Move 2
Nature can be a very healing place for everyone, but especially for the youth of the world. The Center for Mental Health Services came out with a recent study that showed that one in eight adolescent teens suffer from some kind of depression. As a highschool student I understand the pressures placed on young adolescent teens all too well. Sometimes it can feel like you're trapped, and no matter what way you go things just won't work out. Young adolescent teens have a lot of stressful and emotional factors that may build up in their lives. Just because teens are transitioning into adulthood doesn't mean that they necessarily understand how to manage emotions and cope with stress. Sometimes the routines of life catch up with you and you feel like you're constantly spending your life in roles that aren't your own. Wilderness therapy is way of helping physically and psychologically damaged kids
Wilderness therapy can help kids find purpose in their lives that they may not have seen back in the complicated mess back home. Nature can represents a place to escape, reflect, and heal. The outdoors is an amazing place to play and to seek guidance in times of trouble. The soothing rhythms of nature can take lives that need saving and repurpose them so that they can lead happier healthier lives. Going on wilderness therapy excursions can mean leaving for seven days immersed in nature or leaving for the whole summer. The idea of wilderness therapy is meant to break routine and get you out of your comfort zone so you can begin sorting things in your life on levels of necessity and overall importance. Nature can very easily take you out of your comfort zone, and it can also create a place of zen. Wilderness therapy can come in many forms.
The reason why mountain climbing and hiking is incorporated into a lot of wilderness therapy courses is because it is hard and psychologically challenging. The fact that climbing is a physical challenge but also a psychological challenge makes it very relatable to life. The actual scaling of a mountain takes endurance and determin.
While researching wilderness therapy courses I found that nearly all of them involved some kind of climbing or hiking that would get you out of your comfort zone. A lot of times in life we are put in uncomfortable situations and forced to adapt and use different skills to reach our goals and aspirations. Setting personal goals and and working your hardest to try and achieve these goals is another aspect in wilderness therapy.
Everett said his outdoor experience with NOLS was for thirty days in the backcountry of Wyoming was incredible. They walked through marshes, mountainous passes, and climbed Mount Gaike. All of the time he said he hiked in small groups and would meet up at different checkpoints that night. He said that he really enjoyed this because you were on your own and were able to do whatever. He also said that it was in a lot of ways kind of scary be as you had to rely on each other not to get lost. When they would get back to the checkpoint he said that they felt accomplished and had a sense of pride that went along with it. Everett said that it taught him to be independent and helped him develop a sense of leadership in his own life. During his thirty day adventure their guide would give them multiple leadership opportunities. Everett said that they could lead hikes during the day or organize cooking groups at night. During the whole adventure he stressed that they were constantly trying to get kids to lead and take on more responsibilities within the group. One of the best things I got out of Everett was when he told me that after the trio he felt accomplished and more mature. He said that he felt like he could take on anything in life and execute it no matter how difficult the task. The trip taught him to endure and overcome, and that speaks a lot to what these adventures are all about.
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