We provide bespoke Wilderness Therapy programmes.

We prefer to work alongside referring agencies to fully meet the requirements for the clients who will attend the wilderness therapy programme. We believe that it is vitally important that the therapeutic process we embark on is carefully contracted for with everyone concerned so that there are clear expectations and mutual understanding of what is going to occur. The Wilderness Foundation UK seeks to develop mutual partnerships and collaborative working agreements with referring agencies in the knowledge that this will enhance the durability of the powerful outcomes that emerge from our programmes.

This is achieved through extensive consultation and dialogue leading up to any business arrangement, including client preparation. We believe that it is important to continue the relationship beyond the contracted programme to provide appropriate follow up support

Our programmes can take many forms but generally involve wilderness journeys in wild locations. We provide much of our work in the Highlands of Scotland where the sparsely populated space allows us to really immerse ourselves in wild nature. However, we also work anywhere in Britain where nature prevails, and we can provide our services to suit the geographical needs of the clients in this regard.

The programmes we offer vary in duration from 4 days through to 4 weeks. We prefer to experience our connection to the therapeutic process at the pace of nature and we avoid where possible providing experiences fewer than 3 days because this evokes a need to work under the pressure of time. They are designed to meet a spectrum of psycho-social requirements for young people and adults from all cultural communities around the UK. We do not limit our work to specific groups and we are willing to engage with all who will benefit from our services.

Whilst our professional ethics and philosophical values in conducting work in the outdoors are structured (as we know they are safe and work well with this client group) all else is flexible. We enjoy creating programmes that are designed to fit the needs of different people and client groups.

Working from a humanistic approach in general, we are particularly interested in facilitating awareness about how life is lived in ‘the moment’. Our approach centres on the belief that each and every person has the individual ability to make healthy choices about the direction in their life, and that with new awareness these choices may be altered.

The wilderness elements in our programmes will generally include:

• wild country journeys over a number of days in Scotland, England, or Wales (on foot through the mountains, or by kayak on the sea, or in canoes along a loch or down a river)
• basing ourselves in a remote lodge, bunkhouse, or bothy from where we venture into the wild landscape
• always a mindful entry into, mindfulness throughout, and mindful exit from the natural space we journey through
• a focus on the creation of, and a connection to, a ‘sense of place’
• the creation of a safe but active therapeutic community
• sustainable simple living skills
• acquisition of necessary outdoor skills (how to be safe, navigation with map and compass, leave no trace)
• solo experiences
• environmental and ecological awareness