Where can I find the best wilderness therapy programs for troubled teens from Michigan?

The best wilderness therapy programs for troubled teens from Michigan are found in the South West parts of the United States.  Specifically Utah.  These therapeutic programs are located in some of the most beautiful areas of our country.  Even though the therapeutic portion of the program takes place in the wilderness, they are safe and effective.  Wilderness therapy progerams are very successful and popular with parents of troubled teens with substance abuse issues.  Why?  Because they work.  Wilderness therapy is a short-term therapeutic program which are affordable and deliver a high impact. For immediate help finding the perfect therapeutic option for your troubled child please call and speak with our Family Advocate.   Let us help you to find an affordable wilderness program, saving you time, money, and years of pain.

The downside to therapeutic wilderness programs is the fact that they take place in the wilderness, and can be physically dangerous. Students are taught to basically survive in all kinds of terrains and outdoor circumstances (extreme heat, extreme cold, wind, rain, and snow). The students do a great deal of hiking, which can be a very good thing. They also do most of the cooking and preparation of food for meals. But they are in the outdoors, and sometimes their food and water supplies are limited. When students get sick, for example, it is very hard to cope with. Also, it is very difficult to maintain any academic pursuit while the troubled teen is in the wilderness experience.

The upside to the therapeutic wilderness program is the fact that students are removed from their cushy home environments, and are forced to take responsibility for their own needs. Complaining, whining, and arguing become meaningless.  Moreover, there is a great deal of individual and group therapy in the wilderness experience.  Therapist are actually in the field with the campers. They are dependent upon the trained adult counselors and each other for their very survival. They grow up and mature quickly. They also bond well with the adult mentors (life coaches). Being in the wilderness, with lots of time to reflect and think, is a sensational environment to “get it together”. Most wilderness therapy programs also provide the parent with an in depth assessment of the issues that led to the child’s rebellion.

Where are the best wilderness therapy programs for troubled teens from Michigan?

The best wilderness therapy programs are located in the State of Utah. But more importantly, the best question is... "why are wilderness therapy programs so popular?  Why do they work?"  The answer is simple.  In the wilderness there are no unehealthy distractions (TV, Internet, Cell Phones, Facebook, negative friends, boy and girl friends, drugs, etc).  Moreover, in the wilderness the campers learn to trust the staff and each other (because they are in the wilderness).  Trusting staff is a key to the success of the wilderness programs.

While wilderness therapy programs for troubled teens and young adults offer therapeutic value, the wilderness programs are not based on traditional therapeutic models. They are based on a therapeutic experiential component where demanding physical requirements encourage emotional and spiritual awakening, personal reflection, and responsibility toward self and others.  The wilderness setting can help troubled teens and young adults access a deeper understanding of self and how they relate to the world around them, and the therapeutic experience is derived from the intentional, focused outcome facilitated by clinically trained counselors.

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