They almost broke my wrists and forgot to write an incident report about it. Please do not send youre child to treatment it creates more trauma than good. However, if you are entrenched in sending your child to treatment send them to Monuments RTC and ask for Andrew or Mary Lou as your therapist.

I remember this place, I went here in 2019 which is insane I’m almost 18. It certainly will be something I look back on every now and then. Hope you all are doing well!

My child went to Outback in 2014 and I truly believe it saved her life. It definitely saved our family. After reading one of the other reviews I want to be very clear, they never tried to get me to send my child any where else. When she came home she continued therapy with a great local therapist that continued working with her on the principles she learned at Outback, but that was it. She is now an adult and while she still has some struggles, she is human after all, overall she is doing great. She probably adults better than I do. I also truly believe adulting is a word and a verb.

Outback was a cool place with humorous and friendly staff. The scenery was beautiful and the hikes really helped me find peace with myself and feel a sense of accomplishment. Just wait till they send you after, I was in outback for 2 months and then was at another less intensive program for nearly 10, most kids do not go straight home after this program

Like every mom, I was hard-wired to protect my child from infancy through her initiation into adulthood. Our journey to health was blind, as mental health was/is still heavily stigmatized. By chance, I heard the words “wilderness therapy,” which I’d never heard before. I knew immediately it would be the right thing for her and give her the safe space to navigate toward her wholeness. I little expected that our family would shift into health, too. When I attended the parent seminar, read the books, and visited my daughter, it felt like big boulders fell into different spots under the rapids. Something was entirely new. We finally exited that terrifying stage and started a new show together.It’s been nearly five years since she went to Outback. She continues to amaze me with her sensibility and the way she walks this world, and I continue to be grateful for the tools I picked up from her. Again, there aren’t words to express the gratitude I feel for the people and work of Outback, and the unexpected ripple effects of one girl’s journey on the world around her. The learning, love, and initiation she experienced here is something I want for all kids to experience.

Great decision. From the initial contact to the in-field therapist and parent training sessions it was all a first rate experience for our son and for us. Outback is is a class organization with great people. Highly recommend.

I attended Outback in 2018, and spent 70 days in the West Desert of Utah. Wilderness was the first step, and the most crucial one, on my journey of self-improvement and becoming a man. While wilderness may not be for everyone, it changed my life in an inexpressibly profound way. I had struggled with irresolvable and seemingly unsurmountable depression and anxiety for years, and was getting to the point of no return. Through the help of my parents and my education consultant, I found Outback. With the help of my therapist, and many of the staff, I learned how to be strong when everything inside of my head was telling me to give up. While Outback was not a permanent solution to any of my issues, it gave me some tools to forge the path Im currently on. Forever grateful.

Best Decision that we ever made to send our almost 16 year old son there! It changed not only his life but our life too. Thank you Outback for all that you did for our family!~Leesa S

I went through this program in 2011. (I was 17) I was a drug addict and was getting into a lot of trouble in high school. My parents sent me away in hopes to save my life before I turned 18 and there was nothing they could do. These poor staff members had to deal with me stealing coals, yelling at the top of my lungs when I didn’t get my way, stealing other people’s food late at night. Needless to say I was coming off of drugs and was a handful and staff did a really good job keeping their patience with me. I felt challenged a lot, especially during the hikes, but staff were great with talking me through everything that I still hold close to me and reflect on when I go through struggles. They also helped me start to overcome a lot of things that were driving me to drugs and alcohol. Overall I had a good growing experience. It was the first place I went to after being sent away for almost 2 years.

I spent in total 5 months at Outback. While wilderness may not be a place for everyone, it helped me infinitely. Outbacks primitive motto was able to help me recover from my daily life at home. It was certainly hard and very difficult, and the staff were able to be there for us in our journey. The most helpful thing had to be my therapist, Jessica Jo. She was unlike any therapist I had ever met and she challenged me to succeed. In my 5 months I did not see one girl leave Outback without being grateful for their experience. I would advise to send your kid here.

Attended in the summer of 2018. Helped me immensely. Had a great time in general. In the months after leaving, I felt very similarly to how a lot of these 1/5 star reviews written by former students feel. But with time and perspective, I came to really see how beneficial the whole experience was. Parents, dont be discouraged by these negative reviews. This place will not starve or abuse you child. Just be sure that this is really what your child needs. I met some kids who didnt need to be sent away at all, and I met some kids that needed far more intensive care.

