Research at the core of Space to Be
The programme combines elements of Outdoor Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the DNA-V model which uses positive psychology.
Outdoor Therapy
You may have heard of the term ‘outdoor therapy’ before. That’s because it encompasses a wide range of approaches to therapy in the outdoors including walking and talking therapy, horticulture or animal assisted therapy as well as adventure based and wilderness therapy.
Our Space to Be programme actively uses the outdoors and nature to bring psychological concepts, ideas and strategies to life. Nature is an active partner in helping us learn through role-play, metaphor and building relationships.
There is growing evidence that outdoor approaches result in many positive social, emotional, physical, physiological, and psychological outcomes and they have also been shown to reduce anxiety, stress, and symptoms of depression.
Our Space to Be programme aims to help you have fun and connect in the outdoors whilst also helping you to learn new skills. Skills that can be applied to help you manage difficult thoughts and feelings so that you can live the life that you want to and do things that matter to you.
For children and young people outdoor approaches have shown increases in self-esteem, self-efficacy and confidence, and positive emotions and skill development. Young people have also shown improvements in academic and cognitive performance, as well as improvements in social, behavioural and emotional functioning, and resilience.
Our Young Persons programme focusses on working with both carers and children/young people together with the aim of providing shared experiences and learning that can be taken beyond the sessions together.
In this way, you have the opportunity to connect outdoors together and you can both receive the benefits of the programme and help support each other in your day to day lives.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is a flexible therapeutic model applicable across the ages. It focuses on enhancing psychological flexibility and improving quality of life. It is well suited to a neuro-affirming and non pathologising stance and recognises that no two people are the same. ACT is open and curious and respects and appreciates difference.
ACT talks about workability which focusses us on:
Building a better life
Living by your chosen values
Being the person you want to be
Doing the things you want to do
ACT sees that we are all trying to manage the challenge of being human. As such, we can all benefit from support when we get stuck and lose contact with the present and where patterns of unhelpful behaviours mean we feel disconnected from our values.
ACT works with you to identify patterns of behaviour that are getting in the way.
It does this through promoting mindful attention, helping you develop skills in unhooking from thoughts, feelings, and memories and the practices of acceptance and values-based action.
Children/Young People
There is an increasing evidence base that demonstrates that ACT is an effective treatment for children across a range of presenting difficulties. ACT has been shown to result in sustained improvements in clinician, parent and self-reported measures of symptoms, quality of life outcomes and psychological flexibility.
ACT for anxiety has shown increases in quality of life, psychological flexibility, and reduction in anxiety symptoms,
Adults
ACT has been evaluated in many large research trials with a broad range of conditions. ACT has been found to be effective for anxiety, depression, substance use, pain, and transdiagnostic groups.
As such, it has been shown to be associated with improvements in mental health, overall functioning and Quality of Life.
It is suggested that its’ focus on acceptance, mindfulness, and committed action make it a versatile approach for improving psychological well-being.
DNA-V
The DNA-V is an evidence based model that uses ACT and positive psychology. It promotes living a values based life through helping people psychological flexibility. This is the skill of being able to respond flexibly to challenge to be able to persist in doing the things we care about and to change behaviour that is making life worse or keeping us stuck. It is designed to help people cope with challenges through developing their skills in a number of core areas so that they can reach their potential.
The DNA stand for different skills that when used together help us to respond flexibly to challenges. They are part of us and the social situation we live in. They can help us to build, and work towards our values.
Discoverer
The discover is that part of yourself that is about doing. It involves learning through trail and error.
You can’t learn how to ride a bike without your discoverer!
Noticer
The noticer is the part of yourself that connects to the senses. It is our ability to tune into our bodies and the world around us and listen/see/smell/touch and taste and feel what is happening.
Think about the feel of the sun on your face and that bigger breath of warm air you take in when you do.
Advisor
The advisor is like our inner voice. It’s the part of us that uses our previous knowledge and what we know about the world to guide us. It’s aim is to look out for danger and keep us safe.
It’s like our smartphone in that it contains lots of information on it but it does not always come up with the right search result.
Values
Our values are those things that are hand on heart meaningful and important to us.
They are not a goal or destination but rather a direction of travel. Our values can be our compass helping us hold course through troubled times to keep moving towards the things that matter.