Is BlueFire Wilderness Therapy legit
blueFire Wilderness Team
Meet Jake
I grew up here in Idaho and developed a love of the outdoors from the time I could carry my own backpack. From trips to my familys cabin in Donnely, Idaho to yearly backpacking treks in the Sawtooth Mountains, Ive always found the outdoors to be the most healing and peaceful place for me.
I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with a masters in Marriage and Family Counseling. I have worked with children, adolescents, adults young, and their families in some capacity for the last 15 years. I have worked in a variety of settings including schools, outpatient addiction clinics, private practice, and therapeutic boarding schools. I am a registered supervisor with the state of Idaho and enjoys providing supervision for masters level clinicians seeking clinical licensure as well as interns working on their LPC or LCPC degrees. I am also trained in brainspotting.
My first degree was in secondary education, and I taught U.S. history and psychology in high school. During this time, I also worked at summer camps as a counselor and as a Resident Director for college students. After a few years of teaching, I went back to school for a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling, with an emphasis in trauma and complicated bereavement. In addition to time in private practice, and as a clinical supervisor at an addictions clinic, Ive spent the bulk of my clinical career as a primary therapist at a therapeutic boarding school for adolescent boys. One of the highlights of this work was leading backpacking trips through the Idaho wilderness and therapeutic trips overseas with students and their parents. These trips, through the jungles of Peru and Patagonia, and the streets of Nepal and Israel showed me the true healing power of the wilderness. These adventures and my experiences in therapeutic boarding showed me that things happen in the wilderness that are nearly impossible to mimic anywhere else.
Im highly interested in personal growth and development both on the individual and family level, and Im passionate about creatively finding ways to foster the insight required for change to happen. Building quality relationships is important to me and the work I do with clients. For this reason, I approach everything from a deeply relational person-centered perspective, with an emphasis on emotional awareness and connection. I practice EMDR and emphasize mindfulness for clients who have experienced trauma or related issues. Ive also pursued advanced training in attachment issues, Emotion-Focused Therapy for couples and families, the Community Resiliency Model from the Trauma Resource Institute, and The Anatomy of Peace with the Arbinger Institute.
When Im not working with students and families in the wilderness, youll find me hiking and running in the foothills of Boise, camping and climbing in the backcountry of Idaho, or mountain biking and snowboarding at the various Idaho ski resorts.
Wilderness Therapy Defined
Wilderness Therapy at BlueFire:
The lack of power to take joy in outdoor nature is as real a misfortune as the lack of power to take joy in books." Theodore Roosevelt
BlueFire Wilderness Therapy combines adventure experiences with time at base camp to help teens confront fears and overcome obstacles, in order to build confidence and be better equipped to handle problems. Activities that are offered at BlueFire include: rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, yoga, kayaking, equine therapy, camping, backpacking, orienteering, paddle boarding, cross country skiing and snow shoeing. The qualified, experienced staff at BlueFire continually provides a structured, safe environment for students to reflect and grow. A family systems model ensures the parents, along with the teenager, are being equipped to manage the childs behavior, through weekly communication with the child, family therapy video conferences and an in-person parent program.
At BlueFire, teens go on multi-day wilderness trek experiences where they evaluate emotional and behavioral reactions to those around them. Skills learned during this experience are transferable to everyday life long after teens leave BlueFire.
Benefits ofBlueFire Wilderness Therapy
Wilderness therapy can provide a life changing experience for many teens struggling with emotional and behavioral difficulties. The benefits wilderness therapy can provide are numerous. They include:
- Learning useful skills: When teens are out on a wilderness expedition, teens learn practical skills such as cooking, cleaning, building living structures, building and maintaining a fire. These skills can be utilized in many areas of their lives after they leave BlueFire wilderness.
- Building self confidence: While children learn valuable skills and become responsible for a variety of tasks, often they feel a boost in self confidence. Once kids know they are capable of something they never believed they could previously do, they feel more confident to take on other responsibilities. This can drastically change the way they see the world and those around them for the positive.
- Individualized therapy plan: Wilderness therapy offers struggling teens individualized therapy plans tailor-made to their therapeutic needs. At BlueFire Wilderness, the individual needs of clients are met by experienced treatment professionals.
- Free of temptations: Out in the wilderness, your child will be far away from their familiar world. Removed from temptations that once drove their negative behavior, clients are able to look inwards and develop coping skills.
Wilderness Therapy Defined
I had some terrific experiences in the wilderness I require it to sustain life. John Krakauer, Into the Wild
Wilderness therapy uses guided expeditions, coupled with therapeutic processes, as a means of intervention in teens with emotional or behavioral problems. Wilderness therapy provides a unique environment that eliminates distractions, promotes new behaviors and encourages personal development. The natural aspects of a wilderness therapy program, allow teens the opportunity to develop hard skills, such as fire building and communication with peers, while working on emotional, psychological and behavioral growth.
In a wilderness environment, teens experience natural consequences for their actions. For example, if a teen does not have the foresight to put on a winter jacket when it's going to be cold outside, they will have to face the consequences of their actions and be cold during the day. Through these experiences, teens learn that there are unwritten rules for how they should behave in order to be comfortable in a wilderness environment. These rules help foster a sense of responsibility, compassion, and accountability that can't be replicated in a therapeutic environment other than awilderness therapy program.
Research
According to a study titled Perspectives on the wilderness therapy process and its relation to outcome in Child and Youth Care Forum, physical exercise and hiking, as well as primitive wilderness living, peer feedback facilitated by group counseling sessions and the therapeutic relationship established with wilderness guides and therapists are key change agents for adolescents.
