It’s Your Adventure, Not Mine: Shifting our Lens on Facilitated Adventure

Closing this year’s Outdoor Therapy Series for Social Sciences Week is an interactive presentation with Doug Moczynski from Gippsland Adventure Therapy and Dr Will Dobud from Charles Sturt University. Doug will present how he learned to reframe his adventure therapy practice to focus solely client experiences. His practice has just three rules: to make therapeutic services Fun, Safe, and Useful. To do this, he must focus on his client’s adventures. Dr Dobud will close the week of international presentations.

Doug Moczynski

Hi I’m Doug, I started Gippsland Adventure Therapy because I have a burning passion for helping people access the outdoors and nature for increased mental health and wellbeing. I love sharing experiences with others, I’m at my best when I’m engaged in something outdoors and can see the joy in peoples faces when they feel safe to try something new and challenging. I’ve been working in the outdoor industry since 2003 where I’ve had many roles spanning everything from camp counsellor in the USA to English teaching in China to snow skiing instructor and commercial outdoor adventure guide. Over the past decade I’ve committed myself to working with youth in the out of home care sector where I’ve worked with children dealing with the challenges of developmental trauma. I have completed a Graduate Certificate in developmental trauma, as well as a diploma in community service work and outdoor recreation. I’m planning on working through a diploma of counselling just to round things off nicely. No adventure is too small, my priority is making it accessible to peoples level of comfort. When I’m not running my business I’m out with my family connecting with the beauty of the outdoors in and around Gippsland.

Will Dobud

Will Dobud has worked predominately with adolescents in the private and public sector. Coming to Australia from the United States in 2009, Will built True North Expeditions, a non-profit program in Adelaide, SA, providing adventure therapy experiences and social work services for adolescents from all over the country. In 2015, Will was awarded the Australian Postgraduate Award for research promise and conducted his PhD focusing on client experiences in outdoor therapy. Will’s ongoing research and publications focuses on participant experiences of care in a variety of settings and exploring what works to deliver more effective social work services. Will is particularly interested in Feedback-Informed Treatment, the Outdoor Therapies, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy – basically asking the questions, how can we get routinely better at delivering better outcomes for those who seek our counsel.