Moab Camp

At White River Academy, our mission is to foster the development of young men, preparing them to face life's challenges with resilience, confidence, and a sense of responsibility. One of White River's pivotal experiences in this journey is our self-sufficient camping trip, where the young men take charge of every aspect of their outdoor adventure. This unique experience is not just about enjoying nature but is a powerful tool for personal growth, skill development, and team building. 

White River uses a plethora of different therapy techniques to give their students the best shot at treatment they can. One of these techniques is exploring experiential therapy. They have the young men plan, execute, and report on many different tasks within this process. In this case, the young men planned a camping trip to Arches National Park where each young man was in charge of helping plan meals, sleeping arrangements, equipment, and even the events that would be participated in during the trip! 

This type of therapeutic approach does well for individuals who require a more hands on approach. The young men get to apply what they have learned within their classroom therapy appointments to the real world. Planning requires multiple skills to be used as well as critical thinking and much more. Working with others is a huge part of this process. The students also learn how to problem solve when their plans begin to fail. Kylin, who is an experiential therapist at White River Academy, observed the boys as they began to run into their first set of issues on the campout. The boys had forgotten eggs to cook their pound cakes with. Kylin watched the young men as they discussed and eventually found a solution to their problem! The boys had used milk and water in substitution for the eggs and eventually succeeded in making their cakes! They also participated in many hikes and were able to use critical thinking and problem solving to navigate tight areas, water passings, downed trees, and more. 

At White River “Healthy Play” is a big part of the recovery and therapeutic process. Healthy play is being able to engage in situations where the adolescent is exposed to different situations that may or may not be comfortable for them. In these instances, the students learn what is too far as well as what is acceptable. In these instances where the students must engage in a team effort to solve problems they rub shoulders with their peers and staff members in ways that cannot be shown inside of a classroom. Having to work together to overcome obstacles, make food, find navigational routes, clean campsites, and a myriad of other tasks helps the students understand the idea of healthy play. 

Many of the individuals within White River Academy have experienced a wide variety of different traumas. Learning how to healthily interact with others plays a huge role in the therapeutic approach to achieving success at White River. The students learn how to develop empathy, negotiate, and positively resolve conflict. The students get to flex their creative muscles and solve problems in their unique ways. Within healthy play, young men learn how to manage emotions as some people may react differently to how they handle certain situations. Boundaries are approached and the students learn where specific boundaries lie with their peers as well as within themselves. 

The Arches trip was a fantastic way to help the students at White River accomplish a display of things learned in therapy otherwise overlooked inside a classroom. This type of experimental therapy has been great for all involved and will continue to provide much needed support to all the students within the care of White River Academy.

Published: 8/9/2024