Words From The Woods
Issue 1  |  March 2015 
In This Issue
  The Use of Therapy Dogs with Autistic Children

The use of specially trained dogs to facilitate social interaction with children with autism has existed for almost 50 years. There is an increasing body of literature to demonstrate how dogs can increase the social interactions of autistic children, and also benefit their families too. Data may date back to the 1700's.   

 

In a study by Solomon (2010), she discusses the anthropological and sociocultural perspectives of how dogs influence behavior. She found that therapy using service and therapy dogs benefits children with autism by affecting their typical interactive habits and helping them to become more adaptive.  Of importance is that interaction with dogs shifts the focus away from the idea that social interaction is not only established by talking but can be established through several types of social interaction (Silverstein, 2004). 

Read More

 

ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY....More

 

LIMBIC RESONANCE AND LOVE.... More 

History of Wolf Creek
autumn-foliage-road.jpg

The SUWS base camp has an adjacent location named Wolf Creek, given its history as a location where the land owner, Ray Barkley, once cared for wolves. Ray relayed that he bought his first Black Wolf cub in 1984. Given his passion for wilderness survival, he was attracted to learning about the psychology of wolf behavior, stating that for him, this animal embodies nature and the wild. He described the "spirit" of the wolf as independent and wise. Ray raised wolves for 20 years and kept a pack of wolves on the Wolf Creek land where it roamed on 5 acres and had a stocked fish pond to provide readily available food. There have not been any wolves at Wolf Creek since 2003. After working for about a year as a logistics coordinator at SUWS, Ray offered his land for a SUWS expansion. He built the Wolf Creek lodge specifically for SUWS. When speaking with Ray, one can easily tell he is a passionate, independent free spirit whose love of the wilderness continues to live at Wolf Creek lodge.

Teddy, SUWS Therapy Dog
Teddy came to his owner, Kevin Waller, SUWS therapist, from an animal rescue organization in the fall of 2012 when he was almost 2 years old. He was a rambunctious toddler with a stubborn streak and a love of all things squeaky. He spent the next couple years working toward his certification as a therapy dog through the American Kennel Club. Teddy is a hard working dog at SUWS. His daily duties include greeting every student in the groups.  During individual sessions or in groups, Waller takes time to introduce Teddy to his students. Teddy typically will lay nearby and is a sense of support for the child. Waller states, "It's a sense of comfort; the student gets positive attention, and is soothed in times of heightened emotion". If a child is going through grief and loss, for example, the child can pet him. It's as if their heartbeat and breathing link up. Waller points out that when he gets home, Teddy is very tired from all the interaction and excitement and from absorbing students emotions. Waller said, Teddy knows his job and it is not a burden, but at the end of the work day, "he (Teddy) wants his alone time".

 

Staff Tributes
A Fond Farewell

It is only with gratitude that SUWS of the Carolinas says goodbye to one of its prominent clinicians, Jesse Quam, LCSW, program director for the Seasons group. Jesse began working at SUWS of the Carolinas in May 2005, and was instrumental in the development of the Seasons program which addresses the needs of 10 to 13 year old students who demonstrate immature social skills, anger, anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues and attachment issues. His experience includes 20 years working with teenagers. He is a national speaker and  developed a college course regarding adventure therapy programs.  The unwavering commitment, patience and compassion that Jesse brought to SUWS will remain legendary as he has set a standard for those he has taught. The Executive Director of SUWS, Shawn Farrell, proclaims, "From the moment Jesse and I first met and trained together 18 years ago, he has been a friend, a guide, and someone I could always count on.  His tireless dedication to SUWS, the larger wilderness community, and to the families he has worked with will be greatly missed.   Thank you Jesse."

 

Many field staff, therapists and others who have worked with Jesse remember his effect on them:

 

"It has been a joy to work with Jesse Quam. He is an exemplary clinician and teacher as well as an advocate for the health of the students he works with in Seasons."  

 

"Jesse is an icon and legend in the wilderness therapy industry. His reputation is stellar for a reason, and the ripple effect of his work will continue to reach future instructors who have yet to experience their first glimmer of "trail magic".

 

"After working with him several  times as a field staff, it became obvious how dedicated he was not only to the families he worked with but to SUWS as a whole."

