What Is Wilderness Therapy?

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What Is Wilderness Therapy?

Wilderness therapy is anexperientialform of therapy that combines outdoor experiences and therapy sessions.

“Wilderness therapy can provide an encouraging and understanding milieu for self-discovery. The idea is to learn how to live within a group, develop relationships, and recognize your own capacity for strength,” saysSabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a licensed psychologist with a private practice.

“Wilderness therapy is most often used for at-risk adolescents that are placed in environments that are supposed to mimic the challenges within their natural social structures,” says Romanoff.

This form of therapy is sometimes offered forfamiliesandcouplestoo, as it can be a bonding experience. Doing a wilderness program together can also help families with troubled adolescents address their issues, work on their relationships, and heal as a family.

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Types of Wilderness Therapy

Wilderness therapy is one of two types of therapy that is practiced in outdoor settings. Romanoff outlines these forms of therapy and what they involve:

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Techniques

“Wilderness therapy techniques include adventures, survival skills training, and group bonding activities," says Romanoff. “While these techniques provide the content of the therapy, the transformation occurs during the process as unproductive beliefs and behaviors arise during these situations and have the potential to be transformed.”

These are some of the outdoor activities wilderness therapy can involve:

In addition to these activities, wilderness therapy includes therapy sessions with mental health professionals. The sessions are often conducted in agroup setting; however, they can include individual sessions and support groups as well. Therapists work on challenging negative beliefs and behaviors and replacing them with healthier, more positive thought patterns.

Depending on the program you opt for, you may be placed with others who are the same age as you, or face the same issues. Some programs combine people who are at different stages of treatment; those who have been in the program longer can offer mentorship, guidance, inspiration, and peer support to beginners.

What Wilderness Therapy Can Help With

Wilderness therapy may be helpful with mental health conditions such as:

Additionally, wilderness therapy can also helpteenagerswith issues like low self-esteem, avoidance, defiance, and impulsive, reckless, or rebellious behavior.

The initial stages of wilderness therapy can involve assessing participants to determine what issues they might have.

Benefits of Wilderness Therapy

These are some of the benefits wilderness therapy can offer:

According to a 2016 study, the experiential nature of wilderness therapy, group activities, natural surroundings, being away from home, and success with outdoor activities and physical challenges are some of the things that make wilderness therapy beneficial.

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Effectiveness

Wilderness therapy programs have a rocky history. Even today, many programs struggle to achieve desired outcomes, says Romanoff.

Sabrina Romanoff, PsyDThis form of therapy is quite controversial due to concerns about the quality of care and effectiveness of treatment provided.

Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD

This form of therapy is quite controversial due to concerns about the quality of care and effectiveness of treatment provided.

“There is a high degree of variability of treatment modalities across each program," says Romanoff. “While some programs operate more like an adolescent ‘boot camp,’ they will market themselves as wilderness therapy treatment centers, sometimes luring in desperate parents through deception.”

There have been attempts to formulate best practices and quality standards for this form of therapy, which have led to the establishment of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative, now known as theOutdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center. The center also conducts research on the effectiveness of wilderness therapy.

According to a 2017 study, there is a growing amount of evidence that demonstrates that wilderness and adventure therapy have significant positive outcomes, giving the field more credibility.

For instance, a small study found that a 10-week wilderness and adventure therapy program in Australia helped adolescents with psychological, behavioral, and psychosocial issues. According to the study, the program improved their social self-esteem andpsychological resilience.

Another study notes that there have been increased efforts to ensure that programs and practitioners are licensed and accredited.

Things to Consider

Wilderness therapy can be both lengthy and expensive. According to Romanoff, treatment can cost over $500 per day and last several months. If you are considering this form of therapy, you will need to arrange for several weeks off from your other responsibilities. You should also check yourinsurance plan, because many plans don’t cover wilderness therapy programs.

How to Get Started

When it comes to wilderness therapy, it is important to choose an accredited program withlicensed practitioners.

Your friends or family may be able to suggest a program they have tried before, which can help ensure that it is safe and reliable. If you are seeing a mental healthcare provider, they may be able to refer you to a good program, if they think this form of therapy could be beneficial for you.

It can also be helpful to check out reviews of the program to ensure that there are no health, safety, or ethical concerns linked to it.

Once you have identified a provider, it may be a good idea to visit and check it out—if you are able to—before you sign up. A wilderness camp or boot camp isn’t the same as a wilderness therapy program, so make sure it’s what you’re looking for.

A Word From Verywell

Wilderness therapy involves leaving familiar surroundings to be immersed in nature, where a combination of outdoor activities and therapy sessions help you discover yourself and address any issues you might have.

