Deschutes Wilderness Therapy

Deschutes Wilderness Therapy is a wilderness program treating adolescent and young adult clients with mental health disorders. Located near Bend, Oregon, they fully immerse clients in nature for the duration of the program. Deschutes Wilderness provides all needed camping gear and clients sleep in their own tents. Additionally, they treat female and male adolescent clients separately. They treat issues such as anxiety, depression, substance-use, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and family issues.

Therapeutic Methods

Deschutes Wilderness Therapy holds a trauma-informed philosophy. Their staff are trained to understand the stress clients experience during the treatment process and how to help guide clients through those experiences. They provide a range of therapies, including motivational interviewing (MI), brain spotting, yoga, psychoeducation, canine therapy, and family programming. Deschutes Wilderness has a golden retriever dog assigned to each therapeutic group who help reduce stress and provide an outlet for practicing communication and social skills.

Mastery System

A unique feature of Deschutes Wilderness Therapy is their mastery system. This system is designed to encourage and emphasize each client’s individual strengths and interests. When a client has made significant progress, they begin to explore potential mastery tracks to take. The possibilities range from survival skills, creative writing, sign language, a musical instrument, ornithology, and more. The staff help clients put a plan in place for them to achieve mastery in their chosen track.