What is Adventure Therapy?

No two addiction recovery journeys are ever the same. Research found that nearly 21 million adults consider themselves to be recovering or in recovery from addiction; however, that doesn’t mean all these people have the same treatment plan. Some patients may benefit from a more traditional treatment plan approach, while other patients may benefit from a combination of holistic and traditional therapies. 

There are many types of holistic therapies, including adventure therapy. Adventure therapy involves patients participating in outdoor activities to grow their identity and sense of perseverance. Keep reading to learn more about what is adventure therapy, and whether this treatment may be right for you.

At Terra Nova, we are a luxury drug rehab in Arizona that’s helped many patients safely heal from their addiction and lead a long-term life of sobriety. We offer a range of treatment programs to ensure you receive the exact care you need to best progress along your recovery journey. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you on your road to recovery. 

What is Adventure Therapy?

So, what is adventure therapy? And how can adventure therapy potentially help your recovery journey?

Adventure therapy is a type of alternative treatment program that involves participating in challenging outdoor activities (i.e. hiking, rock climbing, skiing, etc.) so you can build a healthy sense of identity and motivation to help you progress along your recovery journey. Adventure therapy can be highly effective, especially for patients who may not necessarily benefit as much from receiving more traditional therapies like CBT or other forms of talk therapy.

Being outdoors in nature not only helps heal patients’ bodies and minds so they are physically and mentally stronger, but they will likely face challenges during their adventure therapy journey. And, these challenges that may arise allow the patient to grow a healthy sense of resilience, perseverance, and identity that they can do hard things and still thrive, like overcoming addiction and maintaining long-term sobriety. 

5 Benefits of Adventure Therapy

Although adventure therapy may not be for every patient, there’s no question that adventure therapy can be great for a patient’s mind, body, and spirit. From testing their physical health and limits to being in touch with nature, below are some of the top benefits of adventure therapy:

1. Being In Nature Provides A Range of Therapeutic Elements

Nature has many healing properties. Not only does it give you a space to reflect in a distraction-free environment, but it offers a calming environment to ground yourself and your thoughts. While much of addiction treatment therapy options are conducted indoors, adventure therapy allows patients to connect with nature and thus be exposed to a range of therapeutic properties nature has to offer. 

2. Ability to Test Your Limits & Overcome Challenges 

From hiking to rock climbing, adventure therapy typically involves a range of physical activities that can test the patient’s physical strength and mind. These active challenges not only improve a patient’s physical health but show them that they can do hard things and persevere. 

3. Self-Reflection to Heal Your Mind and Spirit

As briefly mentioned above, being in nature can be a great time to reflect and heal your mind and soul. While adventure therapy certainly has a significant physical element to it, it’s also important to understand that adventure therapy can be a great time to self-reflect and heal your mind and spirit to effectively progress along your recovery journey. 

4. Grow Your Sense of Self and Identity

Sometimes, patients in adventure therapy will be faced with challenges or certain experiences they may have never encountered before. Whether that be doing a new outdoor activity like rock climbing, or another experience, this allows the individual to grow their sense of self and identity.

5. Improve Your Interpersonal Skills 

There are a variety of group or team aspects in adventure therapy. From group activities to simply being surrounded by peers also striving to achieve sobriety, this allows you not only to improve your interpersonal skills but also connect with other individuals who understand what you are going through. 

Start Your Recovery Journey Today 

Now you know more about adventure therapy and its many benefits. Adventure therapy can be a highly effective treatment option for some patients to heal and progress along their road to recovery. Not only does it offer you the ability to heal in nature and improve your physical health and well-being, but it also allows you to grow your sense of self and motivation so you can feel capable and ready to achieve long-term sobriety.

At Terra Nova, we’re here to help guide you along your path to recovery so you can take back control of your life. We understand how isolating and debilitating a disease addiction can be. That’s why we offer an extensive range of treatment options so you can receive the right care for your unique recovery needs.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can best help you break free of addiction.