did you know?

What a difference a few hours can make...

Children who attend counseling will typically spend only 1-hour each week in an outpatient counseling session.

During that same week a child enrolled in a wilderness program will participate in more than 112-hours of ongoing therapeutic opportunities!

 

The wilderness environment provides an opportunity for children and adolescents struggling with a variety of behavioral, emotional, and psychological issues to Disconnect From the Common Distractions and Pressures of Daily Life and focus on the issues that govern their existence.  OAg wilderness counselors take advantage of Natural Consequences to illustrate and reinforce the lessons of the natural world.  These "Teachable Moments" are further enhanced by "Flashbulb Memories" which are abundant throughout the natural world and provide an opportunity to draw parallels between the lessons learned in the wilderness environment and the choices we make in our daily Lives.

 

 

 

 

philosophy & Outcomes

A Safe Environment for Change | The Path to A Brighter Tomorrow

We recognizes how difficult the decision to place your child in the care of someone else can be. Chances are you have arrived at this decision at a time when your child’s behaviors have escalated to an unbearable level. Like many parents, you might feel as though you have exhausted every available resource.

Traditional treatment measures, including counseling and medication, are inherently limited in their ability to adequately address many problem behaviors. Too often, challenging behaviors persist long after a child is placed on medications or begins outpatient counseling.

Established in 2006, The Outdoor Achievement Group, L.L.C., was the first Cooperative Wilderness Therapy (CWT) program to operate in the United States. Our program works in tandem with your child's school calendar to ensure minimal disruption of school attendance. Since 2006 we have helped hundreds of children and their families find the path to a brighter and more positive future through cooperative therapy. As an extension of the therapeutic process, our goal is to facilitate a comprehensive approach to addressing problem behaviors through collaborative efforts with children, families. physicians, therapists, and teachers.

"The Outdoor Achievement Group, L.L.C., is founded on the idea that core issues such as Confidence, Courage, and Character play an essential role in shaping a child's Self-Image, and are central to Behavioral and Cognitive Development."

 

Benefits of a Wilderness Experience
Improved Problem-Solving and Conflict-Resolution Skills
Development of Appropriate and Adaptive Social Skills
Improved Self-Esteem, Self-Concept, and Self-Efficacy
Improved Achievement Motivation and Initiative
Decrease in Conduct Disordered Behaviors
Behavioral and Cognitive Development
Overall Positive Behavioral Changes
Increase of Prosocial Behaviors
Interpersonal Development
Decrease in Depression

Understand the Wilderness Process

There are three essential phases of the wilderness-based model. The Cleansing Phase is the initial goal of the wilderness model, and is intended to remove the child from the destructive environments that perpetuate their problem problems. The Personal and Social Responsibility Phase incorporates natural consequences, peer interaction, and behavior modeling to help children understand and accept personal and social responsibility. The Transition and Aftercare Phase represents cooperative efforts on behalf of the child, his family, and the wilderness staff in an effort to provide ongoing support as the child implements newly learned skills at home and in the classroom.

Read more about the benefits of the wilderness-based approach.