Therapeutic Wilderness Schools - Any Insights?

[Anonymous]

And you have still yet to tell us why you cutting and pasting links of articles critical of wilderness therapy gives you are credibility. YOU HAVE BEEN THRU NOTHING.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Far from narcissism. I have given thousands of hours and dollars to help my child. Anxiety, depression, school refusal, short term residential (tried it before wilderness), wilderness, TBS, PHP programs. Tried it all.....I have always put my child first. I am hoping he can get away from me too, but the reality is he does not have the coping skills to survive on his own. You have no clue. You have done nothing to give yourself any credibility. Those of us who have been thru it know the battle. You just share unvetted news articles....

BTDT mom. I just want to give you and the others who have walked in our shoes a virtual hug. I can feel your pain and frustration because I went through it too. Don’t let those who are criticizing your decision get to you. This is a path no one wants and no one takes easily. It is financially devastating to most of us. And it rips your heart out to realize that you have to send your child because you’ve tried everything else and it failed. Just remember that not a single poster who has been critical offered an alternative.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP. They haven't offered an alternative because there isn't one when you get to that point. The poster who is lambasting wilderness programs is woefully misinformed about what quality programs exist and believes the Paris Hilton's of the world. Don't get me wrong. Abuse exists. But abuse exists everywhere sadly. And I would say it is even worse at the poorly staffed residential facilities. Sigh. I wish I had an answer. My heart hurts every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FYI someone is now flagging and getting deleted articles critical of wilderness therapy — really terrible first hand accounts of physical and mental abuse. Telling.

+1 and most of the specific programs of this thread have an alarming track record

[Anonymous]

Many children were horribly abused by FCPS and local private special ed schools, as detailed in the current restraint lawsuit. Should no one send their children to school???

[Anonymous]

Trails and other reputable programs do have medication management, therapists on the ground 2x/weekly and parent support and family therapy. On treks, the teens are working with wilderness guides some of whom may have some background in psychology, but most of whom are there without specific training other than in wilderness skills (which they teach, btw).

If it appalls you to think that that teens in WT are not under direct supervision by therapists 24/7, I have to ask: just who do you think is on the floor and with patients in a psychiatric facility. It's not the psychiatrists or therapists who are there 24/7, it's the "behavioral techs": high school grads who have passed 40 hour certification courses to get that minimum-wage job.

My DD didn't like WT--especially the wilderness part. But she had a therapist who got her and who started to unlock what here issues were. And even my DD would tell you that WT was nowhere near as traumatizing as the adolescent psychiatric unit, where she dealt with fights, multiple lockdowns, and verbal abuse.

[Anonymous]

I'm noticing a correlation between parents who dismiss credible reports of sexual and physical abuse and children with mental health issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trails and other reputable programs do have medication management, therapists on the ground 2x/weekly and parent support and family therapy. On treks, the teens are working with wilderness guides some of whom may have some background in psychology, but most of whom are there without specific training other than in wilderness skills (which they teach, btw).

If it appalls you to think that that teens in WT are not under direct supervision by therapists 24/7, I have to ask: just who do you think is on the floor and with patients in a psychiatric facility. It's not the psychiatrists or therapists who are there 24/7, it's the "behavioral techs": high school grads who have passed 40 hour certification courses to get that minimum-wage job.

My DD didn't like WT--especially the wilderness part. But she had a therapist who got her and who started to unlock what here issues were. And even my DD would tell you that WT was nowhere near as traumatizing as the adolescent psychiatric unit, where she dealt with fights, multiple lockdowns, and verbal abuse.

oh come off it. a psych ward is staffed by people with more than 3 days of training, and there is regular oversight. oh, and it’s not in the wilderness. And of course the fact that a psych ward was traumatizing does not make wilderness therapy any more acceptable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP. They haven't offered an alternative because there isn't one when you get to that point. The poster who is lambasting wilderness programs is woefully misinformed about what quality programs exist and believes the Paris Hilton's of the world. Don't get me wrong. Abuse exists. But abuse exists everywhere sadly. And I would say it is even worse at the poorly staffed residential facilities. Sigh. I wish I had an answer. My heart hurts every day.

how long do you think you can keep this line up? there are hundreds/thousands of Wilderness “Therapy” program survivor and their friends/relatives (like me) who know it’s not true. if there is a quality program name it, and we’ll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm noticing a correlation between parents who dismiss credible reports of sexual and physical abuse and children with mental health issues.

