Do wilderness therapy camps help or hurt troubled teens?

Welderness therapy, also known as adventure therapy, is the concept behind wilderness camps. Wilderness camps are the alternative to traditional military-style boot camps. Instead of a barracks-style armed forces setting, troubled youth are placed in a wilderness setting where they are encouraged to form relationships with other youth within their camp in order to perform various wilderness activities and break bad habits. They utilize psychological treatment through cooperative activities to build self-esteem and self-confidence.

Wilderness therapy programs were developed as alternatives to adolescent inpatient and residential treatment programs. An answer on how effective of these programs is may depend upon the partiality of the person asked. But some studies and research has shown these types of wilderness therapy interventions to be highly effective for teens with behavioral, mental health and substance abuse disorders.

There are hundreds of programs that use wilderness recreation to help thousands of troubled kids. The programs all involve residency and are run by specially trained counselors and therapists. Some operate exclusively in the wilderness, with teens spending from 21 days to 2 months or even a year living outdoors. Wilderness therapy programs tend to spend a great deal of time helping students understand the meaning and relevance of their wilderness experiences. To this end, they employ therapy techniques, time alone for reflection and journal writing, psychoeducational techniques, individual counseling, and staff modeling self-disclosure.

The benefits of wilderness therapy programs for youth with problem behaviors are increases in self-concept, self-esteem, and self efficacy, all of which lead to a sense of personal power and motivation to take control of their lives. With so many wilderness therapy camps out there it is important to select the right camp situation for a child, since camps and children vary considerably. Most of wilderness camps are in remote locations, so parents must be aware of prevention plans and how the staff is trained to hanlde emergencies.