Great Lakes Symposium

Integrating Adventure Activities with Group Therapy

Presented by Barney Straus, LCSW, CGP, FAGPA

This in-person workshop will explore ways that group therapists can use team-building challenges and problem-solving activities to help their groups work though issues such as building trust among group members, realizing role flexibility within the group, and zeroing in on personal treatment goals, that can be applied to any therapeutic population. The workshop will include a brief lecture covering the basics of Adventure-Based Counseling and an experiential progression of activities mixed with discussion. Participants will learn activities best suited to all phases of group development.

The team-building challenges will take place on a “low ropes course”, which means all physical activities take place low to the ground or on the ground. No athletic ability is required to participate and participating in any challenge that feels uncomfortable is not required.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:
* Identify three types of kinesthetic metaphors used in adventure-based counseling
* Select activities that align with specific treatment goals
* Gain an appreciation for the value of adventure-based counseling
* Activate several therapeutic factors of groups through using activities
* Sequence activities according to a logical progression.

Participants will have the opportunity to select from a variety of lunch options, which is included in the event.

This event offers participants an opportunity to learn through their own experience in a group. This type of work is experiential and may feel emotionally intense at times, which can be both exciting and thought-provoking.

Saturday, July 23, 2022

10:00 - 3:00 p.m. Central Time - Lunch is included

This in-person event will be held at:
Heller Nature Center
2821 Ridge Road
Highland Park, IL

4 CEUs available

There will be no on-site registration for this event; all registrations must be completed and paid for online prior to July 21, 2022.

Meet Our Speaker

Barney Straus, LCSW, CGP, FAGPA

Barney Straus is a psychotherapist in private practice in Chicago , IL, where he works with individuals and groups to treat people recovering from addictions and compulsive behaviors. He is also a part-time faculty member at Loyola University Chicago, School of Social Work, and Roosevelt University, Department of Psychology. Barney specializes in facilitating interactive games and challenges. He uses these activities in his teaching as well as in his clinical work.

Barney has presented numerous workshops on using adventure activities with therapeutic populations. He has presented at conferences sponsored by the Illinois Association of Student Assistance Professionals, The Illinois Group Psychotherapy Society, The American Group Psychotherapy Association, The Association for Experiential Education, and the TEAM conference, among others. He has developed a special adventure therapy program called Recovery Adventure Day, which is specifically designed to assist people in recovery from addiction.

Barney has had articles and book reviews published in the Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery and in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. The current workshop is based on the principles outlined in his book, Healing in Action: Adventure-Based Counseling available on Amazon

Hope to see you there!