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What Is Wilderness Therapy?
Wilderness therapy is anexperientialform of therapy that combines outdoor experiences and therapy sessions.
Wilderness therapy can provide an encouraging and understanding milieu for self-discovery.
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This form of therapy is sometimes offered forfamiliesandcouplestoo, as it can be a bonding experience.
With this come reports of mental and physical abuse.
Always do your research before taking part in any program that advertises itself as “wilderness therapy.”
Therapists work on challenging negative beliefs and behaviors and replacing them with healthier, more positive thought patterns.
The initial stages of wilderness therapy can involve assessing participants to determine what issues they might have.
Effectiveness
Wilderness therapy programs have a rocky history.
Even today, many programs struggle to achieve desired outcomes, says Romanoff.
There is a high degree of variability of treatment modalities across each program," says Romanoff.
The center also conducts research on the effectiveness of wilderness therapy.
According to the study, the program improved their social self-esteem andpsychological resilience.
Another study notes that there have been increased efforts to ensure that programs and practitioners are licensed and accredited.
Things to Consider
Wilderness therapy can be both lengthy and expensive.
According to Romanoff, treatment can cost over $500 per day and last several months.
You should also check yourinsurance plan, because many plans dont cover wilderness therapy programs.
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