New Creation Wilderness Therapy
The first part of every teen’s stay at SHA is in our wilderness program. Boys and girls have separate wilderness facilities in the woods on either side of our 86-acre campus.
The challenge of living in the woods without electricity or flowing water takes the teens out of their comfort zone. It requires they learn new and more effective coping and teamwork skills. They participate in experiencing life without the negative cultural influences that so often draw attention away from the responsibilities and obligations of the real world. This experience calls for communal cooperation and is necessary for even the most basic daily needs, thus a significant motivator toward re-thinking one’s role in society and his or her obligation to others. Rights and privileges are taught to be exercised only to the degree that responsibilities and obligations are fulfilled.
Without a healthy concept of authority, teens have no reference point for moral right and wrong. As the teens see staff and leadership submit to God, an Authority greater than themselves, the reference point becomes clear. This, in turn, fosters a sense of security which frees the teens to better submit to their authority figures and to God. As their capacity for self-restraint increases, so does their self-esteem. These two qualities combine for a better atmosphere for learning academically, personally and spiritually.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone; the new has come” – II Corinthians 5:17
Our ability to think and reason is rooted in the spiritual nature of our being. As the confusion of the culture is removed, they are challenged to choose and think for themselves about the reality of the inevitable issues of life such as origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. They learn that they are here on earth for a purpose and that alone is a great motivator for self-control and builder of self-esteem.