Camps have been a source of healing and teaching for many generations. Today the need for a camp environment is greater than ever. The children we walk through our therapeutic camps need to escape. In many cases for the first time since their traumatic event.

However, we know that a week in nature will not hold them once they are back home in their regular environments. That’s why we combine the traditional outdoor, log cabin camping experience with trauma informed therapies. Each child returns home changed. Just like any hero. Our goal for each child upon returning home is that they will have skills and support systems in place to develop their new narrative until it is the only narrative left! Integration back home doesn’t have to be sad or scary for the children because each child is connected with local therapists and recovery centers for weekly support and continued growth!

Each camp held by Camp Wonderment is designed for specific “populations” with a combination of theme park adventures, trauma informed actors and therapists. Careful attention is given to the blend of therapeutic modalities such as The Heroes journey by Joseph Campbell, trauma informed modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and EMDR.

For more detailed cited information read our 7 page document written by Corry Hawkins, LCSW Clinical Value of Camp Wonderment.

The camp week is experienced in two main categories. Adventuring and Storytelling.

Adventuring - campers leave their normal world in a group of 6 campers and are escorted through a magical tree portal into WONDERMENT a magical land of elves, dwarfs, giants, dragons and of course wizards. Campers enter a real world outdoor immersive role play environment with trauma informed and trained actors. Escorted by their camp counselor (trained therapist) campers move through the major stages of the classic Hero’s Journey Wheel.

Storytelling - Let’s be honest, story IS everything! Especially when it comes to the story that navigates our life’s decisions and outcomes. We work with each camper to develop, write, film, edit and finish a fantasy short film that takes place in WONDERMENT. Through the careful guidance of our trauma informed camp counselors, campers are encouraged to externalize their real life trauma in these stories allowing an expression of their experience they have not had previously. Identifying and externalizing the negative script in campers minds is a crucial step to building their hero narrative!