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A Typical Day at Four Circles
The Four Circles experience begins with a program orientation, a time when clients begin to stabilize and our highly skilled staff provides assessments and the essential structure for the start of a journey to sustained recovery. Once this foundation has been established, clients prepare to embark on a series of wilderness expeditions.
In the Wilderness
During wilderness expeditions, clients camp and hike through the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. Here, individuals begin to discover their authentic self as well as powerful tools and strategies for long-term success along the way. This process involves:
- Demonstrating primitive life skills, such as building fire using a bow drill
- Adhering to practices that minimize the group’s impact in the forest
- Relying on newly acquired skills to cope with the challenges of living in the wilderness
- Participating in individual and group therapy and completing therapeutic assignments
The wilderness environment serves as a metaphor for the challenges clients will face in life and helps them generalize the knowledge they have gained back into their own home environment. Living in nature gives clients a sense of belonging and an opportunity to experience authentic relationships on the common ground of shared pain, joy and recovery. Self-limiting beliefs are challenged by the guided accomplishments of mastering the physical and relational skills of living outdoors with a small group of fellow journeyers.
At Base
The base component of our wilderness rehab program is a therapeutic bridge between the wilderness experience and life outside of treatment. Clients are given an opportunity to integrate their wilderness therapy experience, apply their knowledge to the “real world” and practice those lessons in a structured environment. While at base, clients experience their recovery in a setting that more closely resembles the daily life into which they will transition.
- The 12-Step philosophy and other evidence-based clinical practices are the foundation for daily life on base.
- After taking responsibility for their personal space, clients set their intention for the day during morning group.
- As old patterns begin to re-appear in the comfort of this setting, clients work with their therapists to confront those feelings, thoughts and behaviors.
- Clients participate in individual therapy in the wilderness and at base. They also participate in group therapy, education groups, AA or NA meetings, and service opportunities as part of their bridge to aftercare. Scheduled visits with physicians and psychologists occur on base as well.
- Just as they did in the wilderness, clients are given the opportunity to reflect and process through therapeutic assignments and their workbooks.
- Clients close each day in a group that offers time to reflect on how they engaged in the tasks and challenges of the day, and to celebrate the new coping skills they’ve utilized.
Rites of Passage and Aftercare Planning
As clients move closer to the completion of their treatment, they have the unique opportunity to participate in a one-week, healing rite-of-passage ceremony. During this time, they are guided through ceremonies that include a “solo” experience, all geared toward preparing them to step out of the past and into the future as an adult.
At the end of this journey, clients return to base to focus on detailed and extensive aftercare planning. At this point, they develop a relapse prevention plan and create a support system that will help sustain the progress they have made.
Typical Therapies and Activities at Four Circles
In a typical day, clients will explore their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs using a variety of approaches, including:
- Individualized treatment planning
- Individual and group therapy
- AA/NA meetings
- Art therapy
- Martial arts
- Life skills training
- Psycho-educational skills training
- Family therapy
- Meditation
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Motivational interviewing
- Experiential education (on-campus ROPES course and other hands-on learning activities)
- Motivational enhancement therapy
- Career/vocational/psychological testing
- Gender-specific treatment
- Solution-focused therapy
Four Circles therapists are licensed masters or doctoral level clinicians who have extensive training and experience dealing with addiction and co-occurring emotional and behavioral issues. Our committed professionals recognize that substance abuse is often accompanied by both dual-diagnosis issues and underlying emotional challenges that must be addressed to ensure lasting recovery.