Health and Education

I discovered this incredible work by chance while searching through a listing of outdoor jobs on an online database in the summer of 2011. As a recent college graduate, I was neck deep in the angst of entering the job force. I had never heard of Wilderness Therapy before, and honestly, I remember feeling unsure if I wanted to do it or not. I pictured a boot camp where students just cried all day and yelled at each other as field instructors ran around saying things like, “take accountability for your actions!” or, “let the tears flow!” Nonetheless, something about it captivated my imagination. So I applied for a job as a Field Instructor and read every book about it I could get my hands on. As I read  Shouting At The Sky , a book describing a writer’s personal wilderness therapy experience, I started to understand that this wasn’t like anything else I had ever heard of; it sounded compassionate, powerful, raw, even sacred. Two months later I was asked to join a training group ...

This post originally appeared in All Kinds of Therapy, written by Emily Miranda. You can find that post  here . Any seasoned wilderness therapy staff knows the importance of students remaining well-hydrated. Being that our bodies are comprised of so much water, drinking plenty of it every day helps keep students’ bodies functioning properly; it helps with regulation of body temperature, aids in removing toxins, helps acclimatize the body to new altitudes, prevents headaches and even irritability (both can be signs of dehydration) and helps the skin and hair maintain moisture and deliver essential nutrients to the cells. So, when I was working in a wilderness therapy program in Utah, and one of my students was refusing to drink water, suffice it to say I was concerned. As the staff and I were processing how to support this student being safely hydrated, while still meeting her need for a sense of choice, one of the staff mentioned, “well, she’s not drinking enough water, but...

"What's new with Blue Ridge?" This question is one we often get asked. We have a fantastic team, strong leadership, and a comprehensive, individualized, clinical assessment focused program for teens and their families. We’re taking the opportunity to share more about Blue Ridge’s program and communicate what’s changed (and what hasn’t). Here are 5 things to know about us. We Include a Strong Focus on Clinical Assessment.  We are continually looking at students and families through the lens of assessment, which is why we initially see clients in a wilderness intervention. Earlier this year we introduced our strengthened early clinical intake assessment administered by  Lorena Bradley, Ph.D . We have seen that reinforcing the intake assessment process early in a student’s stay results in stronger case conceptualization, more tailored treatment, and more explicit goals established for discharge planning. Dr. Bradley conducts intake assessments for every student wit...