Strong Therapeutic Relationships

Perhaps the reason our clients made such gains in wanting to change their lives, and then indeed very much improving them, is to be found in a fourth test the kids filled out for Nevin Harper's dissertation study and Keith Russell's substance abuse study. The WAI and the GTAS both measure the strength of the child/therapist relationship. At graduation, the children most commonly endorsed four items (Russell):

• The group leaders care about me as a person, 4.37 average score (5 point scale; 5 is high)
• The group leaders care about this group, 4.34
• The group leaders are helping this group, 4.32
• The group leaders have the skills and ability to help all of the members of this group, 4.23

It looks as though time in the beauty and peace of wilderness settings, growing physically strong and increasingly competent in outdoor living skills, is only one aspect of wilderness treatment. The other, and perhaps the one most essential to the healing process, is the strong, trusting therapeutic relationship between the kids and the staff.

Learn more about our research:

• Research Results Summary
  
  
• Does Wilderness Therapy Work? Does it Last?
  
  
• Lifting the Fog of Depression
  
  
• Solving Substance Abuse
  
  
• Getting Motivated to Give Up Substance Abuse
  
  
• A Short Term Treatment for Incipient Character Disorders
  
  
• Family Functioning After Wilderness Therapy
  
  
• Strong Therapeutic Relationships
  
  
• Limits on Research with Adolescent Treatment Programs
  
  
• List of Catherine Freer Research