Skip to main content

When work is an adventure!

By Stephen C. Schultz


The sky was overcast, and there was a crisp chill in the air. The rooftops of the neighboring houses were covered in the unmistakable white, fluffy stuff so affectionately called snow. This would normally not be of any consequence at the foot of the 10,000-foot mountains. However, flowers were beginning to bloom, the grass was turning green, and we had already grown accustomed to warmer temperatures. Weather in this part of the country can be a roller coaster at best.


As I stepped out of my car and into the wind, I made my way to the door of my office. I walked past the reception desk, where Andrea caught my eye and motioned me over. She mentioned that someone was on the phone seeking more information about our Wilderness Therapy Program and asked if I would be willing to speak with them.

Andrea transferred the call to my cell phone, and I introduced myself. The caller, a woman from Arizona, mentioned that she had watched some videos about RedCliff Ascent on YouTube. This type of therapeutic intervention intrigued her, so she decided to call. She had several questions, including the length of stay, the cost, and the nature of the therapy. She also asked about family involvement and the food the kids eat. We discussed weekend camping, how powerful that experience can be, and the differences between RedCliff Ascent and an adventure weekend program.

As I reflected on our conversation, one specific aspect stood out that I wanted to share. At one point, she asked:

“What kind of training does your staff have?”

I provided her with some answers that can also be found on the employment website for RedCliff Ascent, called Wilderness Work. If you have an interest in working with teens and helping families improve their relationships, this career path may be of interest to you. Check it out! 

Comments

Perlman said…
this is really an informational post. I like it .keep it up. I've got more things about camping. I love camping so much.
Annie james said…
When work is an adventure, every challenge is an opportunity, and every case is a kind of thrilling journey. The legal profession promises exciting and rewarding career opportunities beyond mundane tasks, so each day is interesting and satisfying. I found Best Paid Law Jobs service useful in venturing out into these high-paying opportunities. If you seek a career that intertwines passion, challenge, and success, the appropriate legal job can make work an adventure!

Popular posts from this blog

The Rocky Landscape of Teen Sexuality

 By Stephen C. Schultz (Editor's note: This is a very sensitive subject and may be uncomfortable to read. The information in this post is essentially focused on schools and therapeutic programs that have a residential component.) The chairs were all in a half-circle. There must have been over fifty, all filled with students. Banners from various colleges and universities hung from the rafters. The dull roar of multiple conversations, all happening simultaneously, cut through the air and echoed off the walls. I stood in front of the crowd and waited. The conversations and dull roar slowly faded, like a train disappearing into the distance. All eyes were now on me. I asked one question: “Who can tell me what grooming is?” I have spent my career working with families and teens through some very difficult times. I am a partner in a specialty care facility called Oxbow Academy. Oxbow specializes in treating teenage boys from across the globe who are burdened with the socially sensi...

Lessons I learned from a childhood experience with bullying

By Stephen C. Schultz The dew around the window was starting to bead up. In a classic case of chaos theory, the little beads of water gave way to gravity and randomly bounced and bumped their way to the window sill like a steal marble in a pinball game. There was a small pool of water in the cracked and peeling beige paint. I sat facing the window, staring at the small engraved stone nestled in the flower beds. There weren’t many flowers at this time of year. Mostly rhododendrons and Oregon grapes reaching skyward from the damp bark mulch that covered the planter area.   The month of January in Eugene Oregon was filled with days and days of mist and fog.   In fact, pretty much from October through June was filled with fog, rain, mist, showers, freezing rain and occasionally snow. The local weathermen didn’t bother with predictions about the chance of precipitation; they took pride in developing new adjectives to describe the type of precipitation and how much you can...

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, ...