The decision making journey of parents to enroll their teen in an adventure therapy program

Many parents choose to send their children to adventure therapy programs for the potential benefits these programs provide. Research has shown that the potential benefits of adventure therapy programs include changes related to enhanced self-concept, improved social skills, and decreased substance abuse (Gass, Gillis, & Russell, 2012), however little research has been done on whether parents choose AT programs for these same reasons. Using a theoretical framework of mindful inquiry this study analyzes ten interviews, of parents who had teenagers enrolled in an adventure therapy program, to understand parental expectations and perceptions of the program, and to comprehend why parents chose this kind of program for their children. Thematic analysis was utilized for the data incorporating the six stage model of Braun and Clark (2006), including: 1. Familiarizing yourself with your data 2. Generating initial codes 3. Searching for themes 4. Reviewing themes 5. Defining and naming themes 6. Producing the report. The parents interviewed chose adventure therapy for various reasons including difficulty in the home situation, lack of available support within the community, the positive challenge of a new environment, separation from their teen, the opportunity for personal growth, and the hope of a different future. Implications for strengthening family relationships, the impacts on society, and the development of adventure therapy programming are discussed in relation to the findings. Parent interviews took place at a residential therapeutic wilderness camp for youth located on Vancouver Island, Canada