There was a time not so long ago when people would view any kind of addiction treatment that fell outside traditional guidelines as radical. Much has changed in the last few years. After decades of seeing traditional addiction treatment programs fail to deliver lasting recoveries, the addiction treatment community went looking for answers. The answer they came up with is putting more focus on evidence-based therapies as well as holistic treatment programs. That’s why experts now consider a wilderness therapy program to be a viable way to treat addictions.
What is a Wilderness Therapy Program?
There’s something about nature that’s very soothing to the human spirit and soul. This is something the addiction treatment community picked up on several years back when they started experimenting with wilderness therapy programs. What they discovered is this type of therapy is very effective in helping clients find internal balance and focus.
When we prescribe our wilderness therapy program in Tacoma, WA, we do so because we believe certain clients need more from treatment. They need the opportunity to experience new things that could bring more excitement into their life. By taking them out into the wilderness for games, exercises, and also camaraderie, we are trying to get them away from their old selves.
While the events and exercises may vary from one addiction treatment program to the next, the goal is the same. A wilderness therapy program is a tool therapist use to connect clients to healthy thoughts as well as behaviors. It’s a way of changing the way clients think and feel about themselves. This is a particularly effective method when therapists use it with evidence-based therapies like CBT and DBT.
In some ways, our wilderness therapy program in Tacoma, WA, is just like our art therapy program in Tacoma, WA. They both offer the client a chance to work on certain aspects of their life while perhaps acquiring a new interest in the process. We have designed our wilderness group activities to help clients develop life skills like trust, self-confidence, and also better communication. These are the skills we all need to successfully live life on life’s terms.
The Value of Changing Thoughts and Feelings
People generally fall prey to addictions because they are struggling on a personal or emotional level. In evidence based therapies like Cognitive Behavioral therapy, therapists teach clients about self-awareness. Clients learn to be aware of their negative thoughts and how those thoughts result in harmful behaviors. If negative feelings and emotions are prompting their addiction, they learn to be aware of it. It’s the awareness that gives them the opportunity to change their thoughts and feelings. By changing thoughts and feelings to something positive, the need to self-medicate dissipates.
A wilderness therapy program works well within an evidence based model. It provides the client with the tools they will need to make the changes they need to make. In the end, it all comes together to improve the client’s overall well-being. What we know from experience is happy people don’t need to self-medicate. They can generally get all the fulfillment they need without drugs or alcohol. If they learn in the process to enjoy being in the great outdoors, that’s a huge bonus.
Bayview Recovery – Creative Addiction Treatment
As addiction treatment professionals, we don’t have to live with many limitations. If we can create holistic ways to help clients arrest their addictions, we are doing our job. Our therapists enjoy finding new ways to help clients find a path to a lasting recovery. Here’s a look at some of the ways we help:
- Inpatient (residential) – primary and extended care of over three months
- Partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient options
- Aftercare programs
- Referrals for detox programs
- Dual diagnosis therapy
- Trauma therapy
- Individual and group therapy programs
We sympathize with how difficult your life must be while you are living with your addiction. Using the information above, it should indicate to you that we are serious about helping clients. To learn more about the way Bayview Recovery approaches our wilderness therapy program, you can call our staff at 855.478.3650. This is the call that could change your life for the better.
