Finding Hope in Nature
YES Offers an Adventure Therapy Hiking Group for Youth Experiencing Depression and Anxiety
In today’s fast-paced world, young people face a lot of pressure and challenges that can be tough to handle. Sometimes, this can lead to mental health challenges like depression and anxiety. As the importance of mental health awareness grows, YES is finding new ways to support youth. One of those is Adventure Therapy, which combines nature and support. YES has created a hiking group this summer for teens experiencing depression and anxiety. It allows them to get outside, be active, interact with their peers, and find hope in the great outdoors.
The Power of Adventure Therapy
Adventure Therapy has been shown to provide significant benefits and is growing in popularity. The idea is that outdoor activities alongside friends can provide healing.
Hiking is excellent for releasing happy chemicals called endorphins in our brains. This makes youth feel happier, reduces stress and anxiety, a provides a much-needed break from all the digital stimulation and social media.
A Hiking Group is Born
YES’ started a hiking group to provide youth with a safe and supportive space. Teens have a space where they can share their feelings with each other and make new friends. A place where they can feel like they belong and not be alone in their struggles.
The hiking group is guided by two amazing YES counselors whose expertise in mental health and counseling brings an added benefit to the program. They provide the young hikers the tools and coping skills they need to help manage their mental health, similar to what the counselors teach in YES’s Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Groups.
Empowering Youth through Community Support
Thanks to our generous community, YES has increased access to the trails so teens of all backgrounds and financial situations can heal. Donations to YES provide transportation, snacks, and water bottles for the hikers, ensuring they have everything they need on their adventurous journey.
Taking a Step Together
Giving youth different opportunities to recover, heal and thrive will give them a better chance at recovery. It is through community support that such programs are made possible. We have all taken a step together toward breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and offering a brighter future for our youth filled with hope, resilience, and joy.
YES’ Hiking Group is made possible through the generosity of supporters like you. Please consider making a gift today to provide children, youth, and families with programs that support their mental health and recovery.
Thanks to donations like yours, no youth is turned away because they can’t afford to pay for services.
