1:3
Staff-to-Student Ratio
24/7
Medical Support Available
10,000+
Families Served
28+ Years
of Clinical Excellence
What Is Wilderness Therapy?
Nature-based residential treatment.
Accredited wilderness therapy programs combine licensed clinical therapy with immersive, nature-based experiences. Teens work with licensed therapists, complete clinical assignments, and participate in daily group sessions outdoors. Nature creates the space so that therapy can create the change.
Wilderness therapy is not:
A Boot Camp
Wilderness therapy is not a boot camp for troubled teens. Boot camps of the 1970s used punishment and compliance as tools, without licensed clinical staff. Licensed wilderness therapy is clinically designed, therapist-led, and never punitive.
A Standard Residential Treatment Center
RTCs are indoor, live-in facilities providing therapy in a traditional setting that can feel institutionalized or "treatment" focused. Wilderness therapy takes place in a natural environment where nature and peer interactions are active parts of treatment. With no phones and fewer distractions, students slow down, take accountability, and engage more directly in the work.
How Wilderness Therapy Compares to Other Levels of Care
| Category | Outpatient Therapy | Standard Residential Treatment Center (RTC) | Second Nature Wilderness Therapy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical hours/week | 1–3 hrs standard; 9–15 hrs intensive outpatient | 5–15 hrs structured; remaining time supervised but not therapeutic | 20–40+ hrs therapeutically engaged — the living environment is part of the treatment |
| Family involvement | Minimal to moderate; teen returns to same family system between sessions | Limited visits and family therapy calls; physical separation without parallel parent work | Structured parallel process — parent coaching, weekly programming, family therapy calls, guided written communication |
| Completion rates | ~50–60%; dropout common among resistant adolescents | ~60–75%; varies widely by program model | ~85–90% (NATSAP); immersive structure reduces avoidance-driven dropout |
| Post-treatment outcomes | Gains often undermined by return to same triggers and environment | Transition challenges common; without strong aftercare, re-entry is difficult | 83% of students maintain or improve gains one year post-discharge (NATSAP); transition planning is built in |
| Evidence status | Strong evidence base for CBT, DBT, ACT in outpatient settings | Mixed; quality varies enormously; controlled research limited | Multiple peer-reviewed longitudinal studies (Russell 2003; Harper et al. 2019); NATSAP national outcome studies; recognized by APA |
Is Wilderness Therapy the Right Fit?
Who Second Nature Can Help
- Outpatient therapy hasn't produced lasting change
- The environment (school, peers, phone, home, technology) is part of the problem or provides distraction from addressing the problems
- Teen needs real-world feedback, not just insight
- They have 'learned' therapy coping skills but struggle to apply them
- Family dynamics need to shift alongside individual work
- Anxiety, Depression, trauma, ADHD, Autism, adoption issues, identity struggles
- ODD, substance use, self-harm, school avoidance, anger/defiance
- Ages 13–17 (can be 18, but must enroll 30 days prior to their 18th birthday)
Why Teen Therapy Works Better With Nature
Weekly outpatient sessions rarely produce lasting change when the teen returns to the same environment and peer group. Wilderness therapy breaks that cycle.
IMMERSION
Nature Removes the Distractions That Block Real Growth
At Second Nature, without technology or familiar social dynamics, the patterns that drove the crisis emerge organically. A therapist doesn't ask a teen to describe their behavior — they observe it in real time and address it in the moment.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Nature Holds Teens Accountable in Real Time
At Second Nature, students practice change through daily routines, chores, and peer interactions — not just talk about it. Therapists draw direct lines between behavior and similar patterns at home. Parents engage in parallel work so the family system shifts alongside the teen.
METAPHOR
Nature Teaches Through Experience, Bypassing Resistance
In wilderness, daily living is therapy. Accomplishing things students never thought they could, like making a fire without matches, builds confidence and challenges limiting beliefs. Therapists connect those experiences to real-life dynamics, turning the wilderness into a metaphor that bypasses resistance and reaches deeper.
AUTHENTICITY
Nature Reveals Patterns Talk Therapy Cannot
At Second Nature, adolescents must demonstrate change, not just describe it. The group becomes a microcosm of the teen's relational world — the same dynamics played out at home surface with peers and staff, giving therapists observable, real-time material to work with.
CLINICAL INTEGRATION
Nature Amplifies Clinical Work
Therapists and field instructors work in close coordination — every new experience and moment of accountability is clinically purposeful. Physiological regulation through nature exposure, relational safety away from unhealthy dynamics, and real-time behavioral observation measurably accelerate the therapeutic process.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Nature Builds Confidence That Can Only Be Earned
Most teens arrive unsure of what to expect. Within weeks, they're navigating terrain and supporting peers through hard moments — competencies earned through safe challenge. This produces real self-esteem and resiliency that talk therapy alone rarely generates.
What a Week at Second Nature Looks Like
Students don't experience wilderness therapy as activities. They experience it as a life — one that's therapeutically designed at every level.
