Now that you have decided on the need for Wilderness Therapy, how do you make it happen? As evidenced by their need for a therapeutic placement, the ability of your child to make healthy decisions is lacking. If your child is at a point where they need such an intervention, it is often the case that they are not willing to dialogue or more importantly, cooperate with you about boundaries, interventions, therapy and most especially, Wilderness Therapy.
Posted by Entrada Field Staff, Anthony Salerno on February 09, 2015 | 1 comment(s)
This month marks two years into my journey as a field instructor at Entrada. As I prepare to head into the field this Tuesday, I can’t help but reflect upon my experiences thus far. Above all, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude! I am grateful for the friends I have made, the participants I have both taught and learned from, and for the development opportunities I have encountered while working here.
Posted by Elise Mitchell on January 21, 2015 | 2 comment(s)
I remember being so baffled by Chief Saba and his family’s ability to drop everything to spend time with me. He was a man slight in stature but mighty in reputation. The chief of roughly 250 thousand Batongan people of Southern Zimbabwe, faced with starvation, disease and political violence, respected by other tribal leaders but despised by Mugabe, the country’s president. He was humble, soft-spoken, loved an occasional beer and cared deeply about his family. I always felt awkward and self-conscious driving unannounced into his territory knowing that he and his many wives, brothers, and children would stop working in the fields, stop taking care of, what I saw as, the most crucial aspects of life in the harsh, sandy terrain of Kariba just to say hi. I finally asked him once why he was okay with stopping their daily chores to spend hours with me. His reply has haunted me to this day, “We survive because of our connections to each other. Don’t forget that.” These words became a torchlight that guided me, subconsciously, to Second Nature.
Posted by Elise Mitchell on January 15, 2015 | 0 comment(s)
It’s definitely winter in the high desert! Time to light the internal fires to stay warm and support that sense of comfort from the inside out! It never fails to amaze me how food can so easily and directly affect well-being. Beyond the benefits of tasty, nutritious meals, the very act of creating something that is unique, requiring a skill set (new to many of our clients), and inviting the cooperation from the entire group creates an almost electric environment where individuals can thrive! The hope is that our clients bring the simple pleasures they cultivate, like cooking under the stars with friends and mentors, into their next chapter after Second Nature.
Posted by Josh Larsen on January 12, 2015 | 1 comment(s)
The holiday season is a difficult time to be away from home and family for all of us. This is especially true for those in treatment. Separated from family, friends, traditions, and the comforts of home – our clients experienced a myriad of emotions during this holiday season that were tremendously and uniquely challenging to bear. This was certainly true also for their families, who shared in their sense of grief over the loss of memories that could have been, but weren’t.
Posted by Steve Kirk on December 31, 2014 | 1 comment(s)
As those of us working in Admissions will attest, being tied to your phone is an essential part of the job description. Particularly in working with families who are considering placement in a wilderness program, ideal timing is often the exception. Being attentive and responsive to parents in crisis are critical components in helping them take that step to find peace and to regain hope.
Posted by Elise Mitchell on December 23, 2014 | 3 comment(s)
The more I witness the subtle and profound shifts in clients after a gratitude practice, the more curious I am about what “the experts” know regarding gratitude’s effect on our overall mental, emotional, physical health. There’s some exciting notions creeping into the scientific community regarding this topic!
Posted by Katie Massey, Research Director on December 16, 2014 | 2 comment(s)
At Second Nature we have been conducting a longitudinal outcome study, and I am currently in the middle of following up with almost 500 of those participants. In the context of wilderness therapy and residential treatment, a three-year follow-up is unprecedented and will offer incredible insights into the effectiveness of wilderness programs. Those insights are still underway, as we are just halfway through this last follow-up. What I have been itching to share though, are the reflections I am hearing from alumni and parents.
Posted by Gail Bramlet on December 09, 2014 | 10 comment(s)
“How do you know it works?” This is one of the most common questions we get in the office from our new families. It isn’t easy to trust someone you’ve never met with your child, and I’d like to share my answer.
Now that you have decided on the need for Wilderness Therapy, how do you make it happen? As evidenced by their need for a therapeutic placement, the ability of your child to make healthy decisions is lacking. If your child is at a point where they need such an intervention, it is often the case that they are not willing to dialogue or more importantly, cooperate with you about boundaries, interventions, therapy and most especially, Wilderness Therapy.
Dr. J Huffine’s adolescent boys group at Second Nature Cascades just completed their first new adventure Therapy Trip.
“How do you know it works?” This is one of the most common questions we get in the office from our new families. It isn’t easy to trust someone you’ve never met with your child, and I’d like to share my answer.