ABSTRACT
Wilderness therapy is as old as humans have been wandering the landscape. Kurt Hahn, the founder of Outward Bound, is typically credited with developing the style of wilderness therapy most commonly found in North America and Europe. Wilderness therapy is distinct from other forms of psychotherapy not only in terms of its physical context. The various dimensions of the theory of Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics express themselves in a multitude of ways in wilderness therapy. A significant aspect of wilderness therapy involves nomadic traveling; participants can only carry so much with them from location to location. To cultivate the immersion and reflection that wilderness experiences offer, adolescent participants do not have access to digital technologies while in the program. In wilderness therapy, participants are able to send letters as well as photographs. Nature provides endless opportunities for creating and composing with found materials. Crafting natural sculptures is therefore a common approach in wilderness therapy.