Morning
Wake, prepare meals, open the day with mindfulness and group check-in. Structure, accountability, and competence built from the start.
Daytime
Hiking, schoolwork, team-building, games, life skills groups, and real-time coaching — all woven into individual treatment goals. Field instructors with students 24/7; therapists in the field multiple days per week.
Group & Individual Therapy
Licensed therapists lead structured group sessions multiple times per week. Individual therapy sessions held regularly — in the field, not an office.
Evening
Cook dinner together, then circle up around the fire under the stars for games and genuine connection. The day closes with a facilitated process group — where peer dynamics and shared moments become the therapeutic work.
The Parent Experience at Second Nature
You're Not Waiting at Home. You're Part of the Work.
Regular Coaching Calls
Your parent coach connects regularly with structured sessions designed to help you understand what's happening, prepare for re-entry, and work on your own patterns in parallel with your teen.
Joint Family Therapy Calls & On-Site Work
You and your teen participate in regular family therapy sessions facilitated by the primary therapist — structured toward the same goals your teen is working on in the field. You'll also participate in on-site, in-person therapy with your teen when ready.
Structured Written Communication
Therapeutically designed letters and clinical assignments move between students and families throughout the program — opening dialogue that may have closed at home.
Transition Planning, Started Early
Planning begins weeks before discharge, not the week of. Your teen's therapist coordinates with you and other members of your therapeutic team
Are Wilderness Therapy Programs Safe?
6.5×
Safer than everyday teen life
Accredited programs vs. the general teen population (OBHC, 2006–2022, 2.2M program days)
3×
Greater improvement at 1-year follow-up
Compared to teens who received outpatient treatment only — Gass et al., 2019
24/7
In-Field Medical Support
WFR-certified staff in every group. All staff first aid & CPR-certified. Doctor & nurse on-call 24/7.
Red flag: Programs that cause harm share common traits: no licensed clinical staff, use of physical restraint or intimidation, no third-party accreditation, no formal medical protocols, and no state licensing. If a program can't answer basic questions about licensure and accreditation, that's a red flag.
Second Nature Goes Above and Beyond State Licensing Requirements
Most programs meet state licensing requirements. Here is every external body with oversight of Second Nature — and what that oversight actually involves.
Voluntary accreditation
External review + on-site visit
Ongoing re-accreditation cycles
Formal risk management review
Incident reporting standards
Documented continuous improvement process
Membership organization
Adherence to ethical guidelines
Honest marketing practices
Participation in industry-wide data and peer accountability
Voluntary accreditation
External review + on-site visit
Ongoing re-accreditation cycles
Formal risk management review
Incident reporting standards
Documented continuous improvement process
Federal land use permit
Submitted operating plans
Usage reporting
Environmental compliance
Federal inspections
Federal land use permit
Pre-approved routes and group sizes
Seasonal restrictions
Mandatory emergency communication plans
Periodic field compliance checks
What to Expect When You Reach Out
No Script. No Pressure. Just an Honest Conversation.
Most parents who call us have been researching for weeks. You'll know more than you expect — and still have questions. That's normal. This is a big decision.
Step 1
Conversation
First conversation (45–60 minutes). You'll speak directly with our admissions team — not a call center. Ask whatever you need. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you.
Step 2
Clinical Review
If the first call suggests fit, we'll request records from prior providers and conduct a formal clinical intake. Our team confirms appropriateness and begins thinking about your teen's individual approach before they arrive.
Step 3
Joint Decision
Enrollment decision — made together. Enrollment isn't a sales close. It's a joint decision between your family and our clinical team. You'll have a clear picture of what to expect before you commit.
*We accept new enrollments seven days a week. The admissions process can move at whatever pace your family needs — and when you're ready, we can typically complete the process within 24 hours.*
When You're Ready to Talk, We're Here.
No script. No sales pressure. Our admissions team will answer your honest questions — and tell you directly if we're not the right program.
Second Nature serves adolescents ages 13–17 in Utah. We typically respond within one business day.
FAQs: Questions Parents Ask Most
What makes Second Nature different?
What is Second Nature's staff-to-student ratio?
How does Second Nature involve families throughout — not just at intake and discharge?
What are Second Nature's accreditations, and when was the program's last external review?
What would lead Second Nature to recommend a different program or level of care?
What does Second Nature's formal transition and aftercare structure look like?
Is wilderness therapy the same as a boot camp?
Are wilderness therapy programs safe?
How long does a program last?
Does insurance cover wilderness therapy?
Can I speak with my teen during the program?
Related Wilderness Therapy Topics
Is Wilderness Therapy Safe?
The full safety data — what it covers, what it doesn't, and what to ask.
Legit vs. Unregulated: How to Tell
10 questions to ask any program, and the red flags that should stop the conversation.
Does Wilderness Therapy Work?
The research on outcomes — what 88 studies found, and what actually makes a program work.
What Teens Actually Experience
What 148 teens reported about their initial uncertainty, turning points, and what actually drove change.