What is therapeutic adventure programming?

Therapeutic Adventure utilizes adventure-based experiential education principles along with land-based education and Tewa values to create safe spaces for participants to engage in skill building, positive challenge, goal setting, building connections, aligning the brain and body, empowerment, observation, and reflection. This is all conducted with the intention to build and deepen therapeutic skills and experiences that support mental health journeys.

Some core principles of Tewa Roots Society's Therapeutic Adventure Program are that we are land based, culturally relevant, and believe Nan Ochu Kwio (Mother Earth) is our first healer and our first teacher. Land based means that everything we do directly connects to and is supported by the land, waters, plants and other living beings of Tewa territories. We integrate and encourage cultural knowledge and exchange into our programs. Our facilitators aim to safely build bridges for people to connect with nature as a welcoming and accessible place of healing and growth. 

​We use "prescriptive programming” to best fulfill the intentions behind any program requests. This means our team takes care to understand the goals and needs of a group and expertly crafts a program full of activities that will support the goals. This may include but are not limited to team building games, hiking, archery, kayaking,  stand-up paddle boarding, therapeutic art, meditation, rock climbing, journaling, snow shoeing, solos, bush craft, plant walks, and so much more.

Our facilitators hold various training and certifications in outdoor based skills, mental health, and first aid practices to provide knowledge-based safe spaces. We honor challenges by choice, native leave no trace, and risk management principles.

What does requesting a program look like?

  • It is preferred that you submit a program request at least 4 weeks out from the request date as our monthly schedules fill up fast. ​
  • We typically only host programs Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but special requests may be considered.
  • ​For many of our activities, our maximum capacity is 15 participants, but special requests may be considered.
  • Once the program request is submitted, a team member will reach out within 7 business days to inform you if we can accommodate your request.
  • If the request is approved, a team member will quickly reach out to coordinate a 15 minute planning call to learn more about your group goals, accessibility needs, and to solidify the scheduling details.​
  • ​Two weeks before the scheduled program date, a team member will send an email containing the general plan for the program, what participants should bring and wear, and other relevant information. 
  • ​The team member will also send a link to fill out our smartwaiver (required for all participants) and we ask that these be completed at least one week prior to the program. This helps us account for all medical and accessibility needs.

INTERESTED?

Want to see if you're eligible to participate in Tewa Roots Society's Therapeutic Adventure Program?

Fill out our Program Request Form to let us know how we can help your organization, group, or community!
For other questions, please send us an email on our Contact Us page.

"Adventure Therapy is the prescriptive use of adventure experiences provided by mental health professionals, often conducted in natural settings that kinesthetically engage clients on cognitive, affective, and behavioral levels," 
(Gass et al., 2012, p.1)