Therapeutic Programs for Young Adults

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a journey. Nearly everyone faces bumps and obstacles along the way. While some can navigate these challenges on their own, others simply haven’t developed the knowledge or skills necessary to reach the next milestone of their lives. Therapeutic programs for young adults were specifically developed to help individuals having significant troubles finding their way. While some programs are close to home, others offer a comfortable setting away from the troubles and stressors affecting their growth. These programs have a variety of names including boot camps, boarding schools, substance abuse treatment, and treatment facilities. 

Many of these programs offer similar services. Individualized therapy, group therapy, family support, and skills training are all common in therapeutic programs. The most successful therapeutic programs for young adults use a highly individualized approach to treating issues like depression, anxiety, trauma, and high-risk behaviors.  

Trained therapists use evidence based techniques like cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, anger management, and adventure therapy to help young adults identify their negative core thoughts and beliefs. Through skills training and practice, young adults begin to reshape their views of self and the world around them to change negative or dangerous behaviors.

Therapeutic programs can be very successful for young adults with no direction. As an individual progresses through these programs, he or she becomes more confident and independent. Therapy groups help build crucial interpersonal skills for future success in relationships, careers, and relating to the outside world.

One of the more recent therapeutic programs for young adults quickly gaining popularity is wilderness therapy. Trained professionals take the therapeutic process to exciting new levels by incorporating the element of the outdoors. More than just a hiking or camping trip, wilderness therapy programs–like Trails Momentum–provide necessary therapy and skill building in the backdrop of nature with experiential activities.

Who Do Therapeutic Programs for Young Adults Help?

The modern age has given today’s young adults unique struggles previous generations never encountered. Dependence on technology, anxiety about current events like terrorism and school shootings, and worries about finding a successful career all plague the consciousness of modern youth.

Social media has created an idealized version of life that just about every young adult has tried to emulate without success. The constant distractions of texts, posts, and social sharing provides an easy escape from personal development. Cyberbullying has antagonized youth in the comforts of their own home.

These factors, along with the typical challenges of growing up, can be overwhelming to just about anyone. These days it seems harder to deeply connect with others, focus on academic pursuits, and find time for self-definition and improvement. It’s no wonder so many young adults struggle with anxiety, depression, and an escapism mentality.

When young adults define themselves by previous failures, they often adopt a self-fulfilling prophecy leading to more failure. This vicious cycle of low self-esteem and limited motivation to change can be devastating for development.

Therapeutic programs strive to help young adults in the modern world. They offer a supportive environment where distractions are limited and personal skills flourish. Individuals struggling with trauma, avoidance, and other emotional issues have access to dedicated therapists using evidenced-based approaches to create true change.

Therapeutic programs for young adults also help families learn and grow. Many struggling young adults experience issues with their family making their challenges even more difficult. Family therapy helps the young adult’s support network learn skills helping to improve communication, relationships, and ways to work through conflict.

How Does Trails Momentum Help Young Adults Struggling to Succeed?

Trails Momentum, a wilderness therapy program for struggling adults, believes changing the attitude of failure is the first step of transformation. Our students learn to focus on their strengths instead of what’s “wrong” with them. By using their strengths to accomplish goals, they develop the confidence to take on the challenges they usually avoid.  

Many students come to our program scared and apprehensive about what will happen next. Their first few days may be met with resistance and the strong desire to go home. This is a completely natural response to change. After all, change is hard. It’s so easy to hide in a comfort zone.

As a student transitions into our program, we do everything we can to ensure comfort. Dedicated therapists provide support and encouragement. Peers already acclimated with the program offer their stories and experiences to make the student not feel so alone. Soon the student learns this is a community based on positive support and personal growth.

Students quickly develop meaningful friendships and embrace the culture of adventure. This renewed motivation fuels their desire for change.

Our dedicated team creates an individualized plan where a student has challenging, yet attainable goals based on using their personal strengths. As they participate in activities at our base camp, they continue to explore their personal goals, discuss fears and challenges, and take pride in their daily successes.

Little by little, transformation begins. A student with social anxiety bravely works with others to complete a team building challenge. Someone who spent hours in front of screens sits in a canoe for the first time. A scenic hike in nature may refresh a student burdened with depression.

Soon, students realize they are not alone with their struggles. In fact, an entire support network surrounds them dedicated to positively embracing the opportunity for change. They open up more during groups, share their individual experiences, and even help other peers going through similar struggles.

Guided by an expert team of therapists, students continue their momentum for positive change by embracing new, more exciting challenges. They find themselves succeeding in ways they never even fathomed.  

More importantly, their “I can’t” attitude transforms into a “let’s do this” mentality.

Adventure Programming for Struggling Young Adults

When traditional therapy or other therapeutic programs for struggling young adults don’t seem to be working, a complete shift in perspective is necessary. Wilderness therapy programs, like Trails Momentum, offer a truly unique experience helping young adults realize their true potential.

Our Sky Valley base camp, located in North Carolina, provides the scenery and positive energy to inspire change. The fresh air, amazing views, and opportunities to explore a new way of life have changed the lives of many struggling young adults.

In addition to traditional therapy, academic support, and skills training, we offer opportunities to therapeutically interact with nature. Many students come to us with no outdoor skills. By the end of their stay, they have a completely new perspective about approaching life’s challenges.

How? By integrating proven therapy techniques with engaging adventures. We use our beautiful surroundings as therapy!

It’s not just a summer camp or a brief respite from familiar surroundings. Our adventures are led by trained therapists providing a safe, but challenging environment to learn and grow. All of our activities are designed to teach skills, improve socialization, and build confidence.

As a student progresses through our program, they transform their lives with the help of rafting, hiking, climbing, and ropes courses. In addition, they learn to become more mindful of their thoughts and emotions by practicing meditation, yoga, and other mind-body techniques.  

Students realize their comfort zones were just a product of fear and anxiety holding them back from the change they always wanted. Once these comfort zones disappear, they understand working through personal struggles can make them more confident and independent.

How Young Adults Achieve Academic Success at Trails Momentum

When students struggle with academics, they often feel like failures or outcasts. Everyday they go to school and see other students who seem to “get it”. As they continue trying to find their way academically, they feel disheartened thinking school is so much easier for everyone else. They wonder why they can’t seem to figure things out.

There are several reasons students struggle in school. Some have specific learning disabilities preventing them from excelling in a normal classroom. Others may lack motivation or see no value in memorizing facts and concepts that don’t seem to have any impact on their real life. Students with emotional issues may find it hard to focus or even care how succeeding in academics will help their particular situation.

The academics program at Trails Momentum takes a proactive approach for struggling students. Since the challenges of our students are often due to significant difficulties, our evaluation process identifies a students strengths and needs. This highly individualized process empowers each student to develop their personal plan for success.

Some students focus on getting their high school diploma. Other students who have fallen behind choose preparing for the GED or HISET tests. Those who already graduated high school often prefer earning college credit thanks to our collaboration with higher education partners. Our Inquiry-Based Experiential Education (IBEE) allows students to examine and decide which approach works best for them.

Some students have trouble thriving in a “typical” classroom setting. Many of our students love to learn by doing instead of listening to lectures. This is why our academics program incorporates learning during field experience  Our team of highly experienced educators make learning accessible to every student by providing engaging lessons geared towards developing better personal habits for success.

Trails Momentum offers a chance for struggling young adults to thrive.  Learn more about our program and how it has changed the lives of those ages 18-15.