Why Passages Alaska?
Adventure in The Last Frontier; A Safe Space in a Wild Place.
Why Passages Alaska?
I won’t be bashful here. Passages Alaska provides safety, solid therapeutic foundations and interventions, uses best practices in risk management and in staff training…IN ALASKA!
Alaska is still truly the last frontier. Nature is easy to find. It is literally everywhere. Passages Alaska participants will spend 8 to 10 weeks traveling via canoe and camping along the near coastal waters of Prince of Wales Island and Sea Otter Sound. A major portion of the expedition follows a traditional Tlingit canoe route. During the entirety of the program we witness eagles, ravens, sea and land otters, orcas, humpback whales, seals and sea lions, innumerable different types of sea and shore birds, deer, wolves, black bears, mink, marten, and beavers in one combination or another literally every day. With so many of our wild animal kingdom family members around, it is easy for a person to come to the realization that we are an inseparable part of something infinitely larger than ourselves. Animal, bird, fish and plant identification are a basic component of our program. The rhythms of nature become obviously apparent with the twice daily rising and falling of the tide that is frequently over 14 feet in a six-hour tide period.
At Passages Alaska, we focus much attention on mindfulness and understanding how we interact with that larger system and becoming aware of how our words, actions, and even our thoughts interact with and influence those around us. Participants take with them a deeper understanding and appreciation of themselves and the world around them, coupled with the confidence that comes from living and thriving in one of the most beautiful and dynamic places on earth.
Greetings!
Wilderness Therapy, Alaska Style
Passages Alaska started as a state funded program for adolescents that ran for 4 years. We changed the name and shifted our focus to serve young adults aged 18-28 and adolescent males from across the country. Thanks for taking time to look around and please feel free to call with any questions.
Our Focus
Who can benefit from an Alaskan wilderness therapy experience?
The short answer here is simple. Almost anyone. The research is compelling and conclusive. Nearly everyone comes away from an outdoor experience with improved physical, mental, and emotional health. Stress and anxiety are decreased. Depressed mood and ability to focus improves. Even heart rate and blood pressure are positively effected by the outdoors.
Our current focus however, is on serving emerging adult males and females aged 18-28 and adolescent males; all, in gender specific groups. Conditions that respond best are depressed mood, anxiety, ADHD, Technology Addiction and Struggling to Launch. Minimum program length is 8 weeks with opportunities to extend as needed or desired.
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At Passages Alaska, it is our mission:
To discover and inspire the development of hidden, neglected, or obviously apparent strengths and skills within all those we encounter.