However, with this form of therapy, it is particularly important to ensure you choose a safe, licensed, and accredited program that has proven to be effective, as you’ll be spending several weeks away from home and your loved ones.

6 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.Wilderness therapy: Benefits, Activities & Wilderness Rehab near me. American Addiction Centers. (2024, August 23). https://americanaddictioncenters.org/therapy-treatment/wildernessZachor DA, Vardi S, Baron-Eitan S, Brodai-Meir I, Ginossar N, Ben-Itzchak E.The effectiveness of an outdoor adventure programme for young children with autism spectrum disorder: a controlled study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2017 May;59(5):550-556. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13337. Epub 2016 Dec 2. PMID: 27911014.Owens M, Bunce HLI.The Potential for Outdoor Nature-Based Interventions in the Treatment and Prevention of Depression. Front Psychol. 2022 Mar 23;13:740210. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.740210. PMID: 35401311; PMCID: PMC8984301.Becker SP, Russell KC.Wilderness therapy.Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer International Publishing; 2016:1-10. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_387-2Harper NJ.Wilderness therapy, therapeutic camping, and adventure education in child and youth care literature: a scoping review.Children and Youth Services Review. 2017;83:68-79. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.10.030Bowen DJ, Neill JT, Crisp SJR.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

6 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.Wilderness therapy: Benefits, Activities & Wilderness Rehab near me. American Addiction Centers. (2024, August 23). https://americanaddictioncenters.org/therapy-treatment/wildernessZachor DA, Vardi S, Baron-Eitan S, Brodai-Meir I, Ginossar N, Ben-Itzchak E.The effectiveness of an outdoor adventure programme for young children with autism spectrum disorder: a controlled study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2017 May;59(5):550-556. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13337. Epub 2016 Dec 2. PMID: 27911014.Owens M, Bunce HLI.The Potential for Outdoor Nature-Based Interventions in the Treatment and Prevention of Depression. Front Psychol. 2022 Mar 23;13:740210. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.740210. PMID: 35401311; PMCID: PMC8984301.Becker SP, Russell KC.Wilderness therapy.Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer International Publishing; 2016:1-10. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_387-2Harper NJ.Wilderness therapy, therapeutic camping, and adventure education in child and youth care literature: a scoping review.Children and Youth Services Review. 2017;83:68-79. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.10.030Bowen DJ, Neill JT, Crisp SJR.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

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.

Wilderness therapy: Benefits, Activities & Wilderness Rehab near me. American Addiction Centers. (2024, August 23). https://americanaddictioncenters.org/therapy-treatment/wildernessZachor DA, Vardi S, Baron-Eitan S, Brodai-Meir I, Ginossar N, Ben-Itzchak E.The effectiveness of an outdoor adventure programme for young children with autism spectrum disorder: a controlled study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2017 May;59(5):550-556. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13337. Epub 2016 Dec 2. PMID: 27911014.Owens M, Bunce HLI.The Potential for Outdoor Nature-Based Interventions in the Treatment and Prevention of Depression. Front Psychol. 2022 Mar 23;13:740210. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.740210. PMID: 35401311; PMCID: PMC8984301.Becker SP, Russell KC.Wilderness therapy.Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer International Publishing; 2016:1-10. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_387-2Harper NJ.Wilderness therapy, therapeutic camping, and adventure education in child and youth care literature: a scoping review.Children and Youth Services Review. 2017;83:68-79. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.10.030Bowen DJ, Neill JT, Crisp SJR.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

Wilderness therapy: Benefits, Activities & Wilderness Rehab near me. American Addiction Centers. (2024, August 23). https://americanaddictioncenters.org/therapy-treatment/wilderness

Zachor DA, Vardi S, Baron-Eitan S, Brodai-Meir I, Ginossar N, Ben-Itzchak E.The effectiveness of an outdoor adventure programme for young children with autism spectrum disorder: a controlled study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2017 May;59(5):550-556. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13337. Epub 2016 Dec 2. PMID: 27911014.

Owens M, Bunce HLI.The Potential for Outdoor Nature-Based Interventions in the Treatment and Prevention of Depression. Front Psychol. 2022 Mar 23;13:740210. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.740210. PMID: 35401311; PMCID: PMC8984301.

Becker SP, Russell KC.Wilderness therapy.Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer International Publishing; 2016:1-10. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_387-2

Harper NJ.Wilderness therapy, therapeutic camping, and adventure education in child and youth care literature: a scoping review.Children and Youth Services Review. 2017;83:68-79. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.10.030

Bowen DJ, Neill JT, Crisp SJR.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

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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