1. Wilderness Adventure Therapy for At-Risk Youth states that young people face a variety of daily risks, some of which include identity formation, transitions within schools, and physiological changes (Weston, 1999). Some of the most common issues that lead individuals into an adventure therapy program include behavioral problems, conduct disorders, depression, school and family problems, self-esteem problems, and suicidal ideation. A lot of the programs that we see being used to deal with these problems are options like reform schools, juvenile court system, psychotherapy, job training programs, social service projects, and the prosecution of adolescents under adult laws. Other efforts have been made in educational campaigns, after-school recreation programs, sports, and military-style boot camps. Adventure therapy is a refreshing, nontraditional intervention approach that is gaining popularity. Adventure Therapy and Adjudicated Youth (AEE, 2011) shows us that it is important to consider other options for our adolescents outside of sending them to jail. One particular study suggests that adjudicated youth who are sent to jail, instead of an adventure therapy program, are 2-3 times more likely to re-commit crimes when they are dismissed (Russell, 2001). Not only did the adventure therapy programs reduce the rates of re-arrests, but they also saved $205,135 for each successfully treated adolescent when compared to the costs of the Youth Development Center programs. Studies have shown there are certain critical elements that should be included when providing adventure therapy for juvenile delinquents. (Gillis and Gass, 2010), identify these seven critical elements that are needed for successful adventure therapy; treatment that is enhanced by action-oriented experiences, centered on the use of unfamiliar client environments, producing a climate of functional change through the positive use of stress, highly informed with client assessment, conducted in a small group with a supportive atmosphere, focused on solution oriented principles and techniques, and changed role of the therapist to remain more “mobile” to actively design and frame interventions. Adventure Therapy in the lives of Adolescents and Men Department of Recreation & Park Administration Kody Thompson, Michelle Gerken, Ph.D., Ryan Sharp, Ph.D. Although most of the studies that exist on adventure therapy focus on the success that the programs find with adolescent males, there is also evidence that shows success with the participation of adult men. Adventure therapy: A supplementary group therapy approach for men is an exploratory study that investigated adventure therapy as an approach to enrich the therapeutic experience for men that were seeking therapy in an office setting (Scheinfeld, Rochlen, and Buser, 2011). The researchers wanted to find the answers to 3 questions: 1. What were the helpful or unhelpful aspects of Adventure Therapy? 2. How did being in the wilderness and engaging in adventure activities influence their therapeutic experience? 3. In what ways did being male and being with only men impact their therapeutic experience? Review of Literature Research Questions Findings Introduction In America, adolescent drug use, violent crime, and behavioral problems are on the rise while their academic performance, stability at home, opportunities for employment, and community health are all on the decline. Adventure therapy is a relatively new and unique approach to providing therapy for these individuals. Adventure Therapy can be defined as “the prescriptive use of adventure experiences provided by mental health professionals, often conducted in natural settings that kinesthetically engage clients on cognitive, affective, and behavioral levels” (Gass, Gillis, and Russell, 2012). Researchers are finding that adventure therapy produces several benefits and is gaining popularity around the nation. Adolescents in Wilderness Therapy: A Qualitative Study of Attachment Relationships explains how adventure therapy can be challenging for adolescents (Bettmann, 2011). Participation in adventure therapy requires individuals to leave their homes, friends, family, and society in order to start emotional rehabilitation in the wilderness. This separation from their support systems can cause shock and distress because it takes adolescents out of their comfort zones. By using a variety of therapeutic, experiential, and educational techniques, adventure therapy programs target emotional and behavioral issues among the participants. The difference between adventure therapy and residential treatment programs is the setting; adventure therapy programs provide therapeutic care in a setting of complete wilderness rather than inside of a facility. Along with using a wilderness setting, adventure therapy programs focus on using small treatment groups, focused therapeutic approaches, and high staff-to-client ratios. Because participants are in a new environment that contains only a few peers and staff members, adventure therapy creates a setting that allows relational dynamics to be looked at more closely, making attachment patterns more visible and