Over the past few decades, wilderness therapy programs have become more prevalent, as the demand for effective alternatives in therapy has increased. The popularity of wilderness therapy is due to its ability to aid individuals in overcoming academic, social, behavioral, or emotional problems.
Our research-based wilderness adventure therapy program is based on the work of Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, and others. Seligman is the father of positive psychology— a field of mental health that studies what makes people happy and healthy, as opposed to what makes people anxious or depressed. Our relational staff and therapists are key in helping wilderness adventure therapy participants develop these characteristics in their lives.
Regardless of the therapeutic setting, one of the most significant factors in promoting change is the therapeutic relationship between counselors and participants. This is why, at Aspiro, we focus on hiring therapists and field staff who possess the characteristics and strengths necessary to be highly effective. We intentionally hire and train staff who model effective behavior and build strong relationships with our students. In an effort to improve family relationships, our therapists and staff teach healthy communication, while modeling honesty and transparency in relationships.
Here is an article about it. Outcomes are unclear. For the last decade, wilderness therapy programs have actively developed focused research to test many aspects of their model of intervention, and continue to challenge and modify inefficiencies.
Wilderness Therapy programs differ from military-style bootcamps primarily in the perspective of authority, and where change should initiate. In other words, does a student have the ability to modify their own behaviors or should a program force a different structure onto the child? If a student is physically safe being noncompliant, that is acceptable in a Wilderness Therapy program; disobedience or resistance is not justification for a muscular response from staff.
There were wilderness programs that hurt students. They have been regulated out of business. Every teen goes on to a longer term residential program. All troubled teens or young adults who enroll in a wilderness therapy program do not go to aftercare. All wilderness therapists make aftercare recommendations, depending on the presenting issues, family system needs, family system wants, money or varying factors, the client and family may not be able to implement the treatment recommendations.
This is a decision for the family and the client depending on the age the client. Regardless of the reason, not every student goes to an aftercare. More often it is recommended because the structure of a residential program is so much more than most family could attain, or the family system is struggling and that instability is not healthy for the client to rejoin. Gear and food is minimally acceptable.
Students and staff use their gear clothes, packs, sleeping gear, boots, etc. Likewise, there is weight, health and truth be told marketing value in providing regular fresh, interesting and nutritious food.
The industry has evolved, because it had to and chose to. As recently as a month ago, I was at a meeting with the head of the HHS Department of Licensing, where again, the wilderness therapy program offered to assist the state in updating their regulations. And finally, this is one of many blogs that could be written on this subject.
Here are a few blogs that might assist in demystifying what wilderness therapy is NOW vs. Wilderness Therapy programs have evolved, they are evolving and there is a history to the field that is not blameless. The profession has transformed from a small tribe of peers battling to live a frontier lifestyle and much more oriented toward individual psychological intervention, group awareness training and personal empowerment.
Be an informed consumer and find out from professional consultants and ask the wilderness therapy program directly what their history is. Jenney Wilder, M. With an impressive case of ADHD and her starter career in the 90's in Silicon Valley, the dream for creating a website with features like side-by-side comparison and an integrated newsletter was born.
Outback therapeutic Expeditions continues to participate in research conducted by the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council. This allows us to contribute to the therapeutic community by demonstrating the effectiveness of wilderness therapy.
It also gives us continuous feedback on our clinical practices. We use this feedback to improve our program structure and ensure that we are always providing the most effective, nurturing, and state-of-the-art therapeutic care while also harnessing the power of a natural setting. Outback Therapeutic Expeditions is continuing to support families through this unprecedented time. We are closely monitoring information related to COVID, adhering to recommendations set forth by CDC, and have implemented additional safety precautions to mitigate risks.
To learn more, contact us at Why Therapeutic Expeditions? Before Wilderness Therapy. Upon admission, the teens in crisis reported: Depression and anxiety Strained peer and family relationships Suicidality Aggressive behavior Substance abuse and dependency Significant symptoms of ADHD Low academic performance Sleep disruption General sense of denial Hopelessness Lack of self-efficacy. Teens in the wilderness therapy effectiveness studies made statistically significant progress during treatment.
This progress was tracked over extended periods, and the therapeutic gains of the participants were maintained. The troubled teens demonstrated marked improvements in the following areas: Reduced anxiety and depression Substance abuse and dependency Disruptive behavior Defiance and oppositionality Impulsivity Suicidality Violence Sleep disruption School performance Interpersonal relationships Restored sense of hope Belief that they had the ability to impact their own lives Outback students expressed the belief that these changes resulted from their own motivation to participate in treatment.
In follow-up evaluations with students as much as 12 months after they left Outback, these results were maintained.
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