What is Wilderness Therapy and a Wilderness Program?
December 4th, 2007
Wilderness therapy is an experiential program that takes place in a wilderness or remote outdoor setting. Programs provide counseling, therapy, education, leadership training and primitive living challenges that foster community and group interdependence as well as individual honesty, awareness, openness, responsibility and accountability. The terms wilderness therapy, wilderness program and outdoor behavioral health program are commonly used to mean the same thing.
Wilderness therapy, in the purest form, is a positive growth experience where teens face natural challenges and adversities that are designed to be therapeutic in nature. Children are not merely thrown into the wilderness and made to suffer hardships. They are removed from their environment, encouraged, challenged and given every opportunity to succeed. The activities in these programs include:
- primitive living
- outdoor education
- structured daily activities
- team building
- experiential therapy
- counseling
- individual therapy
- group therapy
- exploration
- expeditions
- natural consequences for actions taken
Credits:
Michael Conner, Psy.D
Mentor Research Institute
June 25, 2007
Sourced From:
Wilderness Therapy Treatment- A non-profit consumer protection information, health, safety, referral & education site.
Wilderness therapy is an experiential program that takes place in a wilderness or remote outdoor setting. Programs provide counseling, therapy, education, leadership training and primitive living challenges that foster community and group interdependence as well as individual honesty, awareness, openness, responsibility and accountability. The terms wilderness therapy, wilderness program and outdoor behavioral health program are commonly used to mean the same thing.
Wilderness therapy, in the purest form, is a positive growth experience where teens face natural challenges and adversities that are designed to be therapeutic in nature. Children are not merely thrown into the wilderness and made to suffer hardships. They are removed from their environment, encouraged, challenged and given every opportunity to succeed. The activities in these programs include:
- primitive living
- outdoor education
- structured daily activities
- team building
- experiential therapy
- counseling
- individual therapy
- group therapy
- exploration
- expeditions
- natural consequences for actions taken
Credits:
Michael Conner, Psy.D
Mentor Research Institute
June 25, 2007
Sourced From:
Wilderness Therapy Treatment- A non-profit consumer protection information, health, safety, referral & education site.