Results of another study titled Two Years Later: A Qualitative Assessment of Youth Well-Being and the Role of Aftercare in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Treatment in Child and Youth Care Forum, found that 95 percent of youth, who participated in a 50-day outdoor behavioral healthcare treatment program that utilized wilderness therapy, perceived their treatment as effective. The majority of those youth were also doing well in school with improved family communication. This treatment was also perceived as being a necessary and effective step in helping youths address, and eventually overcome, emotional and psychological issues that were driving destructive behavior prior to treatment.
One studyin the Journal of Experiential Education found that wilderness therapy helps reduce the effects of depression, impulsivity, and a teen's proneness to use substances.
Contemporary Articles
In January 2015, climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, completed an unfathomable quest after 19 days climbing Yosemite National Parks El Capitans Dawn Wall, which is considered, by many, the most challenging climb in the world.
It was the first ascent of the 3,000-foot Dawn Wall in a single expedition with the use of only hands and feet to pull the climbers up. Ropes were utilized solely for safety devices.
When asked what inspired the climbers, Caldwell responded, I think the larger audiences conception is that were thrill seekers out there for an adrenaline rush. We really arent at all. Its about spending our lives in these beautiful places and forming these incredible bonds For me, I love to dream big, and I love to find ways to be a bit of an explorer.
In "What I Learned on A Six Month Hike Through The Appalachian Trail", Allie Ghaman describes the incredible journey she experienced as she hiked across the Appalachian Trail. On her hike, she was able to free herself of feelings of self consciousness. Through the hike, she forged strong friendships, braved terrible weather patterns, and even made it through a bee attach in one piece. The experience in the wilderness for her was life-changing, just like wilderness therapy is for struggling teens.
Sources
http://www.crchealth.com/find-a-treatment-center/struggling-youth-programs/help/wilderness/
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/wilderness
http://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/historyculture/theodore-roosevelt-quotes.html
The Effects of Wilderness Therapy on the Clinical Concerns (on Axes I, II, and IV) of Troubled Adolescents
Two Years Later: A Qualitative Assessment of Youth Well-Being and the Role of Aftercare in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Treatment
Perspectives on the wilderness therapy process and its relation to outcome
Wilderness therapy defined by..
Wikipedia
Wikidata
Wikimedia Commons
Wiktionary
Wikiversity
My Little Professor
BlueFire Wilderness Therapy helps teens from:
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi,Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina,North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont,Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Wilderness Therapy for Families From Idaho
Wilderness Therapy Idaho Teens Find Success With
At BlueFire Wilderness Therapy, Idaho teens receive a tailor made treatment plan based on their specific needs. No two troubled teens are identical, nor are the environments they have come to a wilderness therapy program from. This is why at BlueFire the client is in charge of what they want to get out of their time with us. Arbitrary and excessive restriction at other programs may lead to teens merely mimicking what they believe is desired of them rather than real long term change that is restorative to the family unit. 
Idaho teens struggling with a variety of disorders and mental health problems can find real value in wilderness therapy. Learning back-to-basics skills without the distractions of modern technology, and being surrounded by the beauty of Southern Idaho can increase the confidence of troubled teens as they face new challenges and realize what they are truly capable of.
Find out more about BlueFire Wilderness Therapy and what it can offer your family by calling 1(844) 413-1999 today! 
Wilderness Therapy Can HelpYour Idaho Teen
BlueFire Wilderness Therapy is a leading residential program for troubled teens from Idaho. The entire family is extensively involved to ensure the greatest possible outcomes for our clients after they have returned home. Using a combination of evidence based therapies and adventure therapy struggling teens from Idaho between the ages of 11-17 learn new skills and new ways of understanding any emotional and behavioral problems they face.
We help teens from all over the United States. By being removed from their everyday environment, this transition allows for Idaho teens to fully realize their true capabilities. Old habits and negative peer influences will be replaced with increased self-confidence and healthier attachments.
Through Equine Therapy, BlueFire helps Idaho teens explore the nature of the follower and leader dynamic. There is a complementary relationship between horse and rider, allowing clients to witness a mirroring of their own emotions in the behavior of the horse, teaching teens to place more emphasis on types of non-verbal communication. Equine Therapy is an integral part of what makes BlueFire such a successful wilderness therapy program as it works to increase levels of empathy and compassion in our clients.
BlueFire takes a tailor-made approach with each client, taking into account the specific needs of every family from Idaho. Call 1(844) 413-1999 today to find out how BlueFire can help get the best results for your family!
Who Does BlueFire Wilderness Therapy Help?
BlueFire Wilderness helps teens and families looking for wilderness therapy solutions who are struggling with challenges like those below: School Refusal Depression Social isolation ADHD Bipolar Disorder Defiance Family Conflict Attachment Issues Video Game Addiction Anxiety Trauma Low Self Esteem OCD Self-harm Anger Issues Academic Failure
Resources
Why Wilderness? How Therapeutic Outdoor Programs Help Troubled Teens: Hugh C. McBrides article offers a brief history of wilderness therapy programs and a three-step outline of how they operate. He highlights that time free from the stimulation-intensive world we live in today plays a huge part in the success of the therapy.
Nimh.nih.gov The National Institute of Mental Health is a federal research agency that provides comprehensive information and resources on mental illness in children and adolescents. Additionally, it provides a variety of local information for those struggling with mental health challenges, along with their families. NIMH conducts research and raises awareness for a variety of mental health struggles. 
BlueFire Wilderness Therapy Helps Families From Idaho
BlueFire Wilderness helps Idaho families from cities and towns like: Eagle Victor Star Meridian Moyie Springs Garden City Boise Melba Lewiston Preston
BlueFire Wilderness Therapy helps Idaho families from:
Some examples of cities from Idaho which may have families who may be interested in BlueFire Wilderness include: Boise Nampa Meridian Idaho Falls Pocatello Caldwell
