Kumbaya!

Wilderness Therapy!

I absolutely love nature and the outdoors. I worked at a nature center for 4 summers as a Senior Assistant Naturalist in charge of summer camps for kids ages 3-12. I have seen first hand how being out in nature has helped the kids learn more about themselves, increase their self esteem and confidence and learn practical life skills from camp. 

As almost anyone can tell you, spending time in nature is definitely therapeutic, but it takes a certain structure to have it considered to be therapy, in this case it's called Wilderness/Adventure Therapy!

            But what is it exactly?

The definition for Adventure Therapy according to the Wilderdom website states that:

"Adventure therapy uses challenging experiences & being in natural environments to improve psychological dysfunctions in emotion, behavior, & life effectiveness skills. Adventure therapy is commonly referred to as wilderness therapy and outdoor behavioral healthcare. Adventure therapy is closely related to fields such as nature therapy and therapeutic recreation."

Bascially, Wilderness Therapy is putting a person, (a child, adolescent, or adult) experiencing various types of disabilities/diagnosis ranging from Aspergers to Substance Abuse to Internet Addictions in a primitive setting separate from their distractions and normal environment so they can learn about themselves and become empowered to return to their normal lives and be a productive member of society!

I found this really cool Wilderness Therapy program called "Second Nature," which has 6-8 week programs for younger teens, adolescents, and adults. They have a clincal staff in addition to a leadership staff that are all highly trained in providing therapy for the many different types of issues each person may have. 

They have a really good website that explains more in-depth about their individual program and how they go about changing the negative behaviors and feelings the children/adults who attend the programs. 

SECOND NATURE WILDERNESS THERAPY FAQ'S!

The Wilderdom websites offers a comprehensive list of many different types of wilderness/teambuildling/group initiative activities that are utilized in a Wilderness Therapy type program that CTRS's can incorporate into their programs for different individual and group settings. Check them out HERE!