“This was something he keeps with him on a daily basis and something that he will never forget. It has given him confidence that he hasn’t had in years and now has respect for himself and others.”
Mother of Mike, age 15
We believe that everyone we work with has the innate ability and desire (however well it may be masked) to change and grow when given an environment that is safe, supportive, and challenging. We believe that parents play an essential role in their child’s healing. Our therapists utilize contemporary therapeutic methods to facilitate the powerful healing impact of wilderness itself. Our staff utilize relationship-based approaches to therapy rather than punitive or coercive techniques.
To expand, we believe that:
1) Every teenager that comes to us wants things to be better. While they usually act defiant, angry, or depressed, and most have given up hope, deep inside they all want change. Our job is to find this motivation, nurture it and support it until it is strong. Upon graduation from our program you should expect your son or
daughter to be motivated to live life in a positive fashion – because he or she wants to. Our belief in a person’s innate ability to heal and grow informs everything we do. Because we believe that lasting change comes only when it is wanted, not when it is forced, your teen will not be subjected to coercive or punitive interventions, consequences, or punishment.
2) Parents have an essential role in the treatment process. Each parent can have a direct and powerful impact on their child’s growth. We will only admit youth who have at least one parent who is able and willing to deeply engage in the process. You can expect our staff to be respectful, supportive, and compassionate while encouraging each parent to look deeply at what he or she can do to support long-term success.
3) The relationships that form between staff and students have strong therapeutic value. Our staff’s primary role is to provide a safe and supportive environment in which there is a balance of structure and nurturance. Because the field staff live day in and day out with the youth, eating the same food and walking the
same miles, there is a unique opportunity to build a powerful relationship -- a relationship in which each youth can explore different ways of behaving and engaging, and in which each youth can feel the warmth of acceptance and belonging. We believe that this relationship is powerful and best served by a low staff to student ratio, and with staff who stay with the group throughout their time in the wilderness (instead of rotating in shifts).
4) We believe in the healing power of wilderness. Wilderness provides challenge, refuge, and a break from the world around. Wilderness provides powerful and direct feedback for both positive and negative behaviors. Wilderness provides an opportunity for reflection and action. Wilderness provides opportunities for experiencing genuine pride that comes from successfully facing true challenges. Wilderness provides an opportunity to connect youth with themselves.