Lake Powell, Utah

Well, I just returned yesterday from a spring break pretty different from previous ones. While I was in a glorious setting in Lake Powell, Utah, I was there as part of the leadership team for a wilderness therapy expedition with high-risk adolescent females from my internship site. The agency I intern at is a leader in wilderness therapy, which is a modality which takes (usually) teens into the wilderness for therapeutic purposed. Not only are you able to connect with the kids in a different way than when you have a session in an office, but the clients are challenged physically and relationally as they work on their personal goals in the context of a team in a remote setting. Wilderness therapy has been an interest of mine since I began graduate school three years ago, and I was excited to be able to experience what I've read about and researched. And I loved it just like I thought I would.

Our 10-day trip was to Lake Powell, Utah, a gorgeous man-made lake in Glen Canyon. We were right near the border of Arizona and Utah (and went to Four Corners on the drive there!) as part of a kayaking expedition. In total, we were on the water for 6 days and kayaked about 30 miles. We spent our days kayaking, stopped for lunch, kayaked some more, set up camp on the beach, and then went about doing our camping tasks. The girls were divided into 4 teams: cooking team, camp team, boat team, and water team. I was in charge of the meals, so I was able to have some really good discussions while cooking with the clients. Food brings people together, right? In the evenings, we had group therapy sessions and throughout the day were able to work with the girls in large group, small group, and individually. What I liked so much is that the entire trip is very therapeutic in nature, but the therapy happens continually throughout the day, whether it's a more formal talk, or you're simply talking with the client while packing tents or boating next to them on the water. And the clients get feedback from not only staff (who resemble those power-hungry adults of the adolescent world), but also their own peers as they get to know each other throughout the week. Needless to say, it was an exhausting week, but also exhilerating, and something I'd do again in a heart-beat.

Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.