Again physical and sexual abuse occurs in schools and sports and we still send our kids. In fact when my kid was in a MCPS non mainstream program, a teacher was arrested in connection with sexual abuse of one of the students. The program was and probably still is wonderful despite this horrible event. And gymnastics programs continue even after Larry Nassar.

And of course there is a correlation. If your kid has such serious mental health issues that you are considering WT, you are going to have to put those reports into perspective and realize that it happens everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP. They haven't offered an alternative because there isn't one when you get to that point. The poster who is lambasting wilderness programs is woefully misinformed about what quality programs exist and believes the Paris Hilton's of the world. Don't get me wrong. Abuse exists. But abuse exists everywhere sadly. And I would say it is even worse at the poorly staffed residential facilities. Sigh. I wish I had an answer. My heart hurts every day.

how long do you think you can keep this line up? there are hundreds/thousands of Wilderness “Therapy” program survivor and their friends/relatives (like me) who know it’s not true. if there is a quality program name it, and we’ll see.

And we’re still waiting for the alternative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP. They haven't offered an alternative because there isn't one when you get to that point. The poster who is lambasting wilderness programs is woefully misinformed about what quality programs exist and believes the Paris Hilton's of the world. Don't get me wrong. Abuse exists. But abuse exists everywhere sadly. And I would say it is even worse at the poorly staffed residential facilities. Sigh. I wish I had an answer. My heart hurts every day.

how long do you think you can keep this line up? there are hundreds/thousands of Wilderness “Therapy” program survivor and their friends/relatives (like me) who know it’s not true. if there is a quality program name it, and we’ll see.

And we’re still waiting for the alternative.

the alternative is “don’t send your kid there.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm noticing a correlation between parents who dismiss credible reports of sexual and physical abuse and children with mental health issues.

Again physical and sexual abuse occurs in schools and sports and we still send our kids. In fact when my kid was in a MCPS non mainstream program, a teacher was arrested in connection with sexual abuse of one of the students. The program was and probably still is wonderful despite this horrible event. And gymnastics programs continue even after Larry Nassar.

And of course there is a correlation. If your kid has such serious mental health issues that you are considering WT, you are going to have to put those reports into perspective and realize that it happens everywhere.

would you knowingly send your kid to a place where kids were routinely abused and did not have access to therapists and the program was designed to cause emotional distress? completely different from an incident of sexual abuse in schools.

[Anonymous]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/7/12/22565911/can-the-300-million-teen-therapy-sector-be-reformed-by-legislation-and-public-pressure-paris-hilton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP. They haven't offered an alternative because there isn't one when you get to that point. The poster who is lambasting wilderness programs is woefully misinformed about what quality programs exist and believes the Paris Hilton's of the world. Don't get me wrong. Abuse exists. But abuse exists everywhere sadly. And I would say it is even worse at the poorly staffed residential facilities. Sigh. I wish I had an answer. My heart hurts every day.

how long do you think you can keep this line up? there are hundreds/thousands of Wilderness “Therapy” program survivor and their friends/relatives (like me) who know it’s not true. if there is a quality program name it, and we’ll see.

And we’re still waiting for the alternative.

the alternative is “don’t send your kid there.”

No not an alternative. When your kid needs help and your kid and family are in danger, no treatment is not the answer. I stand by my decision and thank God we had the means to do it.