Outdoor therapy is a great alternative for young adults when other therapies have not worked. Outdoor therapy is focused on the daily activities of living out in the wild and in doing these daily activities, strengthen the confidence, resiliency, and copy abilities of each person.
1. What is outdoor therapy?
Outdoor therapy, or sometimes referred to as wilderness therapy, is a mental health treatment technique mostly for adolescents. Outdoor therapy challenges the individual with experiences focused on self-improvement and behavior modification.
2. What does it look like?
Outdoor therapy usually lasts from 7-8 weeks. A licensed mental health professional takes a group of adolescents between 8-12 members out into the wilderness.
Outdoor therapy focuses on a similar daily routine. The routine often includes breaking down camp, hiking to the next camp site, setting up that campsite, and enjoying a quiet evening with the group.
3. Who is this right for?
This program is usually centered around adolescents. It is an approach taken when other less intensive approaches have not worked.
Outdoor therapy has been successful in treating those with (Aspiro):
- ADD / ADHD
- Addiction
- Adoption issues
- Anger Issues
- Anxiety
- Aspergers
- At-Risk Youth/Risky Behaviors
- Autism
- Behavior Issues
- Body Image Issues
- Cutting & Self-Harm
- Divorce Conflict
- Depression
- Substance Abuse
- Eating Disorders that don’t require medical intervention
- Female Identity Empowerment
- Failing College
- Lack of Motivation
- Learning Disabilities
- Mood Disorders
- Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- Personality disorders
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Relational Issues
- Risky/Harmful Sexual Behaviors
- School Avoidance or Failure
- Self-Esteem Issues
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
- Troubled Youth
- Gender Identity Struggles
- Suicide Ideation
4. What are the benefits?
Going out into the wilderness with a group of people allows each individual to engage with their group and the outdoors in ways they have never done before. This radical change in environment and challenges allows for incredible introspection, relationship development, and all-around self-improvement. Because of this, the following benefits are often gained:
- Individualized treatment
- Decreased stress
- Increased independence
- Increase confidence
- Greater awareness of others
- Leadership skills
- Communication skills
- Healthy coping strategies
5. What happens after outdoor therapy?
Programs offer an aftercare system as well to ensure the individual maintains the progress that they have made during the therapy excursion. This can look like one-on-one sessions or group sessions.
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