Finding your path in life as a young adult can be filled with wrong turns or dead ends. It’s not uncommon to experience setbacks on your way to accomplishing your goals, but on those occasions where you find yourself stuck and unable to find another path out, wilderness therapy can help.
Wilderness therapy can act like a reset button for young adults who feel stuck in their life. By moving into a new environment, you can leave behind negative habits or patterns you may have developed in your everyday life. Attending wilderness therapy can feel like starting with a clean slate where you can leave behind things that no longer serve you, while also developing healthier habits and coping mechanisms for the future.
The Benefits of Wilderness Therapy for Young Adults
Developing Self Confidence: Wilderness therapy activities such as setting up and breaking down campsites and backcountry hiking teaches young adults to learn new skills they may never have tried at home. Learning these skills and developing mastery over them, boosts self-esteem as you begin to see how many goals can be accomplished with the proper practice and education.
Problem Solving: Wilderness therapy is full of opportunities to problem solve. We are often faced with problems in life, and without problem-solving skills, these problems can seem insurmountable. Wilderness therapy teaches us to see things from a different perspective. If you’re out rock climbing and you keep falling off of the route, do you give up? Or can you come up with a new plan to help you continue up the rock?
Building Healthy Coping Mechanisms: Often when we are feeling depressed or anxious, we turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like overuse of technology or substances. In wilderness therapy there is no access to technology or alcohol, so young adults have to learn how to cope with stress without those unhealthy habits. Maybe you find that when you’re feeling depressed, a hike can help you get out of your head and connect to people around you. Or when you’re feeling anxious, focusing on a small task like preparing a meal can help you feel more focused and in control.
Working with Mental Health Professionals: One of the biggest benefits of wilderness therapy is combining the healing powers of nature with the clinical experience of mental health professionals. Clinicians may use individual, group, or family therapy to help you address any underlying issues that may be affecting how you see your path in life. These professionals can help you create a plan for clear goals once you return back home.
BlueFire PulsaR Can Help
At blueFire PulsaR, clients have the chance to gain a better sense of themselves as individuals and begin forming goals with the guidance of therapeutic professionals. Through exciting adventure-based activities like mountaineering, bouldering, and canoeing, clients step outside of their comfort zone and build translatable skills such as leadership, teamwork, and accountability. As clients take part in wilderness programming, we are able to assess their needs and begin to form a plan for transitioning away from past negative behaviors. Our transition planning helps identify key points as your child heads home and uses the wilderness to gain the confidence needed to no longer make the same mistakes.
We utilize wilderness therapy in coordination with a strong therapeutic component and family involvement to help young adults launch themselves into a brighter, more successful future. For more information please call (208) 565-2764.