As a national provider, Adventure Recovery (AR) leads clients through the internal and external wilderness. What does that mean? We take people outside, into nature, and offer new experiences and teachings that reveal healthy ways to spend time and enjoy life. Clients get out of the comfort zone, through supportive connections, and embark on challenges that build capacity, resilience, and self-reliance.

AR guides individuals from dependance on their potentially maladaptive systems of support (i.e. self-destruction, alcoholism, substance use) to a place of independence. Adventure Recovery is a multi-faceted model, including professional peer support and licensed clinical services. We know the way, go the way, and show the way.

The AR model incorporates mental health awareness and recovery-based practices to facilitate transformative, healing experiences. Individually, and in group settings, experiential activities create space for us to explore, experience awe, embrace beginner’s mind, and overcome our limitations—real or imagined. This allows us to be flexible and integrate learnings, body, mind, and spirit.

The idea is to get comfortable in our own skin, connect with others, and overall, to shift our perception from thoughts and patterns related to destructive isolation s to new, healthful modes of being. The work is profoundly meaningful to us since most of the crew are in recovery from either mental health struggles or addiction.

Adventure Recovery in the Field

AR provides one-on-one adventure guiding and group experiences, along with various training workshops and expeditions tailored to client goals. By engaging in outdoor adventures and learning, clients build self-esteem and self-efficacy. These experiences build positive relationships, confidence, and clarity.

AR is a leading provider of therapeutic, mental health informed adventure experiences, wilderness excursions, and individualized services. In addition, Adventure Recovery tailors to clients, teams, families, and institutions.

Organizations AR Serves

• Ahava Counseling

• Lighthouse

• Valiant Living

• Moving Mountains Recovery

• ADAP Alcohol Drug Awareness Program of Weston, CT

• Salisbury School

• Washington Montessori

• Wilton High School

“Being in nature and employing primal tools (such as calling fire) has the unique and unparalleled ability to bring calm and focus. Be here now — be in this moment, in this place, at one with the outdoors. This is where we begin.”—Josh Flaherty, LMSW, Executive Director, AR

You don’t need to be sober to work with us. We encourage abstinence but we work with anyone who needs support. Clients hire Adventure Recovery for the exceptional level of attentiveness, expert guidance, professional instruction, and the distinctive quality of experience provided. In addition to individuals and families, AR leads in the application of therapeutic adventure and wilderness programming for treatment institutions and organizations seeking to expand their experiential offerings. To learn more, read our team founder’s story.

The Story of Adventure Recovery

Adventure Recovery was founded in 2014 by founder, Tim Walsh. With a 30+ year background in prevention, mission-driven work, and mental health and substance use disorder treatment, Tim saw a new approach was needed. He created AR as a nature, peer-oriented intervention—a trailblazing organization in outdoor leadership providing experiential programming uniquely focused on mental health awareness and recovery. Adventure outpatient.

Starting with a couple of institutional clients and individuals, AR established a new niche. AR serves schools, nonprofits, treatment programs, clinicians, and families with access to unplugged, guided time outside. What initially prompted the model was the desire to provide an alternative, compassionate, non-punitive approach to therapeutic interventions for mental health issues and substance use disorder.

The model is simple. Adventure Recovery provides positive, professionally-facilitated nature-based activities for mental health and recovery support. AR teaches clients how to develop awareness, learn lifelong skills, and create connections through new modes of communication and experiences. The approach is transformative for individuals, institutions, and families, as well as applied in schools and mental health and substance use treatment programs. This is why we go.

WATCH founder, Tim Walsh, share the Adventure Recovery model with Yale University.