Philosophy of Bouldering - The Project

One of the experiences that Aspiro provides year-round for its participants is the sport of bouldering.

Bouldering is a form of rock climbing where the athlete climbs only as high as it is safe to fall, but does not use a rope. Instead, guides and peers use gymnastic ‘spotting’ techniques and specially-designed ‘crash pads’ to keep the athletes safe. Boulderers typically climb on boulders instead of cliffs, eliminating the risk of rock fall from above, and adding the reward of being able to stand on top of the ‘conquered’ climb and rest.

Routes that boulderers climb are called ‘problems’ and usually consist of only a few (usually 6-12) moves that are much more challenging than typical rock climbing, and often much more gymnastic. Bouldering can be at once frustrating and engaging, overwhelming and peaceful, painful and comforting, social and individual.

The glory of bouldering is that the greatest experiences are intimately related to the worst experiences.

The highs depend on the lows. In bouldering, a successful climb is simply not rewarding unless it is a successful climb that was fought for. The more difficult a problem is for a boulderer, the more she must fight for the climb, and the more she fights for the climb, the greater the thrill when she stands on top of the boulder, basking in the overwhelming sensations of victory. Of course to achieve this reward, she must outlast a wilderness of despair, as she second-guesses and doubts her strength at every fall, fall after fall.

The blessing and the curse of such a sport, is that no problem is impossible, but nearly every problem is improbable. At Aspiro, we seek to engage every staff and student in the ‘Project Experience’. Boulderers of all levels, when they arrive at a new area, use guidebooks, ratings, and word of mouth to find the problems that seem most appropriate for their skill level. Much of their time is spent familiarizing themselves with the style of climbing in the area, and the relative scale of difficulty ratings. In every case, however, what the climber is really seeking is “The Project”.

The Project is the one climb that he cannot climb the first day, the first week, or even the first month. When he feels the first holds, he believes it is impossible. Yet there is a beauty to this problem- it calls out to him and invites him in. At first he tries it and it confirms to him that he will need to return another time, 3 years maybe, 5 years maybe, to climb it. It confirms to him that he is simply not strong enough, determined enough, or resilient enough to attempt it yet. Maybe later.

As he climbs other problems around it, he successfully completes the easier problems in 1, 2 or even 5 tries.

It feels good, and he is proud of himself, but still the Project calls to him. Eventually he cannot ignore it and he gives it his first real attempt. Rejection!! Further confirmation that this climb is not possible for him, he is not good enough, not ready. He is conflicted inside, he does not want to experience rejection again, but he wants to climb the project. He throws himself at the project again, despite his conflicting feelings. A cycle of enthusiastic attempts and disheartening rejections follows until finally, the climber tries the first move, and it feels different… he understands it differently.

“If I only squeeze this muscle this way, balance on my toe this way, and throw my body skyward exactly this way… perhaps it is possible,” he thinks to himself.

And then success comes. He can do the first move. Thrilled over such an accomplishment, the climber invites her friends to come watch, throws herself at the project and the project dismisses her once again.

She is finally beginning to understand the curse of a sport that seemed so fun and so relaxing just an hour ago.

No matter how much effort she puts into the first move of a problem, and even when she finally figures it out and understands it, she must still climb that first move and put all the same energy into it every time she gets on the problem, if she ever wants a chance to climb the second move. It does not become suddenly easy because you succeeded once. Likewise, it does not become suddenly harder because you have failed once.

The rock is constant, we are the ones who change. To overcome the problem, we must not change the problem without- that is never enough. We must change the problem within. The cycles of overwhelming success and victory, and crushing defeat are very normal in the sport of bouldering. As professional boulderers exist in all sizes and shapes, one can guess that external strength, height, weight, age, or natural abilities do not determine a successful climber, or how much one falls in love with the sport. It seems obvious with even a little experience, that success is determined by strength of heart, not strength of arm. It is what is inside that counts. It is the climber’s ability to accept any failure as temporary, to accept failure as little more than a stepping stone to her goals that determines whether or not she will succeed. As guides at Aspiro, we strive to make this process happen at least once for every student, staff, and visitor in the field. It is more than a hope, it is an expectation. One can watch professional climbers work projects for years before success.

This resolve is a quality that we admire at Aspiro. We hope to build a community and an environment that supports opens doors- a place where we can test our resolve and even grow it.

As staff and students at Aspiro, we share a unique season of therapy. It is a season of challenge, frustration, overwhelming accomplishment, and deep respect for each other’s struggles. It is a therapy we share.

