As attention for troubled teen treatment has intensified in recent years, more parents have turned to wilderness therapy as an option. Though some experts have opposed it as a treatment method for their families, other staunchly support wilderness therapy as the only viable solution.
Wilderness therapy is an outdoor and nature-based therapeutic program for adolescents experiencing emotional or behavioral challenges. The approach utilizes clinical expertise, adventure experiences, academic assessments and family systems approaches as part of its holistic treatment method. Wilderness therapy programs are licensed by Idaho state authorities and accredited by American Experiential Education Association for use.
Katelyn Haruko Schmisseur was 16 when she arrived at her wilderness therapy program in Utah. Although her parents tried everything possible to assist with her bulimia, there was nothing left they could do and so they sought advice from a consultant regarding wilderness therapy as a solution.
She spent six weeks living in a desert tent. While given only small portions of food and having to share water among a dozen participants, her bathroom consisted of a tarp tied between two trees that smelled badly due to all the flies it attracted; each week there would only be enough toilet paper for everyone; she resorted to using sticks and leaves as cleaning agents instead.
Even after her difficult experience at wilderness therapy camp, she returned home and has earned a college degree and become a therapist. However, her story is far from unique: other former wilderness therapy campers have also spoken out against its programs, detailing traumatic and even life-threatening experiences they endured there.
With so much at stake, it is vital that you fully comprehend bluefire wilderness therapy reviews before enrolling your child into this program. This article will cover both the fundamentals and advanced topics to assist with making an informed decision regarding their treatment. So don't wait: keep reading now to gain more knowledge!