Therapeutic Wilderness Programs - Outdoor Therapy Camps for Troubled Teens
The following therapeutic wilderness programs focus primarily on the use of the outdoors and wilderness therapy as a way to transform struggling teenagers. Most of these programs have been in existence for a number of years. It is advised that you avoid programs that only recently opened their doors. Established programs usually have a stronger understanding of the safety requirements of a wilderness program.
Adirondack Leadership Expeditions
Wilderness program with an emphasis on the development of leadership skills located in Upstate New York.
Length of Stay: 4 Weeks
Ages: 14-17
Aspen Achievement Academy
A fully accredited outdoor therapy program that has earned the prestigious Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations seal of approval. Located in Utah.
Length of Stay: 7 Weeks
Ages: 13-17
Lone Star Expeditions
A licensed wilderness treatment program located near Houston
Texas
Length of Stay: 28 Days
Ages: 13-17
Passages To Recovery
A wilderness treatment program for young adults and adults in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction that incorporates a vision quest, therapy, and wilderness adventure. Located in Utah.
Length of Stay: 28 Days
Ages: 18-50
Phoenix Outdoor
Phoenix Outdoor is a wilderness therapy program located near Asheville, North Carolina. We work with teenagers, by stepping in when a teenage crisis has escalated.
Ages: 13-17
Four Circles Recovery Center
We specialize in treating young adults who are interested in actively pursuing sustained recovery from addiction and the underlying issues that drive substance abuse. North Carolina
Ages: 18-28
SageWalk, The Wilderness School
Wilderness therapy program featured on ABCs Brat Camp series that followed troubled teens as they worked through their behavioral and emotional issues in this well-respected wilderness program. Oregon.
Length of Stay: 30-60 Days
Ages: 13-17
Outback Therapeutic Expeditions
Outback's Wilderness Programs blend the best of the "ancient cultural systems" with the most effective and proven therapeutic processes. Your troubled teen will experience the highest standards of safety and therapy in the context of one of the most powerful settings for real change - the wilderness. Utah.
Length of Stay: 30 Days
Ages: 13-17
SUWS Adolescent or SUWS Youth
SUWS Troubled Teen Wilderness Programs specialize in helping troubled teens and defiant teens with behavioral and emotional problems. Operating in southern Idaho since 1981, SUWS wilderness programs have assisted young people to identify and work through internal conflicts and emotional obstacles that have kept them from responding to parental efforts, schools, and treatment.
Length of Stay: 21-28 Days
Ages: 11-18
SUWS of the Carolinas
SUWS of the Carolinas is a therapeutic camping program with a focus on clinical intervention and assessment. The program uses the outdoors as an alternative to conventional treatment environments, while engaging students using traditional therapeutic methods.
Length of Stay: 28 Days
Ages: 13-17
Featured Articles
Parents often struggle with the decision to send their child to a wilderness program. A Wilderness Field Supervisor at Adirondack Leadership Expeditions helps parents understand the value of taking this step.
Read Choosing a Wilderness Program: Often a Difficult Decision for Teens and Parents
The teen years often bring a restless yearning to explore, take risks, and have adventure. That's why there are outdoor programs that cater to those impulses.
Read What I Did During Summer Vacation: I kicked my Drug and Alcohol Habit
Wilderness therapy - the process of removing troubled teens from their "emotional comfort zone" by asking them to live in a wilderness setting - is now recognized as one of the single most effective treatment solutions for struggling adolescents. By teaching teens to care for themselves and to take responsibility for their personal well-being, wilderness therapy helps participants develop the skills they need to think more insightfully, realistically assess their abilities, improve their communication skills and practice healthy behavioral habits.
Read Healthy Chioces: Wilderness Therapy Helps Troubled Teens Build Smart Life Skillls
Wilderness therapy programs like Aspen Achievement Academy are widely recognized as one of the most highly effective means of helping troubled teens.