Things are finally warming
up! In a few weeks, Wendigo Lake’s canoes will again be carrying youth working
to overcome their inner demons of substance abuse, trauma and emotional
regulation through some of the most beautiful wilderness areas on the planet in
search of their better selves.
The world of
evidence-based practice is also warming up to adventure therapy. A recent flood
of peer-reviewed research is confirming what adventure therapy staff and
students have long known through personal experience. The American
Psychological Association (APA) recently featured adventure therapy as the
cover story for their magazine and this year’s APA conference in Washington
D.C. will see seven presentations on research related to adventure therapy.
Just this month, a
journal article by seven doctoral researchers entitled “Adventure Therapy With
Youth” addresses the question ‘does it work’:
“Research on wilderness programs has shown it
to be effective in improving overall functioning of adolescent clients, as well
as specifically reducing symptoms of distress related to interpersonal and mental
health challenges.”
The second most
frequently asked question, “is it safe” also now has an answer. Definitive published
evidence reports that participants in quality wilderness therapy programs are
at substantially reduced risk of illness and injury compared to their
community-based peers.
Adventure therapy draws
upon the benefits of intensive cognitive behavioural programming guided and
supported by clinically trained staff. It also leverages the proven benefits of
high levels of physical activity, solving challenges that build self-efficacy
and resilience, and harnesses the restorative power of soft-fascination within
nature. Above all, the strong relationships and therapeutic alliance formed
with adventure program staff forms the physically and emotionally safe context
for treatment-resistant youth to take the first tentative steps from
pre-contemplation into action towards positive change.
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