I was a student at Outback back in the winter of 2010-11, and then returned for a short stay in 2013. While there I made immense progress in many aspects of my life, primarily my family relationships and learning coping skills to deal with my anxiety and depression. Outback was the first step that I needed to better my life and they set me up for success in my future programs. Since leaving outback as a student, they’ve continued to be helpful to me and offer me guidance. In 2018, I returned as a staff member, and was able to see the opposite side of things. I was so grateful for the opportunity to give back to a program that helped reshape my life, and help change the lives of teenagers that were going through many similar struggles that I went through. Thank you Outback for always being there for me and becoming a big family for me!

A spectacular program that supports the whole family. It was a life-changing experience for my teen and the people who love him. Excellent, well-organized and very communicative, committed staff. Top notch for anyone struggling to help a teen in need.

Wilderness therapy in general is an excellent choice for struggling teens and Outback, in particular, is an outstanding resource if youre looking for this kind of program. Our son was at Outback for three months and it turned him around and got him ready to attend a residential treatment center, where his treatment and journey to mental health continued (see my review of Telos). The staff and therapists at Outback were wonderful and we have stayed in touch with them after our son completed the program. You should use the services of a good educational consultant to determine if this program is right for your child, but if so I couldnt recommend it more strongly.

We highly recommend the Unplugged program, based on the successful outcomes achieved by our son. Jason and the field staff are very experienced, sincere and inspiring role models. The parent therapist, Kim, was extremely helpful to us. As a result of this program, our son is happier, more resourceful and self-confident than ever before and our family is much closer. Getting completely away from all of the electronic devices, the Internet and video games, living in the wilderness, engaging in expertly designed therapy, and getting in touch with his emotions were life-changing experiences for our son.

I liked it. It definitely helped me with my drug abuse problem. Was it hard? Yes. Would I recommend it to anyone? Definitely not. But I know I wouldnt be in the spot Im in today if I didnt have this experience

Note to any parent thinking of sending their child here. please instead of sending them away for months at a time try to just hold them closer because rather than sending them away to wilderness therapy and a different treatment center afterwards for even more months.i went to outback and the therapy and ideas are ingrained into our minds to the point that i completely disassociated my past while i was there. i also fell very ill and was not given proper medical treatment even though the illness persisted for more than 2 weeks i never saw a doctor and all they did was check my heart rate for “medical attention.” the worst part was the separation from my family and friends. even though you have a parent visit one day during your stay, you still feel very separated. when i finally came home because my parents had put me through that experience i struggled to talk to them. i was scared because i didnt know whether or not if i said something i would be sent away. my relationship with my parents spiraled downhill over the course of the time i was at outback.

A gut wrenching! Leap of faith for a Mom who wasn’t shown love, but knew it the second her son was born.This walkabout transcended each of us, quietly, differently, and forever,because its never about one.Inexplainable the experience. a parent will never see through shallow eyes again. Best of best

Its really funny that when you look at these reviews all the 5 stars are from parents and the 1 stars are from the kids. Really makes yall think about how messed up and traumatic this camp is. Parents, do not send your kids here if you value their mental health and future relationships with your child. Any parent who sends their child here ought to be ashamed of themselves for not being able to take care of their child themselve, or for being unable to love and support them through whatever issues they are going through.To parents still considering this: read the reviews by the teens who went here. The parents are seeing brainwashed and exhausted children. The teens who went through this program will tell you if it worked. Prayers for the kids who will be forced to go here by awful parents, and for the children who have gone here before.

I have had the pleasure of meeting several employees at Outback and they are all very intelligent, capable and more importantly, caring individuals. Teen wilderness therapy can be a literal lifesaver for a defiant or troubled teen. Rest assured that Outback is dedicated to changing lives.

13 weeks ago our family was in a difficult place. Our 14 year old was suffering from anxiety and isolating himself. We live in a world where social media creates incredible social pressures Our son has always been compassionate and empathetic. He has great friends but somehow he was off his path.We made the difficult gut wrenching decision to send him to outback.12 weeks later, he thanked us for the experience, explaining it’s the best thing we could have done for him. We had tried everything else.We now have a much better relationship, we have learned our place in his struggles. We are still working on ourselves as he works on himself and together we work on our relationship.He loved his therapist and guides. He regained self confidence and self love. He values his relationships with friends brothers and family. He learned that he can overcome anything. We worked as a family with his therapist who changed our lives from across the country.It took us a long time to send him, we tried everything else. This is the one thing that seemed to work do him.We are grateful to outback it’s staff of caring people from admissions to field guides therapists support staff and the many people who made our lives better as we smile and breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in a long time

Excellent program . Outback was life changing for our daughter . She received the best therapy she has ever had .

