The International Reach of RedCliff Ascent

By Stephen C. Schultz

I was sitting in my office the other day when I received a call from a therapist at RedCliff Ascent. He mentioned that he had recently met with an international educational consultant at one of RedCliff Ascent’s wilderness treatment program graduations. This consultant had traveled from Russia to act as a translator for the family of a graduating student. He was assisting the family in placing the student in a traditional boarding school following his graduation from RedCliff. The consultant also mentioned that he might have another student to enroll in RedCliff soon.

After doing a bit of research, I discovered that RedCliff has had three students from Russia in the past few months. RedCliff Ascent regularly welcomes international students. I have personally visited the backcountry at different times and spoken with students from the United Kingdom, France, Bermuda, Israel, Australia, Singapore, Italy, Russia, the Netherlands, and Brazil, to name a few.

Then, just this morning, I saw an email inquiry from a Danish family member concerned about her sister. I have included it below, without any corrections to spelling or grammar:

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Message:

Hi there,

I came across your site while researching wilderness programs and have some extra questions…

My little sister (17) was just this week diagnosed with major depression. She goes to boarding school, and yesterday my parents withdrew her and brought her home, where she is now on suicide watch. They have agreed with the doctor to put her on depression medication called Sertralin Teva.

I really don’t like the idea of using chemicals, taking medicine, and using drugs for depression and ADHD. I have very bad ADD but never took medication for it because I didn’t like the numb feeling and figured out how to cope with it without meds. Is it possible to do the same with depression?

I was thinking that maybe a wilderness camp like yours, instead of medication, might be a better approach to curing it. Do you specialize mainly in helping young adults with drug addiction, or do you also focus on depression? If not, could you recommend a camp that specializes mainly in depression?

My parents are planning to keep her out of school for a year before returning her to complete her senior year of high school. I really think a wilderness camp with on-hand therapists would be better than having her sit at home, taking pills, and being alone with her thoughts. I am very worried about her…

Any help or more information on your camp would be greatly appreciated!

Kind Regards,
Annica H.

P.S. Would the cost of the program be different since she is not a U.S. citizen? We are Danish.

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These kinds of inquiries are quite common, and they are heartbreaking. You can feel the concern this young woman has for her sister. Families across the globe are searching for answers when faced with mental health and emotional challenges.

I think the sister in the scenario above is correct in suggesting that there needs to be more to a therapeutic intervention than staying home for a year and taking medication for depression. Medication can certainly play a role, but therapy also involves therapeutic experiences that foster self-awareness, insight, competence, achievement, motivation, and resilience.

I don’t know what will happen in this situation. RedCliff may or may not be a viable option for this family. However, I do know that a certain percentage of families around the world are silently suffering as they watch their teenagers struggle. It is a lonely place to be—like the sister above, going online and searching for answers.

While this particular message came from across the globe, we must remember that similar situations exist within our own communities. There are families silently enduring emotional pain. There are parents and children, through no fault of their own, quietly doing their best in the circumstances they find themselves in. As neighbors and friends, we may be the ones best positioned to offer an encouraging word or a sense of belonging.

Learn more about RedCliff Ascent on their website: www.RedcliffAscent.com