easier to address. According to Adventure Therapy with Youth, adventure therapy “incorporates the therapeutic application of experiential education using adventure experiences” (Norton, 2014). Experiential education is “a philosophy of education that informs many methodologies in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people’s capacity to contribute to their communities” (AEE). The direct experience that is mentioned above provides adventure therapy participants the opportunity to engage in hands-on adventure experiences. These direct experiences expose participants to real-life challenges, fears, and natural consequences that they must find courage and motivation to overcome. In doing so, participants have the time and freedom to reflect on what is happening, which provides an opportunity for the transfer of learning and helps the participants open up to the whole treatment process. In a 2008 study, the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) revealed that the majority of youth were unmotivated to change at the intake of the therapy. Despite that resistance, there was widespread increase in the readiness to change at discharge of therapy. Also, when compared to participants who were initially more motivated to change, the unmotivated participants reported equally large increases in functioning after they were discharged. This suggests that initial resistance to therapy by the participants does not lower the effectiveness of the adventure therapy program, meaning that motivation to change is not necessarily a pre-requisite for positive outcomes from adventure therapy. 1. One of the main benefits that were reported by the participants was the separation from their work, families, and typical home distractions. The separation provided the substantial amount of space that the men needed to reflect upon and address their personal issues. Another benefit was the forced separation from the use of cell phones. Participants saw this as a successful way to detach from the rest of the world and clear their minds. The retreat’s four day duration was beneficial because the men had additional time to address personal issues informally during the day’s events and formally during the group therapy sessions. Finally, the group activity format created some motivation for the men to attend the retreat. 2. Most of the participants viewed the wilderness and hiking experience as an opportunity to gain some new perspectives. According to (Kaplan and Talbot, 1983), wilderness provides a tranquility that often leads to deep contemplation, which is what a lot of the men experienced. The men also enjoyed the group activities that the retreat provided. When you combine challenging events with emotional sharing, it often strengthens the trust among group members because they rely on one another in the wilderness and engage each other on emotional levels at the same time (Hill, 2007). 3. Most of the men felt that the commonality of their issues was a big reason they were able to feel closer to one another. The men also felt more comfortable sharing their feelings after seeing other men open up and talk about their feelings. Several participants informed the therapists that they would be less candid and uninterested if the retreat were to be mixed- gendered. In most situations, camaraderie among men tends to turn competitive. Adventure therapy discourages competition and aims to create a supportive environment that allows participants to become vulnerable and address their most personal issues. Discussion Some of the main points taken from this study include: 1. Physical separation from home, for at least four days, helps male clients focus on their personal issues. 2. Males seem to be drawn to adventurous activities, incorporation of these activities are likely to increase their interest in the therapy. 3. Interdependence, teamwork, and engagement of adventurous activities in a wilderness setting develop trust among participants in an expedited fashion. 4. Adventure activities help men express themselves emotionally and interpersonally, which is helpful because it creates more opportunities for them to process their personal issues. For future studies, researchers should consider using a larger, more diverse sample size and incorporate controls for the participants’ past therapeutic experiences. References Association for Experiential Education, B. O. (2011). Adventure Therapy and Adjudicated Youth. AEE White Papers. Association For Experiential Education Bettmann, J. E., Olson-Morrison, D., & Jasperson, R. A. (2011). Adolescents in Wilderness Therapy: A Qualitative Study of Attachment Relationships. Journal Of Experiential Education, 34(2), 182-200. Norton, C., Tucker, A., Russell, K. C., Bettmann, J. E., Gass, M. A., Gillis, H., & Behrens, E. (2014). Adventure Therapy With Youth. Journal Of Experiential Education, 37(1), 46-59. Scheinfeld, D. E., Rochlen, A. B., & Buser, S. J. (2011). Adventure therapy: A supplementary group therapy approach for men. Psychology Of Men & Masculinity, 12(2), 188-194. Weston, R. (1999). Wilderness Adventure Therapy for At-Risk Youth. Parks & Recreation, 34(7), 30.