In thinking about Outback, it is hard to know where to begin. When I think about the things that are most important in life, it is relationships. This is where our son struggled the most and this is where Outback shined.Our son and our family desperately needed help. We tried everything: countless schools (both public, private, residential treatment centers and traditional boarding schools), the top doctors in the world, the experts who have written the books on challenging children, medications, coaches, teachers, babysitters, prayer, intensive in-home and out of home therapy, every dose and every single combination of medication, the best of the best have tried to help us and everything in between. We have broken the bank (literally) to try to help our son. He just was not in a place where even the best people could help him.Our son needed help in the very basics that come from a lifetime of building the building blocks that life requires, especially with regard to building relationships. He had no tools, no skills to navigate the challenges that come from multiple diagnoses and from having no true north. He was acting out in every way imaginable. The police were involved multiple times, his behavior was beyond anything one could imagine.When we found Outback through an educational consultant, we thought, we will give it a try. We were extremely honest with all that we and he had faced, and Outback took a leap of faith in helping us.My belief that our son could change and that there was hope for him was restored because of the love, care, investment and true true compassion that the people at Outback give. They give of their hearts, of their minds, they walk the walk and talk the talk. The people at Outback are the most real, the most genuine, the most raw, honest, people I’ve ever met. Outback is the real deal. There are no frills (none) for very purposeful, intentional reasons. There are no “rewards” or behavioral charts. The rewards are internal. They are the rewards that come from hard work, dedication, trust, love, and from people taking the time to get to know a child and help that child discover who they are and helping that child build real skills, real self confidence through REALLY HARD and essential and important work. It is to help a child develop REAL skills, life skills, and hard skills that come from sweat, hardship, nothing fake or false. It’s not easy. I am certain there are times it felt like basic training in the Marines. But it is all very purposeful.Our son tried hard at first to resist what the people at Outback had to offer. After a few sessions with his therapist, he realized that there was something for him and in the end, he was all in. Our son’s therapist at Outback is a an extraordinary person as is the intern he trained. I wish I could describe these individuals in a way that does them justice but our sons therapist quite literally changed his life. I hope that his therapist and the intern who worked with him really know this. We learned so much in our weekly calls with his therapist, not only about our son, but about ourselves, about forgiveness, about seeing our son’s perspective and the need to realize that we, too, have work to do. Outback was the first step in a long marathon to get our son on the right path. For the first time ever, I believe he is on the right path. We are forever grateful to Outback and to the therapist who took the time, interest, care and put everything into our son. You are beyond a rockstar and you know we love you and thank you for being who you are.

I am forever grateful to Outback. We sent our 17 year old son there 3.5 years ago, and it saved his life. He was in big trouble with drugs, destroying his whole life. Sending him into the wilderness in January was the hardest thing I have ever done, but thank God we did it before it was too late. Outback gave him strength and confidence in himself, and he began to heal. He has been clean and sober since. I cannot say enough good about this program!

The program allowed the therapist to see our son bare bones with no outside distractions. This process allows them to see deeper and faster what might be causing the behavioral issues with the child.

This place is terrible. Barley any food, limited water, not helpful and they lie on their site. When I went, I was barley fed and i saw people have to eat clay because they were starved. We ran out of water multiple times. They forced us to make our own backpacks out of trees and leather and they absolutely destroyed your shoulders and people were passing out on hikes. You would have therapy 1 hour a day per week which was barley anything. They say you have it every day but thats a lie. People and broken gear that was not or it took a long time to replace. I personally ended up with a broken sleeping bag. This place shouldnt even be legal, getting kidnapped in the middle of the night and stripped of your clothes and dropped in the middle of the desert for 10 weeks is what happened to me and it wasnt a helpful place at all.

Worst experience of my life. I left with more trauma then when I arrived. I lost so much weight, and was forced to hike in unbearable heat. I was luckily only there for 9 weeks, but some girls were there for 14. It’s a system built on humiliation and pain.

Its terrifying to think that facilities like this are still legal. Science has extensively, in study after study after study, shown that these programs (specifically, group therapy for youths with conduct disorder) are highly detrimental. PhDd scientists call them deviancy training. The chances that your child will do more drugs, commit more violent acts, have more unprotected sex, and just do more bad things in general is ludicrously high. Meanwhile, there is almost no chance whatsoever that your childs behavior will improve. None.Science. Try it out sometime (seriously, dont take my word for it; look up the science). Its not like were wondering in the darkness here. We know what works and what doesnt. Wilderness programs, where disobedient youths are all thrown together and expected to work out their problems, DO NOT WORK! And on top of that, they are one of the few treatments shown to cause much MORE HARM.If you want to know what these programs are all about, wait until you see your invoice! Theyre all about making that MONEY!!! Theyre gonna make it rain, at the expense of your childs life.

