It's the instructors, the wilderness guides, who are in the field on a daily basis with teens, and it's this relationship that kids benefit from the most. Teens live and work with a group of eight peers and two instructors who rotate in weekly shifts. Here kids gain a sense of personal empowerment. The success of themselves and their groups depend on them. For most it's the first time in their lives to have such responsibility.
Therapists trudge out to the woodlands twice weekly for intense one on one therapy with teens.
Often, sessions takes place during hikes, mountain climbs, dinner preparations, or in the afternoon shade of a cottonwood tree. Therapists keep parents up to date with weekly reports, and they also carry the letters. Letter writing is a big part of the program. The letters provide a powerful form of communication that's usually been missing from the family equation. Rites of passage are necessary for teens.