Spare Krab provision, supervision, and training

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Taking Talking Therapy Outdoors

This work does not necessarily involve remote adventure and specialised equipment. Sometimes this work happens in lowland areas, gentle hills, forests, beaches, places of historical interest, and indoor climbing walls: just the right amount of adventure chosen by clients. Adults, young people, and children are welcome though there might be restrictions on what is available, adventure-wise, for under 18s.

Working with clients’ own best interests to bring about significant change they want for themselves.
1 to 1, Parent and Child, or very small groups.
Improved physical and mental wellbeing, improved self-efficacy and agency.
Day-long sessions or 2 to 5-day wild-country expeditions for those who would benefit from being away from everyday distractions.
Short ‘walk and talk’ sessions available (up to 4 hours).
Book a session when you need to.
Minimum number of sessions to bring about useful change, and not one more.
For longer pieces of work initial sessions tend to be an introductory walk and talk, then adventures are optional (underground, mountain, river, lake, forest), as is how much adventure. Slow adventure is good.

About this provision

Often people are closer to a solution than they imagine and this is for anyone wanting to work towards improving their situation and to move towards a better future.

Conversations are Solution Focused with some use of natural mindfulness: we will explore building on your own strengths and the exceptions to whatever brings you to therapy. We will explore how you would gather evidence of your capacity to change, and how you would recognise the difference you want when it happens. Such conversations can be very empowering and can bring about a difference with only a small number of sessions.

Referrals
Referrals are considered on a case-by-case basis through an initial free meeting. This can be in person or via a video app with confirmation and ‘joining instructions’ arranged by email. Self-referrals and referrals through other agencies are welcome.

Adventure Therapy Practitioner Supervision and Consultancy

Supervision is an important part of any therapeutic practice. Outdoor and Adventure Therapy is no different and this speciality can make extra demands on practitioners, for example, the complexity of adventure, wilderness, and therapy can impact on professional boundaries in ways that contrast strongly with working in a consulting room.

Supervision helps practitioners examine their own ways of working, making sure that their practice stays ethical, that therapeutic work is always done in their clients’ best interests, that everyone stays safe, and identifies where extra training would be useful. Most importantly supervision helps practitioners stay ahead of developments, gives a safe place to unload and reflect, and helps prevent burnout.

We can meet in person, over a video link, or go out on a mini-adventure: whatever works best for you.

NCPS accredited, Level 7 qualified supervisor.
Adventure Therapy and Outdoor Learning specialist.
Therapeutic and adventure practice included in supervision.
Pre- and post-expedition check-in.
Over 35 years’ experience as a practitioner.
Working to published models of supervision practice.
Experienced supervisor, working with students of counselling, and various organisations offering therapeutic practice outdoors, as well as practitioners working in traditional indoor settings.

Consultancy – Assistance with design, effectiveness, and implementation of provision, specialised practitioner training, ongoing support for provider organisations and practitioners.

Supporting Young People Through Adventure Therapy

This has been the major part of my work for well over 3 decades, working mostly with schools and various divisions of Children’s Services. This work does not necessarily involve remote adventure and specialised equipment. Sometimes this work happens in lowland areas, gentle hills, forests, beaches, places of historical interest, and indoor climbing walls. Adventure activities for under 18-year-olds that are within scope of the AALA licensing regulations are not currently directly available from Spare Krab. Commissioning agencies would need to be licensed, a school directly employing Stephan, or under 18s would need to be accompanied by a parent. If there is sufficient volume of work under this heading I would need to employ additional staff and reapply for an AALA License, such is possible so do ask.

Working outdoors leads to increased trust, confidence, and sense of self. As our working alliance improves, engagement increases and with that the probability of good outcomes. These are the common factors of useful therapy.
Often part of alternative education provision (Stephan has a PGCE in Secondary Science with many years SEN experience).
Highly student-focused: increased engagement, attendance, and achievement in education.
Trauma-informed, human rights based practice dignifying clients’ experiences, and with genuine opportunities to refuse and be respected. There is no coercive practice at Spare Krab.
Improved physical and mental wellbeing, and ability to self-empower and self-regulate for positive change.
Sessions are one whole school day per week per pupil for as few sessions as are necessary.
Flexible time-tabling of sessions.
Very small groups of two, or one individual where a high therapeutic input is required.
Day-long sessions, or 2 to 5-day expeditions for small groups who would benefit from being away from everyday distractions.
Another instructor, or an adult assistant might be required for some activities.

