Can I Benefit From Adventure Therapy?

At RECO Intensive, we understand that your recovery process is as unique as you are. That’s exactly why we offer a variety of therapy programs that are designed to propel you beyond your comfort levels and help you to reach your full potential. 

What Is Adventure Therapy?

Adventure Therapy is an experiential therapy that combines involvement with nature and community while engaging you in a physical activity. Adventure Therapy is designed to help you discover how to focus on and improve your physical, social, spiritual, and psychological well-being. Clients leave the treatment center to engage in activities, sometimes in groups led by an adventure therapist.

This highly effective method of therapy allows clients to find healing power through an assortment of different kinds of activities that actively and naturally stimulate you. The goal of Adventure Therapy is to help you learn how to heal from within, by engaging with healthy outlets for your mind, body, and soul.   

What Are the Benefits of Adventure Therapy?

With Adventure Therapy, clients try different activities that can help them grow and heal. These activities are meant to challenge the participants in ways that help build the confidence they’ll need when facing difficult situations. Adventure Therapy is extremely effective at helping individuals to develop tools that they’ll put to use for a lifetime. These tools include:

• Building and maintaining positive, trusting relationships
• Acquiring healthy social skills like communication and conflict resolution
• Improving self-awareness by understanding your strengths and weaknesses
• Increasing self-confidence 
• Building resilience
• Connecting with nature
• Making a habit of exercise, which boosts your mood and strengthens your body

What Types of Adventure Therapy Can I Try at RECO?

At RECO we have a solid clinical team that will help determine what type of therapeutic excursions will be most beneficial for your specific needs. Our team creates an experience that allows clients to leave the clinical environment to help them recover the necessary tools they need to thrive. The Adventure Therapies that are available at RECO include:

• Competitive Recreation – Healthy competition is a great way for you to get outside, exercise, and interact with peers. RECO offers a variety of fun opportunities, including our weekly softball team and our bi-annual dodgeball tournament. Staff, clients, and alumni work together in a competitive, lighthearted setting that helps foster a sense of mutuality, strength, and encouragement. These competitive recreational activities help build an enduring supportive community. 
• Escape Rooms – Escape rooms are designed to help you better yourself while also learning to work effectively with a group of peers. By exploring clues and problem solving, teams work together to escape the room before the timer runs out. This is a great way for therapists to learn more about each individual and the group as a whole. Escape rooms highlight an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, helping therapists to better accommodate clients as they walk the road of recovery together.
• Animal Rescue – Through animal rescue, you’ll discover compassion. Individuals visit an animal hospital or animal rescue facility to meet various animals and to learn about their stories. Most of the animals that the clients meet have suffered abuse, and are currently in recovery due to their ailments. At RECO, we have found that clients show an enormous amount of compassion towards these animals, yet struggle to show themselves grace during their own recovery process. This is a great way for you to discover compassion for yourself.
• Ropes Course – By participating in a ropes course, you’ll gain the confidence you need as you learn to work as a team to find solutions. In the ropes course, clients face challenges similar to those they may encounter at various points throughout their recovery. This excursion serves as a team-building exercise as well as a motivator for personal growth. 
• Nature Healing Courses – South Florida offers clients a stunning chance to be immersed in nature. You can learn the value of meditation and self-reflection among the Everglades and palm trees. With help from staff and the presence of nature, clients practice the art of grounding, while learning how to appreciate the surrounding environment that facilitates their recovery. 
• Community Labyrinths – Often described as a “walking meditation,” the labyrinth offers a contemplative opportunity to connect with your inner spirit. Each labyrinth walk is unique, and is designed to help facilitate mindfulness and mental reflection.
• Community Service Projects – There is a special healing power that comes from helping others. At RECO, we provide multiple outlets that allow clients to give back to the community. You’re highly encouraged to participate in volunteer programs, as they help to deepen your commitment to helping others.
• Morikami Japanese Gardens and Museum – Engulfed in an oasis that features lush gardens and rich cultural history, you’ll enjoy a distinctive experience that promotes emotional balance and creative inspiration. Clients walk about with a sense of tranquility and serenity while practicing self-actualization and meditation. 

Each person’s journey through recovery is unique, which is why it’s in your best interest to explore numerous forms of treatment to see which works best for you. While much of your treatment and therapy will take place within a clinical setting, the countless positive impacts of Adventure Therapy makes it worthy of your consideration. Adventure Therapy can help you build your self-confidence, develop your social skills, and equip you with the tools you need for battling difficult decisions in everyday life. Effective treatment does not just happen between four walls; it can be found all around us. The great outdoors holds ample opportunities for rejuvenating activities which have been proven to be effective for people of all ages who struggle with mental health issues and substance use disorders. RECO’s treatment team can help pair you with an Adventure Therapy plan customized to your individual needs and recovery process. Contact RECO Intensive today to discuss our first adventure together. Call us at (561) 464-6533.