Firekin Family Programme / Wilderness Therapeutic Interventions

WTI is an innovative approach uniting a range of tried and tested low-level therapeutic approaches alongside bushcraft and Forest School activities in a woodland setting. This could include shelter building, fire-lighting, tool work and woodland crafts purposefully integrated with work on self-awareness and self-esteem, developing emotional intelligence, confidence and wellbeing in a supportive, non-judgemental and mentoring environment.

Designed and run for many years in schools by eQeOutdoors, these interventions have had a huge impact on the participants. Link: https://www.eqeoutdoors.com

As far as we know, we are the only ones delivering this model with whole families, where we combine the proven therapeutic effects from eQe Outdoors with our own tried-and-tested whole family Forest School sessions to promote positive outcomes for all participants.
How will they benefit?:
There is no dictated outcome to the sessions.  Participants have control over the process to follow where they want it to take them. This enables family members to find their voice and decide what matters for them.  However, we believe that alongside professionally structured and guided discussion and reflection activities, integrated with low-level therapeutic approaches, group members will develop to be:
more self aware; 
more emotionally intelligent and with enhanced self esteem; 
with increased family resilience and improved relationships; 
ready to improve their lives now and also to realign their future expectations.

How do we know it works?
We talk to our participants and ask their views as well as carefully monitoring impact through relevant quantitative measures for example wemwbs or Stirling questionnaires, alongside detailed staff observations and reflections on participant engagement and wellbeing.

Who is this for? 
These sessions are for families who would like to spend some time outdoors together, deepening family ties and strengthening relationships while finding out more about themselves as individuals. It’s for families who have faced or are facing challenging times.  It’s for families who are supporting young people with transitions, choices and identity building.  For those on the pathway to neurodivergency diagnosis or considering this.  For those with questions about gender identity or sexuality.   It’s for families who wish they could change patterns set in place over generations.  And for those who are living with grief, pain, stress or trauma, whatever the causes.  It’s for anyone who thinks their family would benefit from slowing down the pace, putting down the devices and connecting over a campfire for a few hours a week.