Our Transition Model: Practice & Success in Multiple Settings to resemble The Real World
While at Trails, your child will transition from wilderness therapy to base camp and back again. Testing their newfound skills in healthy communication, stress management, and more in a mix of environments helps to prepare them for the dynamic nature of the real world. Too often students get into a rhythm with a specific environment and certain individuals but fail to maintain that progress when returning home. Our focus on transitions prevents this and helps to build resilience.
Our transition cycle includes wilderness expeditions where students work with our Wilderness Team for up to two weeks. During these expeditions, students hike through wilderness areas and learn valuable skills, such as how to set up basecamp, safely filter water, navigate with a map and compass, create fire and meet their immediate needs.
90% of students showed improvement in Extremely Significant Symptoms of anxiety and depression 12 months after graduation
Wilderness Therapy Transitions: Returning From the Wilderness to Structure
After the expedition is complete, students move to our Sky Valley base camp for a week of academics, health, and wellness. Our Trails to Wellness team provides classes in yoga, mindfulness, therapeutic art, wellness education, and culinary classes. In addition, students at Sky Valley work with our Science Specialist in the Nature Center to learn from the plants and wildlife surrounding us.
Following the week at Sky Valley, students rotate to our Winding Gap Base Camp where they benefit from traditional academics and equine work. Under the careful supervision of our Equine Specialist, students learn to connect with their emotions and become more confident by working with horses. Our Academic Specialist works with students to develop new skills to improve their academic performance.
Once they’ve spent time practicing their newfound skills at base camp and in adventure programming, students return to expedition.
Comprehensive wilderness therapy program combined with a residential treatment base camp and accredited academics
Why We Focus On Transitions
Varied environments and staff across different parts of our curriculum are critical for students to practice, refine, and strengthen their skills so they can succeed at home. Transitions include both this practical change as well as a plan for tomorrow. Everything we do is meant to prepare students to graduate Trails with the confidence they will be able to transition their new skills toward a brighter future.
Planning For A Positive Future
After a thorough initial assessment and effective, research-based interventions have been completed, we continue to support your child by working with them to develop a practical and detailed plan for their transition home. It is not enough for your child to say they are going to do things better—we want to make sure there is a detailed plan that they’ve committed to, and that both you and your child have the tools needed for the plan to be successful.
Our team of therapists will support you with resources, templates, and tools that will allow your family to build on the progress made while your child attended Trails Carolina.
Rebuilding Family Connections
Family Involvement Improves Student Outcomes
Your child’s long-term success is predicated on the support, participation, and growth of the most important people in their life – family. A child that returns home to an unchanged family who hasn’t developed the skills to support their progress is far more likely to slip into well-worn, negative patterns of behavior. For this reason, we’ve developed a comprehensive wilderness therapy program for the entire family.
Family Calls & Support
One of the core components of how we keep the family involved is the weekly call you’ll receive from your child’s Primary Therapist. This therapist will be able to share a more specific understanding of the progress your child is making, and what challenges still remain to be overcome.
We also believe that the weekly Family Support Calls are incredibly valuable, allowing you to connect with other Trails families who are facing similar challenges. Struggling with your child’s behavior can feel isolating, but you aren’t alone. Becoming connected with other families who have experienced similar emotions can provide tremendous relief, honest perspective, and hope for a brighter tomorrow.
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Contact us today to learn how Trails Carolina can help your family
Trails saved my daughter’s life. Amanda is an amazing human and a brilliant therapist. I am so grateful to her, Science Steve, and the other wonderful people who could reach my daughter at a time when I could not.
Margot Lowman August 2022
Great life changing experience for our son. After becoming addicted to gaming during covid he was very depressed. At Trails he experienced the wilderness, Science Steve, learning survival skills and top notch therapy and support etc… I highly recommend! This gave our son and our family a renewed family bond full of love and excitement about his bright future.
Winnifred Wilson July 2022
Outstanding clinical work and superb staff! There’s a great culture at this company and it shows with how they engage with families/clients.
Kristin Brace June 2022