Authors: Esther Meneses & Natalia Ruiz de Cortázar Gracia
There are psychological concerns of adolescents when one parent is suffering from critical cancer. Due to the high emotional impact of living with this situation, Experientia and Kálida created a therapeutic adven-ture based program for these young people in order to accompany their emotional well-being and provide coping mechanisms to deal with the current family situation. Nine youngers (aged 14–19) whose parents had a diagnosis of cancer developed participated in 12 weekly sessions lasting two or four hours each. The ses-sions involved problem solving, outdoor and physical activities such as hiking, kayak and paddle surf and climbing. Youngers were encouraged in developing skills to resolve those challenges and reflect on the ex-perience. This study concluded that AT is a viable and positive option for those whose close relatives had a diagnosis of advanced cancer, creating a supportive space for peers, although future research is needed.