Finding Oneself in Solitude: Adolescent Students of Wilderness Therapy Reflect on the Solo Experience and Its Impact on Their Lives
Finding Oneself in Solitude: Adolescent Students of Wilderness Therapy Reflect on the Solo Experience and Its Impact on Their Lives
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Issue Date
2007
Authors
Cluff, Joshua J.
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Abstract
This study examined the wilderness solo, a component consistently found in wilderness therapy models and one that has been highly overlooked in the literature. This study sought to identify and understand therapeutic variables associated with the solo experience and how they impact the lives of adolescent students. This study also examined gender variables, working to identify differences in both experience and therapeutic need. Thirty-one students aged 13 to 17 completed hand-written, essay-based surveys for this study. Respondents completed surveys in the final week of treatment in an established wilderness therapy program. Data was sorted and coded into themes through content analysis. Therapeutic elements, implications, and outcomes associated with the wilderness solo are identified from respondent data. Results strongly identified and tracked therapeutic variables and outcomes, the greatest being changes in self-perception and perception of relationships with others. Data also demonstrated a direct correlation between the experience of a challenge or trial and a positive overall outcome. Lastly, a theory identifying notable differences in the experience of self-concept development across genders is discussed.