Richard Hall is a member of the Marazion Quaker Meeting and he recently gifted our library a copy of his inspiring account of a remarkable new venture in psychotherapeutic practice which he pioneered so successfully he was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM). Over a period of a decade and more, Richard employed his skills as a sailor and psychotherapist to help small groups of recovering addicts to develop their own self-esteem and resilience through learning how to sail, aboard his boat and under his supervision in a programmed period of several days. For Richard, the essence of being at sea was that everyone on board was immersed in being in nature, in the natural world - and therefore within its healing power. His book is a cry from the heart - so many forces are at work in the modern world that alienate us from nature, from what makes us whole. Here, at sea, wounded souls could mend and recover.
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| Richard Hall's account of his own life and recovery from addictions - and his development of marine-based adventure psychotherapy. |
The success of Richard's approach is vividly represented in the pages of the book which relate scores of feedback responses from participants who experienced these days and nights at sea. As Sue Parker Hall, his partner at the time, says in the Foreword:
'What Richard doesn't mention are the occasions that he would receive... some time later... a postcard or an email thanking him again for all his help and telling him that their experience with him had literally saved their life.'
Richard explains his insight and practice here:
'The essence of adventure therapy... is making this connection with nature and tuning in and adapting to what we have been given and making this work for us, to help in our growth. This is not something you