Spare Krab supports young people who are experiencing challenging times. This is done through the diligent integration of experiential learning outdoors, talking therapy, and adventure activities. With this powerful combination we can build trust, resilience, self-efficacy, physical and mental well-being, and pro-social skills.

Through meaningful conversations, and by encouraging young peoples’ innate curiosity, learning and reflection become meaningful and relevant. We expect to see confidence to achieve increase along with increasing engagement.

Values

Education is a vital investment to make in everyone’s life, and by working to help young people achieve their best, regardless of prior attainment and experience, it is possible to make a significant difference: changing attitudes to learning, knowledge, education and skills, building resilience, building commitment and confidence, and becoming more reflective makes a huge difference to building vital character and social capital.

Referrals

Referrals are considered on a case-by-case basis through an initial free conversation. This can be in person or via a video link, with confirmation and ‘joining instructions’ arranged by email. Self-referrals and referrals through other agencies are welcome.

Applied Adventure Therapy: Practitioner Training

Applied Adventure Therapy is about the pragmatic application of theory and practice to building well informed, ethical, helpful, Adventure Therapy provision. This training is aimed at those planning to get deeper into the field and want to develop their mastery in a diverse field. It is designed to help aspirant practitioners develop a sustainable practice as a skilled helper. The courses listed below are sometimes advertised for specific dates, though in practice small numbers result in maximum flexibility in arranging dates, times, and whether the training is in-person, online, or hybrid.

Applied Adventure Therapy: The keys to Adventure Therapy (4 days), including pedagogy, philosophy, ethics, counselling skills, choosing therapeutic modalities, technical adventure competencies, adventure leadership, managing therapeutic alliances, aspects of business administration, continuing professional development, supervision, self-care and avoidance of burnout.

Masterclass and refresher workshops for practitioner CPD.

Introduction to Solution-Focused Practice – The essentials in a one-day workshop, which at the time of writing, has already been delivered to over 300 practitioners.

Two-day SF Practice Outdoors immersive workshop. One day on theory and practice, and one day out in the field with an activity of your choice. This is the most popular course.

Solution-Focused Practice Outdoors – Level 3 Certificate. A double accredited course (142 hours) in association with solutionfocused.training. The Certificate in SF Practice Outdoors is the first of its kind and a valid qualification in Solution-Focused practice.

Bespoke training for aspirant practitioners and centre staff.

Adventure and outdoor skills training such as navigation, rope skills, expedition skills, introductory experience in river skills, caving, mountain walking, and rock climbing.

BCA Cave and Mine Leader training and assessments are the only NGB awards I am offering currently.

Availability

Courses are held in the UK or internationally by arrangement. I’ve trained in person in Éire, Latvia, and France; online with practitioners in Canada, USA, Australia, China, Malaya, and South Africa.

I occasionally publish dates for courses on social media @sparekrab and on LinkedIn though in practice much of my training is 1 to 1 and happens on demand. For other opportunities and details of upcoming courses enquire by email to sparekrab@icloud.com and we can meet online to discuss what training you are looking for and whether I am the best person to help.

About Spare Krab

Spare Krab is the trading name of Dr Stephan Natynczuk, PGCE, experiential educator, outdoor-learning and Adventure Therapy specialist, accredited counsellor and supervisor, Leading Practitioner for the Institute of Outdoor Learning, Solution Focused practitioner and trainer, Hon. Senior Lecturer at the University of Worcester.
Office: 01905 798222
Mobile: 07810645222
email: sparekrab@icloud.com

Stephan – Your Specialist

I started my formal career in outdoor-learning and Adventure Therapy in 1988 when I was rapidly immersed in experiential education while working as a post-doctoral ‘Scientist-in-Residence’. I went on to formally train as an adventure sports leader, instructor, and coach, science teacher and counsellor while working with young people in crisis. I have long been interested in the development of Adventure Therapy and completed my MBA researching how AT practitioners construct their own sense of professionalism. I have enjoyed being an international speaker on Adventure Therapy in the USA, Europe, and Australia, and helping pioneer the use of Solution Focused practice and leadership models in Adventure Therapy. My practice model helps to optimise the therapeutic qualities of adventure and wilderness experiences, and ensures I work within defined parameters to professional standards of good practice, always with my clients’ best interests as a priority.

I am DBS checked, and regularly supervised, mostly by Dr Elspeth Schwenk, a BACP Snr. Accredited Counsellor, Supervisor and Fellow, experienced in taking talking therapy outside.

You can read about my thinking in my work outdoors here, my leadership here, professionalism here, and supervision here.