About  me

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    For more than 25 years I have been involved in the outdoor adventure and social service sectors. My work centres on ethical and effective outdoor therapy practice. I offer consulting services to individuals and organizations who want to improve, learn, and grow. I continue to learn and develop as a practitioner of outdoor therapies and provide education and training in child and youth care and counsellor training at the University of Victoria and with Human-Nature Counselling on Southern Vancouver Island, the traditional unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples.

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• BA in Leisure Studies & Services

• MA in Organizational Leadership (studied risk & judgement in adventure education)

• PhD in Education (studied family systems in adolescent wilderness therapy)

• Registered Clinical Counsellor (BCACC)

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We consider Dr. Harper the pre-eminent researcher in Canada focused on experiential education and adventure therapy.  His extensive knowledge, experience and historical perspective has contributed to Take a Hike’s program, evidence base and theory of change.  

    ~Gordon Matchett, MBA, CEO, Take a Hike Foundation