Staff refuse to be ‘teachers’ who have all the answers that the students must absorb. Staff instead become teachers who inspire passion, craft experiences, and share burdens. We grow to love and hate bouldering as it begins to represent both our victories, and our unfinished projects.

We return with excitement and trepidation. We learn to guide each other through the experience, provide the community of support, and be the invisible force that helps each other to succeed. And of course, we all have the opportunity to see ourselves overcome, to engage in a contest that is both against ourselves and greater than ourselves, and to experience the ultimate rush, the goal of all boulderers, The Project.

Dan LeMaire

Seventh shave completing The Seven Shaves Of Christmas

Attached is Justin’s seventh shave completing The Seven Shaves Of Christmas. It is worth seeing both pictures as Justin wanted to finish with a bang and we bet no one is expecting this.

Be sure to join in the festivities next year so begin growing your beards at least by the day after Thanksgiving – shaving of the head is optional.

Have a very Merry Christmas

The Shave of Christmas Continues

On the fifth day of Christmas Justin gave to his kids, wife, co-workers and friends .......

And ...... For those of you who are staying true to the cause ... I thought I would give you a break and include some background in this one. If you don't recognize the backdrop it is Delicate Arch in Arches National Park where we visited with the students yesterday and enjoyed a fun holiday party.

The Fourth Shave of Christmas

If you think going to the Christmas party produced a lot of strange looks, you can only imagine what it was like going to church yesterday. With only four shaves left it will only get better. News of Justin’s holiday tradition is spreading. Please feel free to post both supportive comments for me or mocking comments for Justin.

On the third shave of Christmas my true love went with me to our children’s Christmas party...."

Look at the photo and then imagine if you will going to the children’s Christmas party with him. Many of those in attendance are only acquaintances who by the looks on their faces clearly notice the oddity of Justin’s facial hair but are unsure what to say about it so they try (many unsuccessfully) to divert their stares, ignoring the elephant in the room.

Finally one of my friends comments, “Justin sure has a unique beard.” I think that was a polite way to say it is just ... ummmmm!!

The Seven Shaves of Christmas - Day Two

We appreciate all the comments and empathy. The saga continues with day two - The Second Shave of Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

The Seven Shaves of Christmas

Last year after sporting a beard for over a year, Justin decided he was ready to go back to being a good clean shaven boy but was not ready to go cold turkey. So between Christmas and New Years he shaved it off one step at a time, making it very uncomfortable for family and anyone else seen in public with him. This year, for reasons I can’t seem to grasp, Justin decided to make this torturous experience part of his holiday tradition.

Due to overspending on our home’s remodel, and my fall down the stairs which caused us to cancel our photo shoot (no worries, I am fine now) rather than having a nice Christmas card with a professional done family photo, our gift to you is sharing this week of “The Seven Shaves of Christmas.”

With some hesitancy I share Justin’s invitation for others to join him in this tradition next year. With a little support he believes this could become a world wide phenomenon and special part of many families’ holiday traditions for years to come. Please feel free to respond with any suggestions for the next day’s shave.

Merry Christmas from the Robinsons

Spotlight: Clinical Director, Justin Robinson

Justin has been with Aspiro since its inception in April of 2006. Justin brought with him a wealth of experience.

His undergraduate degree is in Recreation Therapy and his Masters Degree is in Social Work. Justin has been working with adolescents for about twelve years in a variety of settings and capacities.

Justin started in the field as a live-in counselor at a Therapeutic Boarding School.

Shortly after getting married Justin and his wife spent a year working as home parents in a group home. He then worked as a Recreation Therapist in an RTC.

From there, Justin spent a short time leading psycho-educational groups in the Utah state prison. While working at the prison he was asked to develop a Recreation Therapy program to work in conjunction with the existing psycho-educational classes.

Justin has also facilitated adolescent outpatient therapy, but the majority of his experience as a therapist has been working with adolescents and their families in a Therapeutic Boarding School.

With his background in recreation, Justin has always been drawn to experiential learning.

“While working in residential treatment, I found I could accomplish more with a student in a week in the outdoors than I could in months of therapy in the office. When I saw what Aspiro was doing, I jumped at the opportunity to be involved,” said Robinson

Justin grew up in Utah, however, he has also lived in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. Justin is married and has four kids. In addition to raising four children, Justin and his wife have also (until recently) been temporary foster parents to adolescents transitioning from treatment. In total they have had over a dozen teens living with their family.

