Skip to main content

Does therapy in the wilderness change lives?

Posted by Stephen C. Schultz
Submitted by Jason


This is a message sent to RedCliff Ascent by a former student. I’ll simply let the pictures and the message speak for themselves.




“I just wanted to write to you and let you know that looking back at the experience that I had gone through there, although challenging at times, in looking back at the whole experience I believe that it was beneficial to me.  To this day I enjoy the knowledge of being able to start a fire with the bow drill, and knowing how to survive in a challenging environment.  The most memorable staff member was a lady by the name of White Winds, an older lady with the longest and whitest hair I have ever seen.  I have a box of all of the clothes in my basement and every time that I open the box I am engulfed with the smell of 99 days of fire and wilderness. 



While reading the first page of the website I noticed a quote from a former student, who said,

 ‘I don't think that I can explain it to anyone.’ 

I can't agree with them more. I have tried to explain to my friends and family what it was like out there and I seem to find that no one can grasp the whole experience.  Some of my friend’s still can't forgive my mother for taking me away from them my senior year of high school but thank god she did.  A couple of weeks after I was enrolled 5 of my friends were arrested and I would have been with them. 



I am now a senior at Western Connecticut State University and am ready to graduate and go on with my life.  I really don't know why I am writing this but I felt it necessary to express at least a little bit of what it did for me.  Thank you for your time and I hope the program is doing for others what it did for me.

All the best - Jason”
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
I am so happy to hear that I was part of your wilderness experience. My life was also change by the wilderness and every time I think something is difficult in life I just say to myself, "You made it that hill you can do this." White Winds
June 26, 2015 at 12:09 PM
Stephen C. Schultz said…
Thanks for the comment White Winds! Much appreciated. You have definitely influenced the lives of many for the better.
June 26, 2015 at 2:47 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Young Boy and the Rattlesnake

By Stephen C. Schultz (Editors note: This is a story used in a Wilderness Treatment Program. Many come to this program having struggled with depression, anxiety and substance use.)   Many years ago there was a young Native American who lived in the very land you are residing in. He decided to seek wisdom by journeying to the top of Indian Peak. As he approached the base of the mountain he came across a rattlesnake that slithered beside him. The snake coiled as if to strike and the young boy moved back quickly in fear of being struck by the snake’s deadly venom. At that instant the snake spoke to the boy saying, “Don’t be afraid of me, I mean you no harm. I come to you to ask a favor. I see that you are about to traverse to the top of Indian Peak and was hoping that you may be willing to place me in your satchel so that I don’t have to make the long journey alone.” The young boy surprised by the snake’s request quickly responded by turning down the offer, stating, ...
5 comments
Read more

Perfectly Wicked - A new take on an old fairy tale!

Guest Blogger Amanda Schultz Age 15 There she was…hair as black as night, lips as red as blood, skin as white as snow. Standing by the window, washing dishes, whistling while she worked. Snow White. I shudder with disgust every time I hear her name. What kind of a name is that anyway? “Snow White”. Gahhh, it’s a name that practically begs to be made fun of. Yet, there she goes, frolicking around like she owns the Enchanted Forest. No. I’m the Queen. I’m in charge. My magic mirror was mistaken. I’m the Fairest of them all, not that sorry excuse for a princess. One bite from my poison apple and that air-head will be so ugly not even her mother could love her. And I will be the Fairest once again! I suppose that I should rewind a little bit. It wasn’t always a competition between Snow White and me. In fact, back in the day, we had a nice little system going on. I would rule the kingdom and practice my magic, while Snow did the dishes and tended the garden. She stayed out of my w...
10 comments
Read more

An Open Letter to Parents Researching RedCliff Ascent

  By Stephen C. Schultz "We will forever be known by the tracks we leave." Having been raised in Oregon, I spent the majority of my free time during my childhood and teenage years steelhead fishing the coastal waters, climbing the Middle Sister in the Cascade Mountain Range, drifting the McKenzie River, and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I have mentioned to friends, family, and colleagues on many occasions: “From a therapeutic standpoint, there is no better place to have a student’s issues manifested quickly than in a wilderness setting.” The question then becomes, “Why do therapeutic issues rise to the surface in an Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare program like RedCliff Ascent ?” Throughout the years of teenage development, most teens spend a lot of time with friends. These friends think the same, dress the same, act the same, listen to the same music, and sometimes get into the same types of trouble. Some teens also develop patterns of communication and manipulation whi...
9 comments
Read more