How Wilderness and Adventure Based Therapy Works

Written by:Woodcreek Academy

Youths who fall in with the wrong crowd, or lead troubled lives, are often looking for some form of balance and recognition for the lives they lead. That’s the thinking behind wilderness therapy programs, which are designed to challenge the minds of young people and force them into situations where they must prove themselves to survive. Improvement has been documented even in teens with diagnosed mental health issues, and the rate of recidivism, that is, the rate of need for return to a treatment facility, is lower than it is with other forms of therapy.

The pioneering wilderness therapy program in the United States was the Salesmanship Club Boys’ Camp in Dallas, Texas, founded by Campbell Loughmiller in 1946. Since then, the idea of therapeutic boarding schoolshas mostly followed this model. Loughmiller stressed that the perception of danger in the environment and the natural consequences that would result from lack of cooperation among participants increased cooperation, would help to build self-confidence in young boys.

Wilderness therapeutic schools are not “boot camps”. They are behavior modification schools staffed by trained counselors. Staff members usually live with the group to foster a positive attitude among the campers, facilitate communication and bonding within the group, and mediate problems.

These school settings vary, generally including a few modern conveniences that would be available at a campsite. The schools themselves are typically outfitted like a lodge campground, complete with classrooms and mess halls where students dine together. A good wilderness program will have a full-time nurse and an on-site psychologist or psychiatrist. Recreation will include strenuous athletic activity and earned trips to outside cultural and recreational events. Each community group, though, is responsible for the work of that community, which includes cleaning, building, providing firewood, and occasional meal planning and cooking.

Apparently, the effectiveness of wilderness and adventure therapy stems from the necessity for formation of community and cooperation within that community to meet challenges and to achieve community success in meeting real-world goals. Participants learn to solve problems they encounter in their physical work as they also learn cooperate with others in their group. The student’s sense of accomplishment typically transfers to academic education at the school, and beyond to relationships with parents and members of the outside community.

A family sending a teen to a therapeutic wilderness school should be prepared for an initial period during which they have no contact with their young person. The purpose of this is orientation to and bonding with the community group. After that, they will have scheduled visits and home weekends to prepare the teen to transition back into home and family life. Even during the period of no contact, though, a good wilderness school will always have a staff member available to answer questions about the teen’s well-being, and written reports will be sent to the family as well.