student’s journey.

9. Progress Tracking & Parent Coaching

We provide clear and detailed written summaries of each student’s experiences, challenges, successes, and gains. We empower families, and their care team, to make well-informed decisions for next steps of that student’s journey with a summary of our 360 viewpoint, including recommendations. Parents are kept informed and involved throughout their child’s journey and offered supportive parent coaching. Three (3) parent coaching sessions at the beginning of our program, and three (3) parent coaching sessions towards the end of program to plan for the transition back home.

Learn more about our Parent Coach Jane Samuel, MA, CPC here.

10. Ongoing Communication for Your Wellness Adventure Journey

Communication is key. We provide weekly updates to parents, home therapists, and referral resources, ensuring everyone is well-informed about a student’s progress and challenges while participating in their wellness adventure. This open dialogue reinforces our commitment to the well-being of each student.

By Sharon Laney

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Our Team

Meet Sharon | Wellness Gap Year Operations Director

Meet Sharon Therapeutic Gap Year Operations Director

Sharon has 30 years of experience in building and launching therapeutic programs for adolescents and young adults; guaranteeing excellence and the highest standards in the industry. As a nationally recognised expert in residential, therapeutic, mental health, and experiential programs, Sharon is dedicated to helping students get what they need, when they need it, with the absolute best care.

Austin Rogers

Operations Powerhouse

Sharon Laney is an operations powerhouse. She’s worked with 26 programs in 11 states during her career, always staying close to her core mission of keeping students at the heart of every program; a perfect fit for our new wellness gap year model.

EXPLORE OUR MODEL

That drive and determination grew from firsthand experience, not just in her work, but in her personal life. As an aunt, Sharon experienced watching her nephew struggle, and the transformative effects therapeutic gap year adventure programming can have.

At the beginning of my career, I ran a family court system and got tired of seeing kids getting locked up and coming out worse rather than better. I’m continually impressed with seeing the change in students that therapeutic gap year adventure programming helps to facilitate. Programming like Rooted Life Adventures is the future of our industry.

Sharon Laney

Industry Leader

Now, a nationally known industry expert who has been actively involved in all aspects of programming, Sharon’s list of past positions held speaks to her passion and knowledge she brings to the industry.

For over 20 years, Sharon was COO of a large mental health/ therapeutic company serving youth in wilderness, residential, therapeutic boarding and transitional settings. She has also demonstrated effective leadership on a national level as the Vice President and President of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP).

Throughout all of her work experiences, Sharon has always kept her love for helping families – and a firm advocacy for ethical, effective treatment strategies – as priorities in her work. She received NATSAP’s Leadership Award in 2010.

What is a Wellness Gap Year?

Rooted Life Adventures is the perfect hybrid programming option for today’s student. This therapeutic gap year model has adventure, without being too “hardcore”, and therapeutic support – without being too clinical – to enable on-the-spot interventions in a timely manner. It’s an ideal program for individuals who would benefit from an adventure program with mental health support, or have completed treatment and are looking for a stepping stone with more opportunity for independence while in a supported and sober environment.

EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMS

Sharon is also a trained auditor with a national accreditation organization and has conducted various trainings at national conference related to the child care/mental health industry. Previous program involvement includes Auldern Academy, Three Springs, Lakehouse Academy, and Sedona Sky Academy.  Sharon will ensure excellence and the highest standards in Rooted Life Adventures’ new therapeutic gap year programming.

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Our Team

Meet Christy | Mental Health + Wellness Director

Christy is an exceptionally passionate advocate for the transformative abilities of adventure therapy in improving individual and collective well-being of adolescents and young adults. She came highly recommended from Dr. Maurie Lung, a legend in the adventure therapy and experiential education world.

Austin Rogers

Christy joins Rooted Life Adventures as our Mental Health and Wellness Director. Her background comes stacked with firsthand experience working with children and families as a social worker for almost 20 years. She is trained in Child Development and Mental Health, working with children as young as 8, to emerging adults around age 25. Christy has been running New Adventures, her own adventure therapy counseling center, for 5 years.

I use a client-centered approach to my work with folks, as no one knows you better than you know yourself. My hope is to help you see your strengths, and to thrive in them. 

Christy Brock

As our clinical support leader at HQ, you’ll first meet Christy when going through our application process. Her insight will ensure the integrity of our program is upheld, and every student accepted is a fit for our group dynamics. Christy will also support Elise – our field wellness director – while on program, and you may see her on location from time-to-time.

EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMS

Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist

As an Association of Experiential Education (AEE) Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist (CCAT), Christy has received specialized training in adventure therapy and been recognized for her knowledge, skills, competencies and experience. She is currently serving as the Vice Chair for the Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group, a subgroup of The Association for Experiential Education.

The practice of Adventure Therapy is the prescriptive use of adventure experiences provided by mental health professionals, often conducted in natural settings, that kinesthetically engage individuals, families and groups on cognitive, affective, and behavioral levels (Gass, et al, 2020).

Independently Licensed Social Worker

Christy is an Independently Licensed Social Worker, with a supervision designation, from the state of Ohio. She received her Master’s Degree in Social Work specializing in Children and Families, from The University of Cincinnati, in 2008. Christy also spent two years at Capital University, in Bexley, Ohio, earning her Bachelor of Social Work Degree in 2006.

In her spare time Christy loves indulging in the therapeutic effects the simple pleasures in life hold. You’ll find her sitting around a campfire, swinging in a hammock, hiking, playing board games, reading a book, or stargazing with her family and friends.