Abstract

Wilderness Therapy has been used as a type of counseling tool since the 1960’s in various forms. This paper will discuss the various definitions that several authors have compiled along with what theoretical foundations were used in each. The paper will also look at the current trends in the Wilderness Therapy industry. Along with defining Wilderness Therapy this paper will also look at the benefits of using Wilderness Therapy and with whom the therapy is best suited. The primary challenge was finding concrete evidence to support Wilderness Therapy’s effectiveness. This was due in large part to Wilderness Therapy not having a consistent definition. This was problematic when trying to conduct research studies. The lack of a comparison or control only adds to the issues of furthering research on this therapy. Another area of concern was the ethical issues that may arise for the Wilderness Therapist and how these issues could affect the counseling process. Although the paper does touch on many areas of Wilderness Therapy, the overall purpose was to develop an integrated definition of Wilderness Therapy and show the benefits of Wilderness Therapy.