Director of Clinical Services - Justin Robinson, LCSW

Choosing Aspiro - By Brad Carpenter, Psy.D.

Perhaps you as a parent or an educational consultant are considering the same thing. I was about a year and a half ago.

Mine is a different story, however, which began about 14 years ago at a military base in Atlanta, Georgia. This was my introduction to therapy and needed transition from an academic knowledge of psychology to reality.

My first client, a 40 year old African American woman suffering from depression, left the session somewhat exasperated and remarked that she couldn’t believe that “Donnie Osmond” was her new therapist.This was precisely when I began wearing suspenders and a tie to work every day in an effort to achieve age and credibility. My second client was a couple who came for marital therapy and promptly asked if I was married or had any children. Quick witted, I replied something to the effect that I didn’t need to be shot to know that it would hurt!

This, my valiant attempt to explain that it was not necessary to have first hand knowledge of their situation to be a good therapist, a message understandably obscured by the comparison of marriage to a mortal injury.

Needless to say, I learned to button up more than my oxford after this and listen.

My third client was a bright 15 year old girl who was seen because of oppositional behaviors and underachievement. Having problems getting her to speak I decided to join her in silence, a technique I learned from Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, not my graduate psychotherapy course.

Instead of paving the way for the dramatic break through, she yelled at me and told her parents I wouldn’t even talk in therapy. They were naturally concerned.

Almost a decade and a half later, armed with wisdom, experience and a receding hair line I was lucky enough to have a choice as to the direction of my career. Over the years I had specialized as a diagnostician, performing psychological neuropsychological assessment with a secondary role as a therapist. I was moonlighting as an adjunct professor of psychology for a local college when I was asked to teach an introductory therapy course to graduate counselors. For a while I was a back to where I started, rediscovering my roots as a therapist, joking with my students about my pop star past and preparing them for what’s to come. What I have learned over the years is that therapy is an art and while there are some who would disagree with this statement as is, they may not disagree with the assertion that adolescent therapy is an art. I could say this with some certainty after working in the therapeutic boarding industry for almost three years while contracting with an adolescent wilderness therapy program. I was particularly intrigued by the prospect of the adolescent wilderness experience and heard the buzz that some colleagues had taken this concept a step further, creating a high adventure therapy program called Aspiro.

Disillusioned by the status quo and the primitive wilderness model, I was excited to hear that the industry was evolving. Fortunately, I had many choices, but realized after a brief visit that I had found my dream job and quickly made the decision to move across country to join the group.

Aspiro has taken the successful elements of traditional wilderness therapy and raised the bar significantly.

When I refer to a “primitive” wilderness therapy model, I don’t mean to discount the effectiveness or inherent sophistication of a model which has helped countless numbers of adolescents in beginning to turn their lives around. I simply refer to an outdated traditional model in which adolescents learn basic skills (breaking a fire) while backpacking around a restricted area, sometimes far away from civilization.

Aspiro’s adventure therapy model combines the benefits of the traditional wilderness experience with overwhelming mastery experiences - climbing 200 feet off the ground, free rappelling a 150 foot arch, paddling a class 4 rapid, summiting a 13,000 foot peak, building ice caves, skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking.

And best of all, I’m right there with them.

My first therapy experience at Aspiro was paddling a 25 mile stretch with a student who had recently become involved in drugs, an intelligent young man who I had seen a hundred times before in a different setting.

It was here though, floating down the Green River that I knew I had shed my suspenders for good, in this place without walls, florescent lighting or plaques. I was no longer just an authoritarian but a participant, paddle in hand. It was in this place and many others since that I noticed the resistance I had encountered in a traditional setting was no longer there or significantly diminished. Suddenly the clients were negotiating their way through tricky situations, ones I didn’t read about in an intake report but was observing in the moment.

They were there, right before my eyes, pushing themselves, interacting with other students and all the time humbled by nature. Not only were we collaborating in therapy but together we had accomplished something significant by days end. The students were building confidence and learning real skills through mastery experiences. They were more alert and receptive from the adventure and the novelty of the environment, a benefit also shared by myself. Every week I knew that when I saw my student, he/she would have a story to tell me, a story of struggle and accomplishment. This was the same story I heard a year later from the student I shared a paddle with my first day. He had continued his adventure in Costa Rica, drug free, now a high school graduate and using the same skills he had learned a year earlier at Aspiro.

So choose wisely as I did. Every student and family situation is unique and every therapist has a different calling. I found mine here in Utah. In the past year, Aspiro bought out its parent company and is now independently owned by its therapists and the original founders who have a personal stake in its success. We have grown, refined our model and adapted to the needs of our students, families and consultants.

