| Schools,
Programs, & Visit Reports - Nov, 1989 Issue
|
Wilderness Conquest
(Now Known As Wilderness Quest)
Operated by: Larry & Karen Wells
Visit report by
Lon Woodbury
"Thank you for sending me
here Grandma. I now know I'm capable of doing a lot of things I thought
I couldn't do."
"She's opened up more than
ever before," Grandma responded to the group of parents and students.
"We see a fantastic improvement."
This exchange took place on
top of a houseboat moored on a deserted beach of Lake Powell in Southern
Utah. It was perhaps the most emotional moment during the October 15th
graduation exercises conducted by Larry Well's Wilderness Conquest.
The 17 year old girl had come
to Wilderness Conquest acting like she was retarded and incompetent.
Her main pattern was a refusal to try. Her life had been a string of
losses (including her mother dying), abuse, foster homes, and misunderstandings
with her overwhelmed grandparents who never gave up trying to help her.
Psychiatrists, hospitals, and counseling were an on-going part of her
story, none of which had been able to help her.
She had made a major break
through in about the fourth week on the trail. She had started turning
her feelings and attitudes around. When I saw her at the end of the
sixth week, she was progressing so rapidly I could actually see her
facial features change and lighten day by day.
I had been invited by Larry
and Karen Wells to advise Wilderness Conquest on their Admissions procedures.
I not only wound up helping with a transport, but sat through the last
four days of their program, called Family, and observed them working
at bringing families back into communication with each other.
As near as I can tell, Larry
Wells is the first person to establish a therapy business for seriously
non-functioning youths using primitive living skills as a major tool.
He started doing this in 1971. He is a quiet, unassuming man who finds
it difficult to blow his own horn. On the trail, however, working with
students, a transformation takes place. Then, I saw there is no question
in anybody's mind that Larry is in charge, and everything is going to
be done exactly right.
He was featured on Paul Harvey's
"The Rest of the Story" in 1985. In past years he was called on by S.U.W.S.
and Wilderness Challenger when they needed the best man they could find
to help them get started.
Wilderness Conquest is a 42
day program using primitive living skills, group and individual counseling,
and positive peer pressure to help young people break down old habits
of failure. They help students learn success habits such as trust, honesty,
and responsibility while earning High School credit. In the last four
days of each trip, parents join their children and in a safe environment,
without distractions, are helped to learn techniques to communicate
honestly and fully with each other. Licensed family therapists work
regularly with the program, and usually conduct the family sessions.
Wilderness Conquest seems especially strong in helping families learn
to communicate well enough for the child to return home. However, Larry
and Karen are willing to work with parents and referring professionals
to set up a child for a long term special purpose school when that seems
to be best for the child.
If you have any questions,
give me a call.
Copyright
© 1989, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced without
prior approval if the copyright notice and proper publication and author
attribution accompanies the copy.) |
