Wilderness Therapy Programs

As one of the top wilderness therapy programs in the U.S., WinGate Wilderness Therapy is designed to help troubled teens struggling with addiction, substance abuse, violent behaviors, sexual promiscuity, academic underachievement, and more. As the result of high success rates, wilderness therapy programs for teens is becoming an increasingly more popular treatment option, especially for adolescents that have already completed other programs unsuccessfully.

Wilderness Therapy Programs for Teens

Wilderness therapy programs for teens have a tremendous impact on struggling youth because it requires teens to be taken out of their comfort zone and placed in nature. Without access to media or the outside world, troubled adolescents are able to completely focus on his or her treatment.

While under 24 hour supervision, the teens learn the importance of responsibility and self-efficacy while also participating in outdoor therapy, experiential therapy, and learning the life skills they need to succeed in life. The results are nothing short of life changing.

Why Are Wilderness Programs Effective?

Participating in wilderness therapy programs for teens eliminates the distractions that are common in traditional programs, which allows teens to develop stronger relationships with staff members and their peers. This makes the adolescents take a closer look at, and gain better insight into, their past unhealthy behaviors, as well as what they need to do in order to alter the path their life is currently on.

The self-esteem boost they get from overcoming the challenges of nature only supports their desire to change. Everything, including individual and group therapy sessions, comes together to produce dramatic results in a shorter period than traditional treatment.

Wilderness Treatment Program

As a top wilderness treatment program in the United States, WinGate Wilderness Therapy provides troubled teens with the treatment and therapy they need to overcome oppositional behavior, poor self-esteem, depression, addiction, obsessive/compulsive behavior, and other mental health conditions. Using the Arbinger "Choice" Philosophy, adolescents learn the life skills they need to change while in a wilderness environment devoid of distraction.

WinGate is a proud member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP). We have created a therapeutic environment that is both challenging and nurturing and helps struggling teens look beyond their past struggles and negative behaviors to discover who they truly are inside.

In addition to individual and group therapy, WinGate uses experiential therapy, which helps clients explore underlying issues that they may have difficulty identifying and exploring in traditional one-on-one therapy. This helps adolescents make choices that both align with their true values and allows them to meet their needs in a healthy manner.

Experiential therapy is also a central component of the WinGate wilderness treatment program, because it helps at-risk teens regain their self-esteem and develop self-efficacy. Wilderness therapy gives them a renewed sense of accomplishment and the ability to start believing in themselves again, as well as the life skills they need to lead a successful and positive life. Also, teens with a history of substance abuse are also introduced to the powerful 12 steps.

Wilderness therapy programs for teens helps even the most resistant adolescents open up to treatment and is particularly beneficial for teens that haven't found lasting success in other therapeutic programs. Additionally, our wilderness treatment program often results in more rapid changes than traditional treatment.

Accredited Wilderness Therapy Programs

WinGate is an accredited wilderness therapy program. Here, troubled teens receive the therapy and treatment they need to recover from substance abuse, depression, anxiety, aggression, poor academic performance, and more in an outdoor environment that is conducive to restoring their emotional health. Given the unique opportunity to reconnect with their true self in an environment that is free of distractions and negative influences, adolescents often change more rapidly than they do in a traditional treatment program.

At WinGate, struggling teens benefit from a combination of experiential, adventure, individual, and group therapy, as well as by learning the life skills they need to change their dysfunctional ways and grow into a self-sufficient adult. The WinGate wilderness therapy programs for teens is based on the Arbinger "Choice" Philosophy. This teaches adolescents to view others, such as their parents or siblings, as people instead of as objects they can use to get the things they want. Teens struggling with addiction are also introduced to the 12 steps. The results are nothing short of outstanding.

As one of the top, accredited wilderness therapy programs in the United States, WinGate was founded by a group of experienced wilderness therapists and leaders in the industry who believe that for at-risk teens to makes changes that last a lifetime, they need to feel appreciated, respected, safe, and in control of the changes they are making in their life. This results in healing that comes from deep within and leads to lifelong changes.

The professional consultants at WinGate are available to confidentially coach and guide the parents of struggling adolescents. Call (800) 560-1599 today for assistance!