a quest for the heart

Passages To Recovery is a clinically integrated 12 Step addiction and substance abuse treatment program set in the pristine wilderness of South Central Utah. Operating within majestic red rock canyons and high mountain forests, our wilderness treatment program has been designed specifically as a drug rehab for young adult men. We employ an innovative dual-diagnostic approach to addiction treatment, addressing alcohol and substance abuse and chemical dependency co-occurring with mental health issues via traditional interventions, a Twelve Step program, classic wilderness therapy, a full battery of psychological tests with a clinical psychologist and research-based methodology.

Substance abuse and chemical dependency treatment delivered via wilderness therapy provides novel experience, is effective in arousing emotions, and at Passages To Recovery, very supportive, with most of our Field Guides and Residential staff in personal recovery, with a wrap-around treatment team consisting of a licensed master's level therapist and a licensed substance abuse counselor (LSAC) working with the client in both the wilderness and our residential setting.

In wilderness rehab, you will engage in a life-changing process of backpacking, camping, primitive skills, and sweat lodges during an expedition through the Utah wilderness, culminating in a Vision Quest. Within the rigors of the expedition, the constant noise and distraction of urban life is left behind and you will discover a physical, emotional and spiritual awakening in which to reconnect with the joy and vitality of living. Our treatment process includes traditional interventions such as a psychiatric evaluation, a bio-psycho-social clinical assessment, individual and group therapy, and chemical dependency and relapse prevention education. Our Field Guides are highly skilled wilderness guides, certified as Emergency Medical Technicians, Wilderness First Responders and Clinical First Responders. Our clinical team is lead by Rosalynd Munson, LMFT, and consists of Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Substance Abuse Counselors, traditional Wilderness Field Supervisors and consulting mental health professionals.

At Passages To Recovery, we merge the 12 Step model with the experiential learning milieu of the wilderness environment. We assist you to identify and sort out your fears, emotional pain, destructive patterns, and positive intentions with support and emotional safety. The experience at Passages To Recovery engenders healthy connections between you and your sense of self, between you and the natural world around you, and between you and your friends, family and loved ones. The interdependence and authenticity fostered by living out of doors with a small nomadic group forms a powerful foundation for our rites of passage ceremonies. This experience of your own personal passage to recovery endures as a compelling and positive touchstone throughout your future.

We frame the wilderness expedition with a welcoming and familiar stay at the Valley Site, our residential setting in Loa, Utah. We provide a humane and ethical social detox, supporting you as you adjust to and accept the realities of being in treatment. You will have the opportunity to explore where you came from, with a genogram specific to addiction issues and to the larger picture of your personal ethnicity. This is a period of learning and practicing wilderness skills, replete with time for reflection.

After the wilderness expedition, you will return to the Valley Site for a two-day meeting with your family members, using the tools gained in the wilderness to amend relationships and "clear the wreckage of the past." Then your family members will go home and you will embark on an exploration of your Hero's Journey. Your final time at the Valley Site allows you to forge a plan of action for your future, and mentor and teach others. It is a time to practice Recovery, Unity, and Service, strengthening your commitment to a truly new life lived in accord with your heart.