This is by far the coolest place I have ever worked and I appreciate all the support I have received from our staff, my students and the many parents and consultants I have worked with since joining Aspiro.

Dr. Brad Carpenter - Psy.D.

Spotlight: Aspiro Admissions Director - Josh Watson, LCSW

The unique vision of Aspiro convinced Josh that he needed to make a move from the Southeast all the way to the beautiful state of Utah. After spending several months learning about Aspiro’s innovative approach through high-impact adventure therapy, Josh and his family decided to join the Aspiro team back in October of 2006.

“After doing my research it wasn’t hard for Brian Church, a former colleague of mine, and now the Director of Business Development for Aspiro, to convince me that Aspiro would be the pioneer for a new and more effective outdoor therapy model,” said Watson.

Josh has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and over seven years of experience working with adolescents and families in crisis.

Over the past several years he has been a therapist and an admissions officer for a therapeutic boarding school.

As the Director of Admissions, Josh will be working diligently with consultants and families on assessment, communication, and quality control. His clinical experience is rich with diversity and he has a genuine desire to help others.

“Aspiro has managed to exceed all of my expectations. It is a breath of fresh air for me to see students smiling as they achieve success on a very high level. I am privileged to work with such a dynamic team that is truly committed, authentic, and unified in their approach.”

Please feel free to contact Josh directly to learn more about his personal journey, and to find out more details about Aspiro.

jwatson@aspiroadventure.com.

Admissions: 888-266-5136 www.wherehealingstarts.com

Judith E. Bessette, EdD, Visit October 25, 2006

Since the writing of this original article in October 2006, Proficio Management, Inc. and Aspiro Inc. jointly announced the acquisition of Aspiro, Inc. as of Friday, 14 March, 2008 by Aspiro's current leadership team and clinicians. The purchase, in which the entire executive team and all Aspiro clinicians participated, will ensure continued delivery of high quality services to troubled youth and families in an innovative format for years to come.

Proficio formed and founded Aspiro with Randy Oakley in April of 2006.

The sale by Proficio to the leadership team of Aspiro allows Proficio to focus on other exciting ventures while enabling the Aspiro Team the flexibility that direct ownership provides to ensure quality, manage growth, and effectively respond to client needs.

That being said .........

Judith E. Bessette, EdD

When I first read about Aspiro, a wilderness program that opened last spring in Utah near Park City, and read their description of the program as cutting-edge, I was skeptical.

I thought, "Aren't they all cutting edge, new and different?" And, I thought, do we really need another wilderness program?

But the more I read and the more I learned about the talent Aspiro had gathered together, the more I knew I needed to visit and see what it was all about, first-hand. Meeting Randy Oakley and his wife, Christina, at a regional NATSAP meeting just fueled my interest in visiting. Randy is the founder of the program and Christine wears two hats there. She's in charge of Business Operations but loves getting out with the kids in her role as a Lead Guide.

In October, Linda Cain and I met Brian Church at Utah Olympic Park, built in Park City for the Winter Olympics in 2002. Brian is the Director of Business Development. It was a gorgeous, crisp, sunshine-filled day and the ride to Hanna, where Aspiro's base camp is located, was beautiful.

As we came up to the top of a hill, the base camp came into view, set in front of an unusual formation of red rock.

And, a river runs through it - a lovely stretch of the Duchesne.

We sat down with Randy and watched an amazing video. It was amazing on several levels - not the least of which was the footage of various adventure activities including whitewater river rafting and canoeing, skiing, snowboarding, top-rope rock climbing, caving (in slot canyons, mind you) , mountain-biking, horseback riding and the like - but also because the video captured the sense of accomplishment of the students in the program. One of the hallmarks of Aspiro's program is taking kids to the highest of highs in their outdoor experiences and you could see the results of that approach. When we learned that this video was a creation of one of the students, it made it even more remarkable.

We had the opportunity to meet Ken Betts, Program Director, Justin Robinson, the Director of Clinical Services as well as Farrah and Bridger Jensen, both Field Directors for Aspiro. Their combined years in the wilderness, working with troubled teens are impressive. I was struck by the fact that each of these individuals articulated the same mission and vision of the organization. Each talked about the importance of genuine relationships, of developing self-efficacy and about the true meaning of wilderness therapy versus offering therapy in the wilderness.