 

A Welcome Introduction

 

SUWS of the Carolinas is very happy to announce Justin Cantalini, MA, NCC, LPC-A as the new program therapist for the Seasons Program. Beginning as a field staff, he maintains one of the longest tenures in the Seasons program, spending much of his time with Jesse Quam helping to develop the program. He says that Jesse "was the original inspiration for me to become a therapist and always my biggest advocate." Also, "One of the biggest lessons I have learned from Jesse is the importance of intentional simplicity and slowing down in a world the often wants to rush towards complication."  

 

Justin attended Appalachian State University and obtained a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with a concentration in Marriage and Family. He has also obtained a post-graduate certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy and a graduate certificate in Addictions Counseling.

 

Justin believes that the Seasons program offers a unique opportunity for students and families to experience a powerful change and crucial early intervention. Given his values of creativity and intentionality, one of his primary goals is to help clients and their family's rewrite the story of their lives to one in which life is managed by solutions rather than problems.

 

Justin believes deeply in the inherent healing powers of the wilderness. He feels that the novel setting of the wilderness facilitates the falling away of old patterns of behavior and allows for more modalities of treatment than an office setting. His approach to therapeutic intervention is an integration of concrete skill building, processing groups, neurofeedback, psycho-education, expressive arts and milieu therapy (social feedback and equine therapy). These interventions draw on his skills with experiential, strategic, gestalt and expressive arts modalities. He is skilled at "layering" these modalities to support the process of growth rather than the end product.

 

Clinical specialties include working with adolescents with ADHD, depression, anxiety, life transitions and adjustment issues, relationship and social skills deficits, grief and loss issues, trauma issues, substance abuse and dependence, and the challenges of autism spectrum symptoms. Justin has experience working with families, individuals, and groups of diverse clientele.

 

In his personal time you will find Justin hiking and spending time outdoors. He is also an avid gardener, musician, writer, and clay artist.

 

Upcoming Educational Opportunities
Webinar: Addressing the Autistic Child;  Bringing Evidence Based Practice into the Wilderness
Friday March 13, 2015

Brandon Moffitt, LPC, Program Manager for the Approach Program at SUWS, will explore how to address the engrained patterns of an autistic child while validating their emotional and interpersonal needs.  He will speak about how several evidence based practices can be effective even in the wilderness.  
 

For more information and to register:

CLICK HERE


 
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Tuesday, March 31, Asheville, NC

Amy C. Hendricks, Coordinator for the North Carolina Fetal Alcohol Prevention Program, will present about  how alcohol exposure during pregnancy can affect the developing brain, how FASDs may present in individuals, the importance of preventing alcohol exposed pregnancies, and the need for interventions and lifelong support for individuals who have an FASD.

For more information and to register:

 

Southeast Conference on Autism: Dr. Jed Baker
Wednesday April 29, Asheville, NC
 

Join us for a full day with Dr. Jed Baker, author, international speaker and Director of the Social Skills Training Project.  In his presentation, All Kids Can Succeed, Dr. Baker will describe how to handle meltdowns, design behavior plans and will provide strategies to motivate students to learn and help them generalize these skills to natural settings.

 

For more information and to register:

CLICK HERE

 

SUWS Women's Group Presents Anna Levesque

The SUWS Women's group was formed in January 2015. The purpose of the group is to provide a space for female co-workers to learn from each other and offer mentorship in order to grow professionally and personally.  One of the main goals of the group is to help women develop confidence in their skills and become more self-assured when taking risks, stepping out of their comfort zone, and stepping into new positions and roles at SUWS.

 

On Thursday March 5th, the Women's Group hosted a presentation by Anna Levesque. The topic of Anna's presentation was "Improving Cross Gender Communications in High Risk Situations". Anna spoke about the differences in men and women's brains and bodies and how they affect communication. One interesting factor she spoke of was how, in high risk situations, men typically have a "fight or flight" response, while women take a "tend and befriend" approach. This may cause misunderstanding when dealing with a crisis as men jump in to take care of the crisis directly, but women are more likely to take more time to process the situation, being biologically prone to care for the needs of others around them. She stressed the importance of communication between men and women to effectively honor their differences and reach goals. Anna provided many personal stories and kept the audience engaged. She is a world class paddler and the founder of Girls at Play, an organization that provides an empowering experience for women engaging in whitewater kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and yoga programs.

 

For more information about Girls at Play

CLICK HERE

 

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SUWS of the Carolinas is a therapeutic wilderness program in Old Fort, NC. It is an integrated strengths based program that addresses the biological, psychological and social needs of adolescents with mental health, substance abuse and behavioral challenges.  Learn More