What Is Adventure Therapy?

Adventure therapy involves activities, like camping or rock climbing, that are supervised by mental health professionals in order to treat conditions like anxiety and depression

January 17, 2025 · 7 min · 1365 words · Adam Jacobson

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Adventure Therapy?Types of Adventure TherapyTechniques of Adventure TherapyWhat Adventure Therapy Can Help WithBenefits of Adventure TherapyEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Adventure Therapy?

Types of Adventure Therapy

Techniques of Adventure Therapy

What Adventure Therapy Can Help With

Benefits of Adventure Therapy

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Close

A study of Outward Bound participantswho had participated in a 21-day course found better outcomes for recidivism (the likelihood that a person who committed a crime will do so again)than those teens who did an intensive outpatient therapy program instead.

So, what does adventure therapy entail, and how can you find this type of treatment? Read on to find out.

There are three major types of adventure therapy: wilderness therapy, adventure-based therapy, and long-term residential camping. The structure of these three different types may vary wildly but the goals are the same:

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Adventure therapy is based on seven core tenets:

Adventure therapy can help with a wide range of conditions,including:

Adventure therapy can have many benefits, from interpersonal to clinical. It is often focused on changing negative self-perception and encouraging communication and interaction with others. It can also address symptoms of mental illness, including:

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

A meta-analysis of 197 different studies about adventure therapy (with nearly 3,000 participants) showed that adventure groups showed greater change than those who either received alternate treatment or no treatment.

Additionally, those who participated in the short-term adventure therapy treatment were able to sustain positive changes longer-termwhen they were evaluated around the six-month mark.

Studies have shown an improvement in symptoms for at-risk youthand those with combat-related PTSD,body image issues,and more.

Additionally, most of them are a major time commitment that not everyone may be able to make.

There have also been some reports of ethical issues in the addiction treatment industry,so it is important to really do your research before committing to—or paying for—a treatment program.

Some questions you might want to ask include:

Also, many of these programs are part of residential treatment or intensive outpatient programs—longer programs at a higher level of care—so this is a modality often not available for regularoutpatient therapy.

For starters, wilderness therapy is a very intensive type of therapy. Be sure you (or your child) have talked it through with your current therapist and have examined the pros and cons, including if the rigors of this type of therapy are appropriate for you physically.

As many or most of these programs are private-pay organizations, they will be marketing heavily when you begin searching for them online. A good place to start is with the programs listed in the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council, which have been vetted.

If you have picked a program, you can expect to do an intake session where you both will be making sure this is the correct fit for you or your child. Be prepared to discuss your (or your child’s) mental health history, including other programs or therapies or medications that you have tried in the past.

A Word From Verywell

Adventure therapy can be a very costly and time-intensive endeavor, so don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself to make sure you get what you want out of a program. That said, it is also a one-of-a-kind opportunity, so also take time to be present in the experience.

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10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gass MA, Gillis, Lee, Russell KC. Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice.; 2020.Kelly FJ, Baer DJ.Outward Bound Schools as an Alternative to Institutionalization for Adolescent Delinquent Boys.; 1968.Cambridge Dictionary.Recidivism.Wilderness adventure therapy effects on the mental health of youth participants. Evaluation and Program Planning. 2016;58:49-59. doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2016.05.005Sturm J, Plöderl M, Fartacek C, et al.Physical exercise through mountain hiking in high-risk suicide patients. A randomized crossover trial.Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2012;126(6):467-475.Bowen DJ, Neill JT.A meta-analysis of adventure therapy outcomes and moderators. TOPSYJ. 2013;6(1):28-53. doi:10.2174/1874350120130802001Bowen DJ, Neill JT.A meta-analysis of adventure therapy outcomes and moderators. TOPSYJ. 2013;6(1):28-53. doi:10.2174/1874350120130802001Gelkopf M, Hasson-Ohayon I, Bikman M, Kravetz S.Nature adventure rehabilitation for combat-related posttraumatic chronic stress disorder: A randomized control trial. Psychiatry Research. 2013;209(3):485-493. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.01.026BS SCA.Transforming body image through women’s wilderness experiences. Women & Therapy. 1994;15(3-4):43-54. doi:10.1300/J015v15n03_05Rein R.Storms in Sunny States: Fraud in the Addiction Treatment Industry. Social Science Research Network; 2021.

