There are many different types of therapy.
Some benefit from outpatient counseling, typically sitting across from a therapist in an office setting, or in a group therapy session, on a weekly or monthly basis.
A higher tiered therapy may be more intensive, meeting three to five times per week. Even more intensive would mean inpatient or residential treatment and that, according to Rob Kern, licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with The Cabin Counseling and Resource Center Inc. in Boone County, is where adventure therapy was born.
“Often times, teens or young adults enter into this comprehensive treatment around the clock and they do things like horseback riding, kayaking and rock climbing and it serves as the hook for teens to break the ice and settle into treatment,” Kern said.
As Kern earned his degree and was exposed to the different areas of treatment, his dream and vision began to form.
Why not offer adventure therapy in the first level of treatment? The day-to-day?
In what is still considered a growing field in the industry, Kern worked with The Cabin staff, their legal team and others to create a new kind of therapy treatment, drafting documents and implementing best practices.
Leaving the office equals additional risk. General safety risk, but also confidentiality. There is the potential that client and therapist could run into someone they know. The decision to try adventure therapy is solely in the hands of the patient, however, the payoff can be far greater than the risks.
“There’s a growing body of research that says interacting with nature is radically beneficial,” Kern said. “My suspicion would be, if you were to poll counselors across the country, you’d find high amounts of people doing something that I would deem adventure therapy – they’re just not calling it that.”
Adventure therapy can include something as simple as taking a walk in the park, but it can also include fly fishing or mountain biking.
“There’s a different restoration when engaged with nature,” Kern said. “We don’t always have to engage in talk therapy. If you want to talk, great, but if you don’t want to, that’s fine too. It’s not for everyone, but many find it empowering.”
At The Cabin, Kern and other staff members currently offer walking in the park, hiking, kayaking, fly fishing, mountain biking and virtual reality gaming.
The client can decide on a whim if they want to try one of those options.
Moving Water Outfitters and Kern Bros. Shoes have both donated gear, making it easy for the counselor and client to grab their fishing gear or kayak and go.
Kern anticipates options expanding and wants to stay on the cutting edge of outpatient services. He’s even starting a monthly program for men who are survivors or currently diagnosed with cancer.
“There are a couple of programs … Reel Recovery works with men with cancer and Casting for Recovery works with women with cancer,” he said. “Since 2021, I’ve been involved with their organization and I’m now a facilitator for them. I’m utilizing my experience and will launch an ongoing support group for men with cancer in October. It’ll be an open group and men are welcome at any stage of cancer, even if they’ve been in remission for 20 years.”
On the second Friday of each month, Kern will plan a three-hour meeting – one hour for conversation and two hours for fly fishing. The location will likely rotate between Lebanon and Zionsville. More information will be posted on The Cabin’s Facebook page and website as the program launches.
For more information about The Cabin Counseling and Resource Center Inc. or Rob Kern and adventure therapy, visit the website at https://www.thecabin.org.
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