Randy has dreamed of running a program like Aspiro - which means to achieve, aspire or infuse with spirit - since 1988. At an IECA Conference in 2004, Randy (who was then at West Ridge Academy) participated in a brainstorming session with other West Ridge staff focused on "what a wilderness program might look like if you were designing it for your own kids."

At the conclusion of the conversation, Ken Allen, the head of West Ridge (and a strong financial backer of both programs) asked Randy to figure out what he needed to get the program off the ground…and Aspiro took its first students in April of 2006.

While a number of their first students were kids having trouble at West Ridge, those students are no longer the majority of the students at Aspiro. In addition to taking referrals from educational consultants, Aspiro is also working with students from other residential facilities who have fallen off their track and need to refocus.

Aspiro invites that school or facility to play an active role on the treatment team so when the student returns to the facility that sent him or her to Aspiro, every one is on the same page.

Using a rolling admissions approach, appropriate candidates are males and females, ages 13-17, and young adults, ages 18 to 30 years of age, with a history of moderate emotional and behavioral problems, low self-esteem, academic underachievement, substance abuse and family conflict. On a consulting basis, Aspiro is served by Leroy Anderson, MD, a child/adolescent psychiatrist who has a quite a reputation in the canyoneering world. Matt Eschler, LMFT, provides parenting workshops and aftercare services as needed and Chris McRoberts, PhD supervises a team of psychologists who test kids out on the trail. We were impressed with the kids who visited with us just before leaving base camp for a several day trek in Moab.

We talked with kids who'd been there for several weeks as well as one who had arrived only a few days earlier. They were complimentary about the staff - especially in regard to feeling respected and heard when they talked. They were excited about the trip and looking forward to the challenges ahead. One or two said the food could be better - but after all, they are teenagers!

Aspiro really is new and different - and here are several reasons why. This relationship-based program treats kids with an uncommon degree of respect for who they are and the strengths they bring with them to base camp and out on the trail. A recent visitor who sat in on an intake interview likened the experience to watching a high school student transfer from one school to another. Aspiro uses a solution-focused therapy model combined with adventure therapy to build self-efficacy and discover new coping strategies for dealing with old issues. There are several credentialed recreation therapists on staff who are always looking for the accommodations that will allow every student to get the most out of the program. Aspiro looks for the best and the brightest in its staff - and is open to each and every staff member owning a piece of the program.

This philosophy should create stability in the staff at all levels - not just at the top.

And, Aspiro takes some other chances that set them apart. We learned about a seriously overweight kid who prospered there - and began loosing weight. We learned about their ability to handle kids with diabetes - a real challenge in the wild. We also learned that the admissions team has the ability to work with families who are stretched financially - an unusual circumstance for so new a program but yet another example of what makes Aspiro genuinely new, different and cutting-edge.

Josh Watson, LCSW, Dir. Of Admissions
801-979-6308
jwatson@aspiroadventure.com
www.aspiro-inc.com

Judith E. Bessette, EdD, Visit October 25, 2006
(414) 581-9146

Aspiro new base camp offers amazing views

Aspiro Group, Inc. is excited to announce the move from our former (leased) base camp to our new facilities to the south of Salt Lake in Mount Pleasant (near Wasatch Academy).

Compared to our former home, our newly purchased facilities are equidistant from the Salt Lake International Airport in good weather seasons, and 30 minutes closer during the winter months. The move took place two weeks ago.

“Accessibility was an important reason,” said Brian Church, Aspiro Director of Business Development, “but numerous other factors played into the equation. Because we make use of many pristine areas throughout the state of Utah, our new facilities are much more central and will create significant savings in time, fuel, and other expenses. We were also able to secure the perfect scenario with respect to our office/warehouse, and base camp acreage.”

We have a 7,600 square foot facility which is ideal for many purposes including staff offices and conference areas with a cozy fireplace. Within the building is a 4,000 square foot warehouse.

Additionally, we have a 2,100 square foot space for future family workshops and staff trainings.

Within a 12 minute drive from our offices, Aspiro has acquired 120 acres of spectacular land, bordering the National Forest. Our new base camp offers amazing views at its’ higher elevations, and a blank slate for master planned growth well into the future.

As with our old property, students will be at base camp one day every other week, at a minimum (Vantage Point by Aspiro will use base camp 2-4 days/week on avg).

As always, we thank you for your support in this cutting edge high adventure model. We look forward to future consultant visits and sharing the new tools we have at our disposal. We know that this move will assist greatly in the work we love.

Aspiro 1-888- 266-5136 or (801) 349-2740