Answers For Parents

Wilderness programs are extremely effective in treatment of troubled teens and young adults

In past years wilderness programs have had some bad publicity. This bad publicity was often due to staff of wilderness programs who were not properly trained for treatment of troubled teens in a wilderness program environment. It is true that the wilderness can be a potentially dangerous environment. On the flip side the wilderness is the most powerful teaching environment that could ever be introduced to troubled teens. Wilderness programs currently are extremely regulated and supported by state and local agencies. The wilderness programs that Answers For Parents provides placement services to meet our high standards of safety and effectiveness.

Answers For Parents would like to shed some light on the power of the new breed of wilderness programs. Wilderness programs are very safe. Staff in the programs we refer to are highly trained both in wilderness survival and first aid. Most wilderness programs while sounding so remote are actually within a short distance of hospitals and care centers. These logistics are by design. Also wilderness programs are in constant communication with local law enforcement agencies who support their efforts and are ready to assist if problems arise 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Troubled teens in properly run wilderness programs are safer than walking down the street in your neighborhood.

Wilderness programs that Answers For Parents refer to are also staffed with qualified and certified therapeutic professionals whose titles range from CSW, LCSW, and PhD. The therapists are in charge of the treatment of the troubled teens in the wilderness. Wilderness programs are not manipulation camps, but rather therapeutic programs where nature is used as the perfect healing agent. The beauty of nature alone calms the most troubled of troubled teens. Waking up to the sun rising and going to sleep as the sunsets and being surrounded by nature constantly acts as a purifying agent. Literally lungs that were once filled with damaging chemicals from drugs and smoking become clean. Minds that were polluted by the negative forces around them become pure as nature inspires.

In wilderness programs troubled teens learn survival skills such as the bow drill fire and other skills that would enable them to survive if they were lost in a wilderness. This getting back to nature and roots brings out tremendous confidence in troubled teens. The skills they learn are not easy and take a tremendous amount of dedication and patience to master. The skills learned then become object lessons for therapists and trained staff to help the troubled teens apply to their lives. As troubled teens overcome the great challenges of life in the wilderness without the luxuries of the world positive attributes begin to emerge and take form.

This getting back to nature treatment has been proven to stick with troubled teens through their lives and the object lessons learned from the nature around them and what they have had to overcome will come back to them when they are in difficult situations in life. Wilderness programs for troubled teens are extremely effective in treating ADD and ADHD. With all distractions removed students are able to focus on the school work that is provided to them while in the wilderness and come to appreciate having the ability to focus. The total removal of distractions also causes troubled teens to undergo introspection. Troubled teens see where they were going more clearly and are more honest with themselves in a wilderness setting.

Typically wilderness programs are of a shorter duration than residential treatment centers. This is due to the extreme focus that wilderness programs can provide for troubled teens to look at their lives. Often change occurs more quicly in wilderness programs. Also wilderness programs quite often are the perfect transition for troubled teens into longer term treatment programs like residential treatment centers.

How does Answers For Parents help parents of troubled teens and young adults?

Answers For Parents is committed to helping troubled teens change their lives and once again become integral members of their families and communities. Although there is no greater resource than parents communicating and strengthening their troubled teens, sometimes intervention is required outside of the family unit and this is where Answers For Parents can help. Answers For Parents offers free expert treatment program Admissions Services for troubled teens and young adults. Please call us today for a free and confidential consultation at 877-242-6793. You can view our 24/7 Parent Help Line by clicking here.