What We Do

Ours is a very simple mission: To create holistic environments that allow women who have experienced trauma and whose lives have been damaged by the destruction of substance use disorders to heal. We understand that these burdens often occur together and our goal is to help these women experience the power of healing.

We do this  by providing them with professional counseling in safe, yet sometimes challenging outdoor environments. This technique used to be called “Outdoor Behavioral Therapy (OBH). Many of the first programs used the Outward Bound model: remove the distractions of daily life to allow an appreciation of nature to provide positive change. The mental health community soon discovered that many of their clients could benefit from this approach as well and started their own outdoor projects. As the success of these programs grew, it became known as Wilderness Therapy.

So, how does this work?

By removing the demands, social pressures, and electronic distractions of the modern world. How?

Through the use of centering activities such as yoga, mindfulness activities, and focused healthy food preparation. Plus, we combine these with safe, yet challenging outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, and kayaking to help our clients improve their self-confidence and to learn to rely on themselves. And of course there is our client’s favorite activity: campfire therapy!

How effective is it?

In one word: very. Our clients tell us that they have never had so much fun while learning how to be stronger and better able to handle the demands of their changed lives. They discovered that as they accomplished the challenging goals of our program, their self-confidence grew and they felt stronger. Many of them said that these were the best gifts they had ever received. And, just as importantly, the majority of our clients that have graduated from our program still lead lives of sobriety. Now that’s positive change!