Phil Stallard is the founder of the New Wave Wild Project in Ireland. Philip is the first person outside of the U.S. to become a Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist. Philip's journey into the field was filled was paved with the intention of legitimizing the Adventure Therapy profession in Ireland. He shares his story of how he became interested in the field and why he choose to become a clinical social worker. He goes into the evolution of New Wave and why he was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year.

 

Bio from the New Wave Website: 

Philip delivers every therapeutic session at New Wave Wild Project. He has over 15 years experience working with young people at-risk, with families, and within multi-disciplinary teams. Philip co-founded New Wave Adventure Therapy (2017) and then New Wave Wild Project (2019) to introduce creative modes of engagement within traditional, professional mental health approaches. His aim is to make effective and meaningful therapeutic opportunities available to everyone, and to help reduce burnout for practitioners by promoting self-care within the healthcare sector.

Philip is the only Adventure Therapist outside the U.S. who is clinically certified by the Association of Experiential Education (AEE), and he represents Ireland on the Adventure Therapy International Committee (ATIC).

In 2019 Philip won the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year award for Ireland at the European Business Awards and engages regularly with universities, organisations and social enterprises through print media, podcasts and lecture contributions.

As well as his major qualifications, Philip continuously engages in further training to extend and deepen his therapeutic toolkit and creative approaches. He is trained in the use of CBT (REBT), in mindfulness techniques for therapeutic practice, and is currently in training to also become a licensed psychotherapist.