Wilderness therapy is a form of outdoor education treatment that relies on the natural aspects of a primitive outdoor sojourn. It was first used in United Kingdom after world War II, but late in the 1960's it was used in the United States and today it is a huge industry. The concept of wilderness therapy has changed over the years. In the early years it was very alike adventure therapy, but in 1980 elements of Boot Camps were implemented in the concept so it could be used as a tool to behavior modification. In the later years based on numerous deaths among participants the industry has been regulated in several states and demands for federal involvement are discussed.

Yes it can - with one thing only.

What is more comfortable: The Childs own bed or the sleeping back in the wilderness. Of course the answer is: the Childs own bed

So basically all wilderness therapy is about is getting the child to love his or her own home and the comfort within it.

An old saying from Finland is: You only forever own, what you have lost. For most of the children, who has been in wilderness course this sentence is very true. Their childhood is forever lost. Even if they somehow have benefited from their stay the life back home will never be the same. A survivor, which are writing her story on the website 63 days state it very clear. The room becomes a prison and a claustrophobic feeling catches you. Once you have slept outside for many days, it is difficult to adjust to a life indoor again. A second problem is the lack of rules. If you don't  follow up on the course and impose prison like rules in your home, (Ask permission to leave the room, to use the rest-room or eat) the child will get frustrated and the lesson learned at the course could be a waste. Read more here.

This frustration should be taken very serious. The official diagnose for this phase of mental adjusting is called Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Handled incorrectly is can result in serious mental disturbance.

If starts with a phase of isolation. This phase is often called orientation, but the various programs can have several names for this phase.

The purpose for this phase is basically to break the child. You can spare your child of most of the traumas by being honest with him or her. Show your child the webpage of the wilderness program and discuss why you want to send him or her to this course.

The rules are simple: The child has to observe a group for an amount of time without speaking to them. They are often given the list of faults (impact letter), which they have to correct in order to annul their banishment and get loved by their family again. At least so it is presented by the staff at the program, so the process of breaking the spirit of the child can be started.

This phase is about forcing the teenager to buy into the program.

Simple but difficult tasks are applied to the individual. One is starting a fire. Fire is basically equal to survival in the wilderness. This is the phase where the most deaths have occurred. Early on when wilderness therapy changed from pure Adventure therapy to more Boot Camp styled wilderness program back in the 1980's a lot of children suffered heavily with stomach problems years from their stay in the program. Make sure that your child are not forced to carry his or her own food for a longer period or eat the food raw.  See this statement about a stay at Aspen Achievement Academy - one of the larger program in the industry (Yes, I felt like a detainee).

How much should a person eat? The basic consumption of energy without any activity is between 1,800 and 2,300 calories. Then you have to add the activity on the top of it. Utah state regulation orders 2,000 calories per day, so your child will loose weight and we are talking of a survival course. A person like Aaron Bacon lost 23 pounds before he died. You can learn more if you consult your doctor.

Here the tables turn. In order to move towards the final phase, your child can use the criticism he or she received in the start when they told about their impact letter on the new arrivals and earn points by the staff.

Some participants in wilderness courses are skillful manipulators even tough the term manipulator should be watered down in relationship with a program. All kind of pain expressed towards the staff is considered to be an act of manipulation in order to leave the program, so overhear it if the family consultant use it. Teenagers have died in the desert because real illness has been considered as manipulation. If the family consultant speaks about manipulation demand an examination at the local hospital or pull your child.

But in order to assure that the child has in fact learned wilderness skill they are left on their own for 48 to 72 hours in the wilderness. This test is called Solo. Do never ask your child about his or her experience during this phase. Viewers of the TV-show "Brat Camp" could observe a 14 year old boy cry out in the night about his mother. Most persons will block that experience out until they are ready to deal with it and expect it to take years.

It is import to stress that the real work has to be done here, before the child reach the age of 18. Expect the child to behave Stepford-like. The child knows as well as you that most program offers a warranty, where you can return the child to the program as well as if you have bought a item in the store, which were damaged. But when they reach the age of 18, this warranty is no longer valid, so the newly adult would seek company in a trusted environment. If you were either fooled to a program or taken by an escort firm without preceding notice, would you trust your family?

And there is another element of danger: If the psychological game has made the child to confess to sins which were stated in order to achieve raise of status or just simple benefits in the program, there is a risk that the child comes to the conclusion that "I have already been punished, so now I will do the crime."

Manipulation: If the family therapist claims that your child is trying to manipulate the staff, ask thorough about how. If any statement of pain or illness are involved, pull the child from the course or ask that a hospital sends you a receipt of an examination done on your child at the hospital. You are doing the program a favor. If examination is not done by employee at the course, they can clear any suspicion of nepotism by the use of external medical staff.

Visitation should be allowed any time during the course: Some programs allow parents to join in during the hike. (This is NOT a recommendation of this individual program.) Sometime being there is the only way to assure safety for your child. Every year children without exceptions dies in wilderness course. Do not assume that it always is the son or daughter next door who died. Tragedy can strike you too!