Whenever a family is struggling, it is often a sign that something deeper needs attention. The Anasazi Foundation, based in Mesa, Arizona, offers an accredited wilderness therapy program. Based on their experience, Anasazi offers a way to help disturbed teenagers and their families. In this program, the crisis is not the actual issue; it is a clue that leads to deeper lessons.
Situated in the splendid surroundings of the Arizona desert, the Anasazi Foundation is an organization that excludes confrontation programs. It is for young people aged 12-17 years. Now, let’s understand how Anasazi engages with people and helps them in their recovery and personal development process.
What Outdoor Skills Do Students Learn at Anasazi?
At its core, the Anasazi Foundation experience is an attempt to instruct the participants in the basics of wilderness survival. As a part of the program, the students are exposed to the wilderness. Here, the participants get to practice things that are not only restricted to the basics of survival. In every aspect, right from preparing food to washing hands, from handling fire to various emergencies like applying first aid or taking care of their equipment, each student builds confidence in their abilities.
Participants also learn how to prepare their trail gear. This also involves using natural resources to make a primitive backpack, a fire set, and a rabbit stick. These skills actually promote the process of being independent and becoming self-reliant. Additionally, students develop more. Furthermore, students acquire more complex survival techniques in the wilderness, such as using a bow drill to make a fire or building their own shelter. From such incidents, they get to understand the meaning of patience, responsibility, and persistence.
Life After Anasazi Foundation: What Comes Next?
After the wilderness therapy program, Anasazi provides its support through a fully elaborate aftercare process. Each family receives follow-up support. This encompasses monthly telephone communication through the Alumni Services department. Families are also given parent coaching calls for seven weeks. They reinforce the practical aspects of the program and apply them to real-life situations.
This continued support ensures that the lessons are incorporated into everyday reality. The purpose is to reunify the families so that they are able to make continued positive changes as they have during their time in the program. Anasazi knows that change is a process that needs time to reach its goal.
Is Anasazi a Boot Camp?
Other people often have the wrong perception that Anasazi is a boot camp. However, it is a nature-based therapeutic program that is meant to nurture self-responsibility and accountability. Unlike other programs that employ harsh methods such as confrontation, manipulation, or behavior modification techniques, Anasazi’s approach is entirely different.
The program Is free from force and control. However, other staff members accompany the participants and experience things with them. They have the same food and wear the same equipment. The focus is on the students and helping them discover their inner strengths. This process guides them towards self-discovery and healing. The key principles of this process include love, choice, forgiveness, and restitution, which form the foundation of this process. The program provides a positive framework that affords real and sustainable change.
Anasazi Therapy: A Unique Approach to Healing
The word Anasazi is a Navajo translation which means the ancient or wise people of the past. This is the principle that guides the foundation’s work. It also enables the individuals to recover their personal selves and the people In their environments.
Larry Olsen and Ezekiel Sanchez were part of the first generation of wilderness professionals. They founded the Anasazi Foundation in 1988. Their vision was to design a program of healing through and with nature. It provides the youth with an opportunity to soak in nature. They are in an environment that gives them time for reflection, personal change, and development. The participants also learned how to walk forward not only in physical activity but also in social, emotional, and psychological levels.
Can Anasazi Foundation Help Your Family?
If you are a concerned parent who is struggling to find a way to support your child who is facing emotional or behavioral challenges, Anasazi may be the solution. The foundation understands the difficulty families face when home-based solutions have proven ineffective.
Anasazi Therapy offers scholarships to families who need financial assistance. Private donations and charity events help to fund these scholarships. Thus, families can access the care they need.
Final Thoughts!
The Anasazi Foundation is not just about wilderness therapy. It’s about teaching individuals how to navigate life with a heart full of love and a mind focused on personal responsibility. Anasazi fosters an environment where change occurs naturally and not through force. This is possible by teaching the students essential outdoor skills and providing meaningful aftercare support.
Families who join the Anasazi therapy program often experience transformation, not just in the youth but in the entire family. Therefore, the experience provides a fresh perspective on how to approach life’s challenges.