10 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gass MA, Gillis, Lee, Russell KC. Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice.; 2020.Kelly FJ, Baer DJ.Outward Bound Schools as an Alternative to Institutionalization for Adolescent Delinquent Boys.; 1968.Cambridge Dictionary.Recidivism.Wilderness adventure therapy effects on the mental health of youth participants. Evaluation and Program Planning. 2016;58:49-59. doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2016.05.005Sturm J, Plöderl M, Fartacek C, et al.Physical exercise through mountain hiking in high-risk suicide patients. A randomized crossover trial.Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2012;126(6):467-475.Bowen DJ, Neill JT.A meta-analysis of adventure therapy outcomes and moderators. TOPSYJ. 2013;6(1):28-53. doi:10.2174/1874350120130802001Bowen DJ, Neill JT.A meta-analysis of adventure therapy outcomes and moderators. TOPSYJ. 2013;6(1):28-53. doi:10.2174/1874350120130802001Gelkopf M, Hasson-Ohayon I, Bikman M, Kravetz S.Nature adventure rehabilitation for combat-related posttraumatic chronic stress disorder: A randomized control trial. Psychiatry Research. 2013;209(3):485-493. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.01.026BS SCA.Transforming body image through women’s wilderness experiences. Women & Therapy. 1994;15(3-4):43-54. doi:10.1300/J015v15n03_05Rein R.Storms in Sunny States: Fraud in the Addiction Treatment Industry. Social Science Research Network; 2021.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Gass MA, Gillis, Lee, Russell KC. Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice.; 2020.Kelly FJ, Baer DJ.Outward Bound Schools as an Alternative to Institutionalization for Adolescent Delinquent Boys.; 1968.Cambridge Dictionary.Recidivism.Wilderness adventure therapy effects on the mental health of youth participants. Evaluation and Program Planning. 2016;58:49-59. doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2016.05.005Sturm J, Plöderl M, Fartacek C, et al.Physical exercise through mountain hiking in high-risk suicide patients. A randomized crossover trial.Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2012;126(6):467-475.Bowen DJ, Neill JT.A meta-analysis of adventure therapy outcomes and moderators. TOPSYJ. 2013;6(1):28-53. doi:10.2174/1874350120130802001Bowen DJ, Neill JT.A meta-analysis of adventure therapy outcomes and moderators. TOPSYJ. 2013;6(1):28-53. doi:10.2174/1874350120130802001Gelkopf M, Hasson-Ohayon I, Bikman M, Kravetz S.Nature adventure rehabilitation for combat-related posttraumatic chronic stress disorder: A randomized control trial. Psychiatry Research. 2013;209(3):485-493. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.01.026BS SCA.Transforming body image through women’s wilderness experiences. Women & Therapy. 1994;15(3-4):43-54. doi:10.1300/J015v15n03_05Rein R.Storms in Sunny States: Fraud in the Addiction Treatment Industry. Social Science Research Network; 2021.

Gass MA, Gillis, Lee, Russell KC. Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice.; 2020.

Kelly FJ, Baer DJ.Outward Bound Schools as an Alternative to Institutionalization for Adolescent Delinquent Boys.; 1968.

Cambridge Dictionary.Recidivism.

Wilderness adventure therapy effects on the mental health of youth participants. Evaluation and Program Planning. 2016;58:49-59. doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2016.05.005

Sturm J, Plöderl M, Fartacek C, et al.Physical exercise through mountain hiking in high-risk suicide patients. A randomized crossover trial.Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2012;126(6):467-475.

Bowen DJ, Neill JT.A meta-analysis of adventure therapy outcomes and moderators. TOPSYJ. 2013;6(1):28-53. doi:10.2174/1874350120130802001

Gelkopf M, Hasson-Ohayon I, Bikman M, Kravetz S.Nature adventure rehabilitation for combat-related posttraumatic chronic stress disorder: A randomized control trial. Psychiatry Research. 2013;209(3):485-493. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.01.026

BS SCA.Transforming body image through women’s wilderness experiences. Women & Therapy. 1994;15(3-4):43-54. doi:10.1300/J015v15n03_05

Rein R.Storms in Sunny States: Fraud in the Addiction Treatment Industry. Social Science Research Network; 2021.

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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