About Us

A Passion for Changing Lives

You may be here today because you are uncertain about your child's future. Perhaps you have come to a fork in the road, and you feel deep down that if something doesn't change, your child's livelihood could be in jeopardy. Will they find their path? Will they discover their abilities and become emotionally equipped to make good choices?

“We believe WinGate will give your teen or young adult the greatest chance at living a healthy, fulfilled life. I promise they will be loved and guided during their stay here… it is our mission and purpose to help them.”

– Shayne GallagherFounder, WinGate

Our Story

WinGate was founded with the recognition that healthy relationships are the driving force for sustainable change and that natural settings can greatly enhance therapeutic outcomes. Real change doesn't come from punitive measures, but internal motivation.

Through building supportive, secure relationships with staff and peers, WinGate provides an answer to the growing problem of teen anxiety, depression, addiction and relational instability.

Nature-based adventure therapy has proven to increase individuals' resiliency: a priceless skill that helps us overcome the inevitable obstacles in life. Camp activities and nature's variance teach adaptability and community cohesion.

WinGate's program is unique, providing an actual wilderness experience with the constant support of trained field staff, medical staff, and licensed therapists. True adventure activities combine with structured, regulated therapy treatment plans to heal traumas and empower youth.

Why Wilderness?

At WinGate, we provide an Actual Wilderness Experience (A.W.E.), in which the natural environment is utilized as an integral part of the healing process. The wilderness inherently presents challenging situations and forces each student to discover their own abilities and strengths in order to overcome them. Free from all outside stimuli, your child will come face to face with themselves in a very unique and revealing way—one that places them squarely in front of the mirror of life and allows them to see things as they really are.

Immersed in the beautiful wilderness of Southern Utah, your child will be exposed to a “way of being” that is deeply personal. They will learn valuable communication and relationship skills and be taught to identify and overcome the mal-adaptive coping behaviors that have been holding them back. Through the process of stepping away from their old routines and patterns, they will learn to rely on themselves and work to achieve the things they want, without force or rewards to move them along. This is the path to increasing confidence and self-esteem, and to creating a pattern for long lasting change.

Along with the growth that comes from the challenges of wilderness living, our dynamic, caring and multi-disciplinary therapeutic team is also on site to support you and your child as you deepen family relationship and heal.