ADVENTURE THERAPY FOUNDATION
Created to Minimize the
Emotional Side Effects of Cancer
One young mom’s cancer diagnosis began her journey to survive, not just from the disease, but also from the side effects of fear, isolation and broken identity. Adventure Therapy Foundation is her way to begin to help others minimize those side effects and get on with the healing and the living.
ADVENTURE THERAPY FOUNDATION
The History
Adventure Therapy Foundation began in the summer of 2018, a year after our founder Lauren, met a stranger in an airport who engaged her in conversation, listened to her journey through cancer and asked her, “What do you want to do with your story?” This question sent Lauren on a search through Yosemite to answer that, and she found the beginning of a dream. A dream to “Use adventure to help those impacted by cancer to escape the emotional “rut” that occurs after treatment.” Adventure Therapy Foundation was founded, and here we are years later, and hundreds of individuals dealing with a cancer diagnosis have been helped through the mine-field of emotions, into a place of healing and restoration.
FEAR
A stage four cancer diagnosis helps us identify two types of fear. There is a good fear, that heightens awareness and energizes emotions. Then there is bad fear, that creates isolation and rips away our sense of purpose. These two fears live in symbiotic relationship within us. One type of fear must destroy the other in order to thrive. We are able to overcome our natural/negative fears, the kind that stop me from moving forward in life, by empowering good fears which come from taking risk, walking in hope, and most importantly, stepping out in faith. Fear is one emotion that can stop you from living or propel you to live, at Adventure Therapy we work to minimize the negative fear and cultivate healthy fear.
ISOLATION
Isolation for individuals with cancer is one of the emotional side effects of the disease. They experience an abrupt change in their life after their diagnosis. One day, life is full of laughter and responsibilities. Plans are made for spring break and summer vacations are booked. Then, in what seems to be an impossible change of circumstances, everything is erased. A sudden halt. Uncertainty sets in as weeks turn into months and months roll on. Once a person feels isolated then fear grows and their identity is caught up in being a patient instead of a person. Our job at Adventure Therapy is to connect them to coaching and other people who are going through similar journeys, in community we are all stronger.
BROKEN IDENTITY
The problem with identity is that we create it for ourselves. We have a thought, agree with that thought and begin to act upon the thought. The thought grows into a philosophy and the philosophy becomes a way of life. For an individual who has been given a cancer diagnosis, your thoughts now swirl around cancer, causes, treatments, side effects, clinics, your identity is no longer your own, you will be labeled a cancer patient and eventually a cancer survivor, you will be forever known by your disease. At Adventure Therapy we help you remember who you were, and work towards the person whom you are becoming.
Lauren Huffmaster
Speaker – Writer – Cancer Survivor
“Cancer, for me, is not a valley darkened by the shadow of mountain-top experiences. Cancer is the calling of my life. It is through my brokenness that I hope to demonstrate love. I founded Adventure Therapy that I may have an outlet to serve others impacted by cancer. I know the pain cancer causes. My own experience motivates me to seek out solutions that may minimize the burden of cancer from the lives of others.” -Lauren
