Adventure Therapy Lab

University of Arkansas students atop of Little Mount Peel in Aotearoa/New Zealand.University of Arkansas students pose for a group selfie on top of Little Mount Peel in Aotearoa/New Zealand during their 2024 Study Abroad program. Photo by Savannah Endsley.

The Adventure Therapy Lab at the University of Arkansas exists to join faculty and students together to conduct research and provide service in the area of Adventure Therapy.

The lab produces research and publications related to Adventure Therapy in mental health as well as school settings. It provides workshops, trainings and supervised experiences to promote Adventure Therapy and prepare mental health professionals to work with at-risk populations at various developmental levels.

The lab supports the vision and goals of the Counselor Education and Supervision program, the College of Education and Health Professions and the U of A by promoting research in a unique and growing field as well as attracting students from around the state, nation and globe eager to be trained in adventure therapy.

David D. Christian, Ph.D., associate professor of Counselor Education, is the Adventure Therapy Lab's founder and current director. For more information about the lab, contact Assistant Director David Arcana, darcana@uark.edu.

Upcoming Events

The Adventure Therapy Lab will return to Aotearoa/New Zealand in May 2026 for the Adventure Therapy and Leadership study abroad program. Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand.

Overview of the May 2026 trip

Study Abroad Program for ATL

The Adventure Therapy and Leadership Study Abroad program provides students with the opportunity to explore the interrelated and reciprocal nature of leisure, recreation, and mental health in this unusual island nation.

Recently ...

Dean Kate Mamiseishvili, attending some classes to see them through students' eyes, learns about Adventure Therapy from Alexis Thomason, a master's student in Counselor Education and Supervision in November 2025.

Recent Events

  1. November 2025 — Adventure Therapy Lab's Director David Christian, Assistant Director David Arcana and program alumni Danny McCarty, Ph.D. and assistant professor of counseling at the University of South Alabama, delivered two presentations at the Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group Conference in Pittsburgh.
  2. August 2025 — Back to School Adventure Day for the staff of Fairview Elementary School in Rogers.
  3. May 2025 — Adventure Therapy Lab members facilitate adventure experience for participants in the Research Experience for Undergraduates program.
  4. May 2025 — Introduction to Adventure Therapy.
  5. Spring 2025 — Lab Director David Christian co-instructed Nature and U, a Dean's Seminar with Michael Hoover, Ed.D., of the Outdoor Leadership Program.

Recent Publications

  • Christian, D. D., Brown, C. L., McCarty, D. L., Bellegarde, N. S., & Miller, B. (2025). Promoting Social-Emotional Learning Through Adventure Therapy Groups: A Pilot Study. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling 11(3), 139-158. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2025.2485857
  • Brown, C. L., Christian, D. D., McMillion, P. L. R., & McLain, J. R. (2025). Navigating adventure therapy: Using Existential theory as a guide. Journal of Humanistic Counseling. https://doi.org/10.1002/johc.12240
  • Bellegarde, N., Chintakunta, S. V., Christian, D. D., & Pemu, M. M. (2024). Adventure Therapy to Mitigate the Harmful Effects of ACEs with Lower-SES Adolescents. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2024.2415939
  • Brown, C. L., Christian, D. D., Reese, R. F., & Bellegarde, N. S. (2023). Using the AT-EcoWellness Framework to Increase the Intentional Use of Nature in Adventure Therapy. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 48(3), 229-247. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2023.2190780

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