Phoenix Outdoor

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Wilderness Therapy for Teens and Families in Crisis - Asheville North Carolina

Phoenix Outdoor is a wilderness therapy program for troubled teens and families in crisis based in Asheville, North Carolina. Our professionals deliver a Therapeutic Approach in a Wilderness Treatment Program.

Phoenix Outdoor
363 Graphite Rd
Old Fort NC 28762
Tel: 828 683-7718; 877 305-0904

Phoenix Outdoor Wilderness Therapy Program for Teens

Phoenix Outdoor is a therapeutic wilderness program for teens located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. We offer comprehensive treatment in a dynamic, experiential setting for teens ages 13-17 who are struggling with substance abuse/use as well co-occurring behavioral and mental health issues.

In small, single-gender groups, teens hike and camp in the U.S. National Forest, returning to base camp at regular intervals. At all times, both in the wilderness and at base camp, teens are supervised by a team of experienced professionals who keep them safe, teach them camping skills, facilitate peer interaction, and execute a structured curriculum of activities designed by their therapist to identify and address the underlying issues that led to their placement at Phoenix.

Beginning with a comprehensive clinical assessment, our clinical team creates individualized treatment plans for each adolescent based on a blend of therapeutic approaches, including Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Family Systems therapy, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), mindfulness skills, yoga, therapeutic drumming and expressive arts.

We offer crisis intervention, a thorough assessment of both the underlying issues that are driving a teen’s negative behaviors and the scope and severity of substance abuse, and a treatment program designed to bring about significant behavioral changes in the adolescents.

An outdoor environment, far removed from daily distractions, enables our students to plan and prepare for long-term success.We partner with struggling teens to help them develop and practice new skills in the field that can be utilized after formal treatment ends. The hands-on nature of wilderness therapy mixed with our partnership approach encourages teens to invest in their own substance abuse recovery process.

A licensed, master’s level adolescent therapist meets individually and in groups with teens to help them process their experiences and to open up a dialogue about their struggles. Each week, the therapist directs the activities of the field instructor team to provide individual assignments for each student. The therapist provides weekly updates to parents and referral sources to monitor the teenager's progress and to create a long-term plan for success. In addition, we provide twice-monthly interactive (student involved) family sessions facilitated by the therapist.

Additional drug and alcohol education is offered each week so that adolescents can better understand the effects of substance use on their brains, bodies, and lives. Group sessions, including 12-Step meetings, help show the teens how to use a support group to stay substance-free.

Our unique expedition model of wilderness therapy consists of 9 days in the wilderness and 5 days at our base camp facility. Along with hiking and camping, teens participate in family sessions, 12-Step meetings, yoga, drumming, psycho-educational groups, and life skills training. Frequent transitions between wilderness expeditions and base camp provide our students with the opportunity to master change in their day-to-day lives and prepare for the challenges they’ll face after treatment.

Because the adolescent is part of the family system, we invite the entire family to step into the recovery process. Master’s level, licensed clinicians work extensively with parents during the enrollment and treatment process to help them manage anxiety and deal with emotions, and to provide counsel and support. Parents are connected with each other through weekly parent teleconferences and educational seminars so they can gain information and support from each other. The latest technology links parents to their child through a secure web portal designed to hold pictures, letters, weekly reports and treatment plans. Parents also have the opportunity to participate in a mid-stay family workshop led by a doctoral level marriage and family therapist.

The Phoenix Outdoor teen wilderness campis comprehensive in its support of teenagers and their families. Our years of experience treating teen substance abuse and addiction in the wilderness, combined with our understanding of the developmental and emotional needs of teenagers and their families, helps create the changes that are needed in a time of crisis.

To determine if your child is an appropriate fit for Phoenix Outdoor’s North Carolina wilderness therapy program, contact our caring admissions staff today. Adolescents can be admitted every day of the week and within 24 hours, if needed.