Wilderness Therapy To Suit The Adventure Minded People

Wilderness therapy basically is the subset of a therapy which is adventure-based. It is popular as the functionality of the therapeutic wilderness programs expeditions for the purposes of therapeutic interventions. There is a range of several types of Wilderness Therapy Programs, with a wide range of approaches and models. Some of them grow out of a survival approach while some come out of Outward Bound approach. The aim is to guide the participants towards self-reliance and self-respect. The pioneers who are in the field of this wilderness therapy includes Larry Olsen and Ezekiel Sanchez from the Brigham Young University; and other experts from the Colorado Outward Bound School; Santa Fe Mountain Center and so on. MadolynLiebing (presently of Journey Wilderness) has been the first psychologist to integrate the clinical therapy to wilderness programming.

The Asylums played a major yet early role in development of the wilderness therapy, offering knowledge of best wilderness programs drawing from the ancient philosophies and that of Kurt Hahn. Although this therapy is primarily used often for behavioral modification by families of young people, aim and methods of such wilderness therapy don't however center on the behavioral modification. Several wilderness based therapeutic programs do avoid what they consider as manipulations, or contrived activities, or psychological games, or even contrived consequences. Most of these programs do not employ force, point, confrontation or level systems, other behavioral modifications models, but stress assertiveness, open communication between staff and students, and are very group-oriented. There is not a particular standardized model for this type of therapy, since many of the models of wilderness therapy does reflect different programs, although mostly contain the principles: a series of the tasks that increasingly are difficult in order to challenge patients; teamwork activities to work together; the presence of any psychiatrist or a therapist performing as a group leader; and use of the therapeutic processes such as the reflection journal or say self-evaluation.

Michael Conner of Mentor Research Institute claims that the wilderness therapies and programs trace the origins to the outdoor survival programs that have been placed for children in any challenging environment in which the communication, determination or team efforts are the outcomes". Alternately, some of the programs have been derived from a furtherecopsychological perspective, the director of wilderness therapy program at the Naropa University, feels that through the contemplative practice, the experiential outdoor classrooms, the students gain even further self-awareness and ability to respond to whatever comes in the moment. The pillars of the ANASAZI Foundation concludes that they havelearnt that whenever we adopt, or whatever we have come to call as 'contrived experiences, the overall impacts often diminishes for the respondents.

In short, the programs are mostly licensed by state agencies. Clients have contact with licensed mental practitioner (clinical health therapist). The therapist works with families to help understand the client’s behaviors and also enhance treatment objectives. Clients generally have individualized treatments monitored by licensed therapeutic staff. Therapists work with aftercare services and the family to ensure that progress made by the client can be maintained. Wilderness therapy occurs where the group development procedures facilitate learning. The environment outdoor is utilized to help the clients leave their culture behind to grasp a unique experience that facilitates meeting learning objectives.