Wilderness Therapy Camps & Programs

Wilderness therapy × Wilderness therapy
Wilderness therapy programs are a therapeutic option for troubled teens located outdoors, that assist youth in treating various behavioral and psychological disorders. One expert describes wilderness therapy: "wilderness therapy is the use adventure-based activities and/or adventure-based theory to provide people with emotional and/or behavioral problems with experiences which lead to positive change in their lives." Wilderness therapy is relatively popular among parents of troubled teens, and is considered alternate choice to services such as, programs and boarding schools for troubled teens. Wilderness therapy is becoming an increasingly popular choice among parents of troubled teens. However, like most treatment options, one size does not fit all. Parents interested in sending their child to a wilderness program need to be aware of other options as well. It is crucial to do all the research necessary when deciding on a treatment for troubled teens.
camps and programs are designed for troubled teens × Troubled Teens
Troubled Teens /trou.bled/ /teens/ n. Noun A troubled teen is defined as a person that is between the age 13-19 that is beset by problems or conflict. Every Teenager faces problems that they must encounter in their life.  Problems arise in every person’s life both big and small yet sometimes we allow even the most insignificant of problems affect our lives.  Sometimes with teenagers they allow trials in their life greatly affect them in negative ways.  Typically when a person (typically teenagers) face problems in their lives, the ability to cope with the problem does not exist.  When teenagers turn to other things to cope with the feelings of the problems that they usually face  things such as drugs and alcohol, pornography, criminal activity, etc. It is important to find help for troubled teens as soon as possible.  There are many different programs that are available to help troubled teens with the problems that they face each with a different approach and nature to the program.
who are out of control and unreachable.  Parents placing their troubled boy or troubled girl into a Wilderness therapy program is asking, “what in the heck has gone wrong with my child.”  

Somehow the wheels have suddenly come off and my once bright and happy child has become a monster.  Parents placing their troubled teen into a wilderness program has no idea what is going on, but they are determined to find out and get their child the specialized therapeutic help they need.

Wilderness Therapy Programs are utilized by Educational Consultants.  Some Educational Consultants won’t work with a family to place a child in a therapeutic boarding school until the have first been assessed through a wilderness program.  Wilderness therapy is not a fix-all, where kids go to get turned around and placed back on track.  

The widlerness program is designed to “get to the bottom of things” so we know what to do next.  These camps are out in the wilderness where there is no distractions. Just a few kids, a couple of camp counselors, and a therapist.  Once the child is out in the wilderness they seem to “get real”.  They begin to open up and devulge information that they would not normally share.

 Its the wilderness environment × Environment
n.noun en·vi·ron·ment The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines environment as the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates. A person's environment, or social surroundings, have an enormous impact on the way that person thinks and operates. If a person is surrounded by negativity, he/she is more likely to replicate that negativity and display negative behaviors in other areas of life. The environment of a troubled teen can often be the root cause or factor in the troubled adolescent's negative behavior. When an impressionable teenage boy or girl is surrounded by negative peers, it is common for these teens to develop negative behaviors themselves. It is for this reason that parents should be aware of their child's social surroundings and environmental influences. If a teenage boy or girl is troubled, a total change in their environment may be in order. By replacing a troubled teen's negative environment with that of a therapeutic, nurturing and rehabilitative environment, troubled adolescents are able to emotional, therapeutic and behavioral restoration.
and their dependence on trust staff counselors that gets them to the place where they are willing to “share all”. The camp counselors are the lifeline for the campers.  The counselors are mentors, life coaches, and survival experts.  The counselors teach the campers how to stay dry, warm (or cool), and how to keep safe in an hostile environment.  The campers become utterly dependent on the counselors and a deep level of trust is built.  

The campers are required to hike everyday, carry their own packs loaded with water, food, sleeping bag and tent.  The campers learn to start their own camp fires (without matches) and cook their own hot meals. Once that trust is built the campers open up and share their guts.  The counselors pass this information along to the therapists, who then meet with the camper at least once a week for a therapy × Therapy
n.noun ther·a·py Therapy is a treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder or disease. Therapy generally consists of two kinds: medical and psychotherapy. Medical therapies treat diseases of the human body such as cancer. Psychotherapies treat the mind of therapeutically or emotionally damaged individuals. Different Types of Psychotherapy: - Psychoanalytic Therapy - Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy - Group Therapy - Behavior modification - Biofeedback - Collaborative therapy - Family therapy - Marriage counseling - Music therapy - Parent management training - Relationship counseling - Social Therapy - Systemic therapy - Therapeutic community - Twelve-step programs - Wilderness therapy Therapy for troubled teens has become an increasingly popular opportunity for troubled adolescents today. Therapies are offered at many services for troubled teens such as, wilderness therapy programs, residential treatment programs and boarding schools for troubled youth. The most effective type of therapy greatly depends on the individual teen and what psychological and emotional issues the particular adolescent struggles with.
session.  This is where the real work is done. The drawback to wilderness programs is obvious.  

There’s lots of physical danger.  Kids can be seriously hurt in wilderness, and even die.  The wilderness is ungiving, untamed, and unforgiving.  The troubled teen cannot con his/her way in the wilderness.  Their street smarts don’t impress the wilderness.  Its is as real as it gets.  Once the wilderness experience is over (6 weeks to 90 days) the Educational Consultant will take the assessment and diagnosis from the wilderness therapist and start looking for the ideal boarding school placement, which is the second and most important phase of restoration. 

Articles about Wilderness Therapy Camps and Programs:

Wilderness Therapy Programs

Options for Troubled Teens

Keep Teens Out of Trouble Over the Summer