Wilderness Therapy Immersion

Deschutes Wilderness provides an intensive, individualized, and thorough healing process. Our nationally recognized, individually tailored wilderness challenge programs lead the way in relational model wilderness therapy. This program is designed for struggling youth needing immediate and longer-term treatment, and combines a challenging wilderness experience with an intensive clinical immersion. Deschutes' intervention services are designed to be a catalyst for positive change by fostering an encouraging atmosphere with an emphasis on safety, family involvement, and mastery. Deschutes Wilderness offers individualized treatment plans and optional psychological evaluations, as well as addressing family dynamics and academic needs.

Families of adolescents should expect students to be enrolled at Deschutes Wilderness Therapy for approximately 85-90 days and young adults for about 60 days. The length of stay is highly individualized for each student.

Our Wilderness Therapy Includes:

  • Access to Lead Therapist at least 2 days per week
  • Automatic enrollment in the Deschutes Wilderness Academy
  • Clearly defined and categorized diagnosis
  • Customized and individualized adventure education experiences
  • Therapeutic activities with an intricate and intensive examination, assessment, and interventions that focus on the individual and family dynamics
  • Group and individual therapy with at least two 1 on 1 therapy sessions per week with the opportunity for more
  • Thorough intake assessment
  • Continuing care plan recommendations

Additional options:

  • Psychological evaluation available

Mental Health Professionals

Gain The Benefits of Our Research

Learn how Deschutes Wilderness is helping make the case for wilderness therapy as a tool to improve the psychological, family and psychophysiological functioning of struggling adolescents.

Join Co-Founder Steve Sawyer and fellow authors Emily G. Johnson, Edward B. David, Jake Johnson, Jana D. Pressley and Joseph Spinazzola in fostering personal and interpersonal growth/well-being.

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