Therapeutic Adventure Therapy at Beaches

Therapeutic Adventure Therapy at Beaches, Bringing Happiness Back One Smile at a Time

Healing begins here.

“In the Beaches Outdoor Therapeutic Adventure Program, I feel that life gets better the moment we step out the door on a new adventure, no matter how large or small. We learn about ourselves, each other and the environment every time we accept the challenge. We come home a little wiser and stronger. More than anything, I’m convinced that when Beaches inspires people to get outside, our clients have the opportunity to find something that they can truly become passionate about. Through challenges, we grow, and have fun along the way.” – Scott Cretul, Adventure Therapy Director, Beaches Recovery, LLC

When suffering from the disease of addiction, happiness can seem like a distant memory, one that can never be re-lived. At Beaches, the road to happiness has many paths. One of these is therapeutic adventure therapy.

Whether it’s surfing, fishing, camping, boogie boarding, playing basketball or participating in community volleyball leagues, everyone who enters our program can engage in these and more. Beaches offers the Florida model of recovery where clients do not live in a hospital or institution setting. Instead, they live in warm and welcoming community homes throughout the Jacksonville Beach area. They enjoy many of the beautiful surroundings while engaged in individualized treatment plans.

At Beaches, all of our clients have the opportunity to attend process groups in conjunction with our therapeutic adventure program. Here, they engage in activities and share thoughts and feelings in a safe and confidential environment. In addition to this, clients can choose to make adventure therapy a part of their individual treatment plan. Available activities include surfing, boogie boarding, beach activities, camping (men and women go on separate camping trips), fishing, and more. They can even join Beaches’ community volleyball team where they play against teams from the local area. All skill levels are welcome and we encourage all to participate.

As well as teaching ways to have sober fun, the therapeutic recreation program sets the stage for clients to experience personal accomplishments and build self-esteem. The first time one gets up on that wave, they realize that they can accomplish things that they never thought possible. Jacksonville Beach also has some of the best fishing. Imagine, being on a lake or a pier and catching that fish! Adventure therapy immerses people in ways to feel good about who they are and what they can accomplish. In these moments, those real smiles come back; the ones that people thought were lost forever.

Being outdoors in nature also sets the stage for reflection and the opportunity to deal with emotions as well as to find ways to reduce anxiety. “Eventually, people find that enjoying the simple things in life are not boring, but fulfilling. They realize that they actually can find activities to become passionate about and healthy ways of coping. This helps people to overcome the accompanying depression that often occurs with substance abuse, break down emotional walls that allow them to build closer friendships and learn to build a network of people that will help them to stay sober,” said Scott Cretul, Beaches AdventureTherapy Program Director.

What’s more, the adventure therapy program at Beaches is different from many traditional outdoor therapy adventure programs. Here, you can choose to go camping for the weekend as opposed to committing to a 30-day wilderness outing. “We have structured adventure therapy as a group and also time to participate in activities within the community,” said Scott Cretul “This is important because clients learn ways to reduce feelings of anxiety that sometimes come with being in community settings. Along with this, clients learn about themselves, and that they can achieve more than they ever dreamed of, they learn to build healthy relationships and to be responsible for themselves, they learn that they can find passion in their life again and can actually be happy,” said Cretul. “One client recently mentioned that ‘they haven’t felt this happy in years.’ It’s heart-warming to me to be a part of that,” Cretul said.

Get Help at Beaches Recovery

“People who are suffering from substance abuse can become sober. What’s more, they can become happy. They just need someone to show them what is possible and how to get there,” remarked Cretul. Our entire team here at Beaches Recovery is personally invested in helping people create healthy, happy lives. To learn more, please call Beaches Recovery at 866.605.0532. We’re excited to talk with you about how Beaches helps people find their smile and their happiness. Healing begins here.