Our relationships, our connections to other individuals, often serve as a reflection of ourselves. Those individuals that we spend the most time with have a significant impact on our own life philosophies. When our relationships experience turmoil, so much of our life can be affected. Couples who chronically disagree began to develop communication patterns that trap them into critical thinking rhythms. The cycle, although exhausting, becomes difficult to stop. Power struggles, poor communication, mismatched love languages are all examples of obstacles that plague relationships. The traditional therapy model would utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Structural Family Therapy (SFT) all while exploring relationship dynamics within four walls. Adventure Therapy creates opportunities for clients to take therapy to the next level by shifting from a cognitive approach to an experiential approach.
Couples will shift from merely discussing trust to actually demonstrating trust and will be challenged to explore any hesitancies that arise during a trust exercise. Google any relationship blog and you find a plethora of information related to healthy communication within a relationship. During adventure therapy excursions, communication is KEY. There is a significant amount of emphasis placed on the importance of communication prior to and during all therapy exercises. The way you communicate with your partner, your tone, your word choice, your communication triggers, and the way you communication your feelings are all examples of how communication is assessed during adventure therapy.
Furthermore, couples being active together, whether through kayaking or hiking, are developing a unique rhythms that allows them to feel more connected. The further you get from distractions, the easier it is to focus primarily on each other and your relationship. Partner exercises, such as kayaking, creates an instinctual increased awareness of your partner. This is happening on a subconscious level, yet continues to contribute to strengthening your bond your communication methods.
During EPIC Couple’s retreat we utilize these partner exercises to help explore the relationship dynamics. Facilitators create opportunities for partner to work on conflict resolution, improve communication, and simply just deepen their connection through shared experiences. After all, that is what we as individuals all crave, deeper connections.