Wilderness Camps for Troubled Teens

Connecting with nature sometimes seems like a "tree-hugger" or "hippie" notion today, but it is actually a very integral part of what any good wilderness camp for troubled youth will do. These wilderness camps will take your youth away from the television, the video games, the books, the friends, and even the schoolwork that has kept her separated from the real world around her for so long. She'll be drawn deeply into parts of nature she's never experienced; this is the reason that most wilderness camps are in very rugged places like mountains and the reason that they tend to be very remote. Wilderness camps are much better than other troubled youth camps at

Learning to connect with nature isn't some new-age concept but one that has been around for a very long time. There is just something about being out in the natural world that is healing for the human soul. Plus, your troubled youth will learn not only to appreciate nature but also to take care of it, and in learning to care for the natural world, he will be able to feel he is a part of something bigger than himself, which will help to open him up beyond his egocentric view of the world. This is possible in a wilderness setting as opposed to schools and other programs for troubled youth.

Because wilderness camps disconnect teens and young adults from all their everyday influences and escapes, they will be thrown back upon their own thoughts. Many of the problems of today's youth have come because these youth don't know how to think about things deeply or how to know themselves because they're too distracted by the world around them. Chances are that your troubled youth's wilderness camp experience will involve plenty of interaction with other people, but it will also give her some time to herself to begin really thinking through her problems, strengths, and goals.
Lastly, most wilderness camps for troubled youths are based on a small-group concept, and even if your teen or young adult is on a huge ranch full of people, he'll mainly be working with just a handful of other people. This small group concept allows troubled youths to learn how to work as a team, and it helps build confidence and self-assurance because the entire team is interdependent and everyone will have a part in the work and play. These three aspects of wilderness camps will send your troubled youth home a completely different person in just a few weeks.