ADVENTURE-BASED COUNSELING

As an Adventure-Based Counselor,  Rod Nadeau attempts to do most of his counseling in the adventure context including mountain climbing, sea kayaking, snowshoeing, nordic skiing, cycling, rock climbing, rafting, whitewater kayaking, winter camping, ice skating, and alpine skiing.While at school Rod wears many different hats providing academic, career, and personal counseling, as well as liaison to help students and families get connected with community resources.

Counseling objective:  The overarching goal of the work is to help students improve their well-being and to facilitate a transition back into the mainstream of the public school system by helping students improve their academic performance.

How it's done:  Rod tailors counseling to match the needs of each student.  Typically, he works with students individually on a biweekly basis and at other times as needed.  He invites and challenges students to examine the academic, behavioral, social, and emotional issues needed to improve their overall well-being. Counseling goals are addressed in many different ways including dialogue, expressive arts, and various therapy modalities including reality, rational-emotive, solution-oriented, larger systems, brief, cognitive developmental framework, and narrative therapy.  Rod also uses "Adolescent Therapeutic Recreation" (ping pong, darts, cycling, hiking, & cribbage) as a means of engaging students in dialogue.

Group Work happens in conjunction with the Adventure-Based Anger Management, Smoking Cessation, and Asthma Management programs.  Group Work is also a by-product of the Adventure Program as groups of students embark on Mountain Climbing and Sea Kayaking adventures ranging from day trips to seven day expeditions.

Guidance work:  Rod helps students explore their academic and career possibilities and coordinates the application process to vocational programs.  For those students who aspire to go on to post-secondary education, he helps them explore and prepare for college admission requirements.

Other Services:  Students are also supported through: (1) mediation to address interpersonal conflicts, (2) helping them voice their goals, needs,