I went through the program. It was truly life changing, and fulfilling experience. Keep helping people.

Life Changing. Perhaps the best program out there. Heres why:Our 14 year old son was struggling with some mental health issues and we too made the gut-wrenching decision to send him there. Were we nervous? Of course we were. ANY parent who loves their child will have some sort of hesitation sending a child to any wilderness program.Heres why the program is so good:THERAPY. We were teamed up with the BEST therapist we have ever had. And weve seen our fair share of therapists over the years. He was able to connect to our son AND us in explaining, nurturing and believing in our son.OUTBACK EMPLOYEES. We were fortunate enough to meet with many of them during our sons stay there, so we had a good sample size. One counselor in the field has worked at several similar wilderness programs and explained to us what makes Outback so special. The open space, no distractions, and kind, caring and patient counselors. Another counselor was finishing a Joint Masters program specializing in Outdoor Education and Adolescent Therapy and chose to have his final internship there. He could have chosen ANY program in the country, and he chose Outback. IRATINGS AND REVIEWS. Every single Wildneress Program we looked at had at least one negative review online. Its scary for a parent to see that. But..look closer at the reviews you see here. Each negative review (of which there are very few) has a careful, honest response with an invitation for discussion and dialogue. Outback cares. A lot. For every kid that enters AND exits their program.My sons actions said it all. The day he left Outback, he wrote a long, thoughtful, emotional thank you letter to his therapist. And a letter is not required or expected from anyone, but he wanted to do it. What 14 year old boy (proactively!) does that?A grateful young man who had an incredible experience with Outback. Thats who.

Readers I did not go to this wilderness therapy program but I did go to one just like it. Im 25 and Ive been sober 5 years since attending in 2011. I can not speak to the specific decency of this program, though I would guess that it is solid and honest in what it provides, but wilderness therapy as a whole IS an effective mode of treatment. I have been very involved in recovery communities in many cities and there are tons of people getting clean/sober through these programs, from NC to UT. Please do not listen to the rantings of people who say there is no scientific evidence regarding this treatment modality because, in general, there is no treatment style that is statistically proven to be more affective than another. The brain and body need a certain amount of time to return to normal functioning but after that, it is all about the individual, and there is just no telling when someone will get it and when someone wont. At least parents, you will have some peace of mind while they are away and there chances of survival in a program like this are dramatically higher than if they are actively drinking or using drugs on a regular basis. I am a huge advocate of these types of programs after attending one and working at one for a summer. There are never any guarantees with addiction but I think that these types of programs are vastly superior in increasing your son or daughters odds than most of the 28 day programs I have seen.

Im Jonathan Tyler Moreau I whent to this program and it was one of the best experiences in my whole life the staff were nothing less than perfect at there job and my therapist ryan was also great I wish my parents would have bought me home after but instead they sent me to a horrible facility and I rebelled when I got home I realized I had actually missed the wilderness. I was there in -degree weather during the winter still miss it today and Im a florida boy. If your son is on drugs and or doing things such as fighting or never listening this will be a wake up call forsure and if your not made for it they will make sure your safe

About 12 years ago- at 14,I was essentially abducted by strangers in the middle of the night (bounty hunters) and taken to this program using physical force; which outback staff continued to use in order to subdue me throughout the duration of my stay. The experience was so horrifying and traumatic that I attempted suicide because it seemed like the only way to make the insanity stop! Instead of therapy or proper medical care, I was isolated, improperly and brutally restrained, and had a needle stuck in my arm by field staff for an IV while my face was forced in the dirt, my arm was bent behind me, and I screamed in pain. This torture camp scarred me for life and made me an angry, unforgiving, hateful teenager and I ran from my parents the second I got home and never forgave them! As a mother of 2 I would NEVER EVEN CONSIDER INFLICTING THIS ABUSE ON ANYONE LET ALONE MY CHILDREN!!! I am completely appalled by the fact that this is still being allowed to go on!!! If YOU would not or could not do something you have no right to force your children to!!! You cannot imagine the things these kids are forced to endure at these places, get your child HELP! ABUSE IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!

Waste of money... Wont help for crap. Also... these goons make you do atral projection and crap where ur soul leaves ur body. and they call it meditation... lmfao... the staff arent allowed to speak anything religious yet you guys do pagan rituals with the kids oo thats nice...!

FREE ROMAN!!!!!!