I was interviewed on ABC Radio.

Tasmanian adventure therapy leading the nation.

On Your Afternoon with Helen Shield.

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Helping in the kitchen at the Tasmanian Men’s Gathering.

Nick Hall is devoted to Bush Adventure Therapy and “what’s so brilliant about it.”

Now his expertise has been called on in NSW, with an invitation for the Tasmanian Men’s Gathering team to run the Sydney National Men’s Gathering in Katoomba.

The oversight body for Nick’s line of work, the Australian Association for Bush Adventure Therapy Inc., defines the technique as ‘combining adventure and outdoor environments with the intention to achieve therapeutic outcomes for those involved,’ and while in his private practice Nick sees clients of all genders, he believes in the Men’s Gathering retreat model as well.

“When you get gender specific, it changes how that conversation takes place,” Nick explains.

“Things happen they probably wouldn’t talk about…it’s not about the whole world being split into genders or any of that sort of stuff.”

Listen above to what Nick has facilitated (and who showed up thinking it was something quite different), and why the Tasmanian model is being sought after further afield.

Broadcast: 
Click on this link to listen to my interview: Duration: 13min 4sec

 http://www.abc.net.au/radio/hobart/programs/your-afternoon/mens-gathering/9907672

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On the way to the Sydney National Men’s Gathering.

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Walking and talking near Hobart.

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We can walk and talk on the beach.

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Adventure trip with young adults.

To talk about counselling/therapy options, and to make an appointment, please call me.

Nick Hall – 0459413198 – 9am to 5pm – Monday to Wednesday.

(You could send me a text message at other times)

Just come once if you want, to see if you like it, or to talk through whatever is on your mind at the moment.

First session is $60.00 (Ongoing or followup sessions are $120.00). Sessions are 1 hour to 1.5 hours so good value for your health dollar.

Hobart, Tasmania.

Counsellor Hobart Tasmania. Counselling Hobart Tasmania. Psychotherapist Hobart Tasmania. Psychotherapy Hobart Tasmania. Therapist Hobart Tasmania. Counselling outdoors. Bush Adventure Therapy. Somatic Psychotherapy. Psychology. Nature Contact. Life skills. Coaching. Walk and Talk. Psychodynamic. Mindfulness. NDIS.

Feeling Sad in Winter?

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I am a therapist who primarily values my clients lived experience as the basis for how they make sense of their world. This is a foundation idea in adventure therapy, person-centred counselling, and somatic psychotherapy (body centred therapy). These are the main informers of my approach. I am writing this first up because I am now going to mention a disorder that appears in the DSM5.

What is the DSM5??  It’s the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.  This is the classification and diagnostic tool published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), for mental health presentations that the publishers think fit into an identifiable disorder. In the United States, and Australia, the DSM serves as the principal authority for psychiatric diagnoses. It is used by psychiatrists and psychologists, and referred to by other mental health practitioners. Treatment recommendations (as well as payment by health care providers) are often determined by DSM classifications.

What do I like about the DSM5? It contains sound researched information respected by peers. It is therefore a very useful tool.

What don’t I like about the DSM5? It can be accepted as a bible and therefore narrow and blinker thinking. It suggests that mental health and healthy relationships are a technical scientific matter, rather than a personal, uniquely individual and spiritual matter. It tends to produce labels which can create stigma and reduce ones self reliance and therefore self esteem.

So what’s this got to do with feeling sad in winter?

SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, that’s what.

The name seasonal affective disorder refers to a type of depression which, in its most common form, strikes only in the autumn and winter months. Once spring and summer come along, those affected feel perfectly well and normal (There is a less common form where depression only occurs in the summer months).

Someone who may be affected by these winter time blues might be tired and lacking motivation and/or energy, feel anxious and irritable, have trouble getting out of bed in the morning and find they are eating more.

Check these links for more detail:

http://www.mydr.com.au/mental-health/seasonal-affective-disorder

http://www.mydr.com.au/mental-health/seasonal-affective-disorder

How can I help if someone comes to me feeling seasonally down?

Getting moving, having somewhere to go, being outdoors, most likely in the sunshine in Tasmania (over 80% of my walk and talk sessions have been in bright sunshine, year round), having someone who has an understanding of how you are feeling and what might work to remedy, having some personal time focussed on a solution, all of these things are evidenced to help move out of the depressed affect.

A regular personal walk mixed with a fortnightly professional walk and talk session through the time a client is affected is one approach I recommend. This is something I can support and provide.

Sunny days are better but do not necessarily wait for a sunny day, perhaps do it anyway.

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To talk about counselling/therapy options, and to make an appointment, please call me.

Nick Hall – 0459413198 – 9am to 5pm – Monday to Wednesday.

(You could send me a text message at other times)

Hobart, Tasmania.

Counsellor Hobart Tasmania. Counselling Hobart Tasmania. Psychotherapist Hobart Tasmania. Psychotherapy Hobart Tasmania. Therapist Hobart Tasmania. Counselling outdoors. Bush Adventure Therapy. Somatic Psychotherapy. Psychology. Nature Contact. Life skills. Coaching. Walk and Talk. Psychodynamic. Mindfulness. NDIS.