Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of adventure-based therapy in the United States on adolescents with emotional and behavioral difficulties. This study focuses on exploring the idea of wilderness as a healing place, and why it has become a popular alternative for helping troubled youth and their families. There are four research questions which aid in this investigation. The first question explores how outdoor educators practice adventure-based therapy methods in their program, pertaining to the kinds of activities that are offered. The second question explores how outdoor educators characterize adventure-based therapy and how such characteristics can differ from other therapeutic approaches. The third question seeks to understand how adventure-based therapy can be beneficial to adolescents with emotional and behavioral difficulties, and the fourth question looks into the challenges. The study is based on a qualitative design using semi-structured interview. Six outdoor educators working at adventure-based therapy programs located throughout the United States are involved in the investigation. Interviews are conducted using Skype, allowing for a similar face-to-face interaction to occur. The resulting sample of informants, along with their different roles in each program, the different regions in which they are located, and their various approaches to adventure-based therapy, are what make this study so unique. The results reveal both correlations to the theoretical framework, as well as some interesting discoveries. The findings indicate that the kinds of activities offered can be both wilderness and non-wilderness related, despite the fact that most programs tend to take place predominately in wilderness settings. The findings also demonstrate a similarity in the characteristics of adventure-based therapy as outlined in the literature, thus contributing to their significance. The findings also express that adventure-based therapy can be benefical for adolescents with emotional and behavioral difficulties, providing them with valuable and transferable experiences. Challenges are also presented as well to some adolescents, mostly in regards to being completely outside their comfort zones. Writing this thesis has been an interesting process where I ve discovered many different aspects of adventure-based therapy from the views of outdoor educators throughout the United States. My hope is that it can create an awareness on how wilderness experiences can provide therapeutic benefit to adolescents from all corners of the world.