What does it mean when you say wilderness therapy and safety? There is a new study by Dr. Michael Gass of the University of New Hampshire. Detailed in this study is how teens are safer in wilderness therapy programs than they are in their own homes. The study is published in the Journal of Therapeutic  Schools…

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The RedCliff Ascent field is covered with Juniper trees. In a small number of these trees you can find a dark barky growth called a gall. The gall is the tree’s reaction to a fungus or rust that has infected the branches. Most often, the branch with the gall dies, leaving a bare branch with…

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Our Shindig celebration happens about once every three months. It’s a chance for students to gather at Outpost with their peers and celebrate their wilderness experience. Here’s a letter we received from one of our current students. We think it shows the respect and concern we have for all of the troubled teens enrolled in our program.…

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Mark wrote this response to our request for grads to share their RedCliff wilderness experiences. We thought you might relate: hi, my name is mark and i was in redcliff 8 years ago now, i still dream of my memories of that place, i find it amazing how we take so many simple things for…

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Congratulations to Trevor, Melinda, Gabriella and John! They shared their RedCliff stories and won Kindle e-readers. You should be receiving them today. John – we’re still trying to figure out how to ship yours. Who knew Canada was on the “no ship” list? Watch for each of their posts coming to our blog beginning tomorrow.…

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While it may not make intuitive sense, winter is my favorite time of year in the wilderness of Southern Utah.  I have spent about 18 winters in the field with the concomitant adventure that each of those winters has presented.  I think the thing that I like most about winter is the clarity that it…

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One of the challenges of my job is my commute. Some people deal with freeway traffic or crowded subways. My challenge is Mother Nature. It’s about an hour drive from my office in Enterprise to the field where I meet with my clients. In the summer the ride is breathtaking. In the winter it can…

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When your family becomes part of ours we feel honored and committed to provide the very best therapy for your child. Recently, we received this email from the parents of one of our grads. With their permission, we’ve changed their names in order to share their feelings with you: John and I wanted to officially thank all the…

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Autobiographies and Parent Narratives:  A vital Part of the Treatment Process An important aspect of the therapeutic process for students at RedCliff Ascent is the compilation of an autobiography.  Students write a 40 page autobiography while in the program as part of completing the phase work.  This exercise affords students the opportunity to reflect on…

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As Executive Director, I can find gobs of reasons as to why I need to stay in the office, sit at my desk, talk on the phone and get that growing pile of paperwork done.  The problem is there are always phone calls to be made, paperwork to be done and any number of tasks…

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The month of December can be a treacherous one at Red Cliff Ascent.  It is often the first month of truly wintry weather and the stress of being away from family and friends during the holidays can take its toll on staff and students alike.  While we can’t control the weather we do like to…

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