Kairos Young Adult Wilderness Adventure Therapy Program

Helping Young Adults Ages 18 to 30

Wilderness Adventure therapy (WAT) gives young adults the opportunity to go beyond themselves and discover positive, significant changes in a short period of time.

Activities at Kairos, which may include whitewater or stillwater trips in rafts, kayaks or canoes;  skiing, snowboarding, top-rope rock climbing, bouldering, rappelling, caving, mountain-biking, primitive living skills, hiking/backpacking, arts and crafts, have an amazing effect on every young adult who fully participates. 

While we do participate in high adventure activities, Kairos is a nurturing, yet physically challenging program. Participation in Karos is not synonymous with "summer camp." 

Each activity is designed to help participants climb to a higher level of self-efficacy, and help them draw the metaphors to real life while learning new life skills. The goal is to instill tools for success individually and with family and friends while working with their body, mind and spirit.

Kairos operates year-round and application for admission may take place at any time.

Acceptance is based on a review of the applicant's current and past history of behavior, consultation with parents and professionals and psycho-educational testing when appropriate.

Appropriate candidates are young adults, ages 18 to 30 years of age, with a history of mild to moderate emotional and behavioral challenges, low self-esteem, academic underachievement, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and family conflict. Kairos is a 6 to 12 week program with an average length of stay of 54 days. When a new participant is admitted to Kairos, they are treated with respect similar to a transfer from one school to another.

Kairos does not operate on level systems and makes no attempt to "break down" participants. The discovery is focused more on intrinsic motivation as opposed to external control mechanisms.

The therapeutically-rich nature of Kairos helps to reduce the resistance to treatment and enables participants to clearly understand the need for change. Further, it affords the skills and motivation necessary to make positive choices, which lead to future success.

Kairos participants take part in an expedition-style adventure where nature has a way of healing. With direction from an experienced, dedicated, and caring staff, the students are led along a path where hope and healing begin. While continued therapy remains the primary focus of Kairos, participants are also taught many life lessons, character development, leadership, and adventure-based activities designed to enhance their quality of life for years to come.