Therapeutic Wilderness Experiences for Youth: Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare

摘要

This clinical dissertation focuses on the topic of Therapeutic Wilderness Experiences for Youth. This is a topic is of importance because more efficacious therapeutic practices are needed when treating youth with behavioral and emotional difficulties, and outdoor therapy offers a creative and unique approach to delivering mental health services through re-connecting participants with the natural world. Children are maturing in a world increasingly devoid of connection with the outdoors, in a technologically advanced society, and there appears to be limited empirical evidence demonstrating the conjectured benefits of outdoor experiential learning opportunities for the developing youth. Moreover, this approach may offer a more holistic approach to conceptualizing and treating emotional distress. During the first phase, this doctoral project critically reviews the literature on the topic of Therapeutic Wilderness Experiences for Youth and Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare, and includes a summary of findings from interviews with 5 field consultants who are experts in the area of wilderness-based therapy. The clinical information gathered during the literature review and consultant interviews was integrating into a clinical presentation for trainees and licensed mental health professionals. In the last section, additional suggestions are proposed for decreasing the gap in research and clinical practice pertaining to therapeutic wilderness experiences for youth, as well as a discussion of limitations and clinical implications.