Natural Healing: Benefits of Choosing a Therapeutic Wilderness Program for Your Child

There are many types of therapy. Most approaches, however, focus on alleviating the immediate symptoms – and, once the symptoms have been hidden by any means necessary, the person is declared healthy. Unfortunately, the initial cause of the problem is still there, unaltered, waiting for an opportunity to strike. At a therapeutic wilderness program, however, a child’s struggles are targeted from within: by healing the struggles inside and out, a child can achieve a true sense of well-being.
A therapeutic wilderness program utilizes a holistic approach (one that simultaneously focuses on mind, body, and spirit), along with a positive outlook. Troubled children in a therapeutic wilderness program aren’t constantly reminded of past failures and problems; instead, they are shown the true extent of their own powers. Many teens who enter a therapeutic wilderness program come in believing themselves to be powerless. By the time the program ends, they have a newfound sense of strength. At a therapeutic wilderness program, a child can learn confidence, self-reliance, teamwork, communication skills, among many other tools that they can use for the rest of their life.

Things to Look for in a Therapeutic Wilderness Program

Your child’s safety is the number one priority in any situation. Wilderness programs are guided by highly-trained professionals and medical staff that ensures no harm can come to your child during any of the activities. Moreover, it is important to note that the wilderness programs of today are very different from those of even twenty years ago; no longer is wilderness therapy the equivalent of boot camps. Today, it is a very real therapeutic experience. As a parent, staying informed helps alleviate any of the fears or doubts. You can rest assured that your child’s health – mentally and physically – is in the very best of hands at a wilderness program.  
Wilderness programs can help your child through a variety of approaches. Every child is different and, consequently, the therapy has to be tailored specifically to your child’s needs. A wilderness program offers wilderness therapy, adventure-based therapy, equine programming, and many other types of educational activities – that also happen to be fun. The wilderness approach has the unique angle of making therapy fun.
As part of the process to heal a struggling child’s environment, the wilderness approach focuses on family. Constant updates and family therapy repair relationships and strengthen bonds that might’ve been strained by a child’s struggles. The struggles addressed through wilderness programs include a wide range of issues from mental illness and addiction to simply needing a break. Overall, a wilderness program can guide a child back onto the path toward a happy, healthy future.
If your child is having problems, it may be time to consider professional help. Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program for struggling teens, ages 11-17. Our students commonly deal with issues such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma, and substance use.
For more information about Trails Carolina, please call 800-975-7303 today!