Passages Alaska

Anchored in Klawock, Alaska, Passages Alaska leads wilderness therapy for adolescents and adults with depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions. They blend expeditions like fishing and camping with evidence-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), as well as opportunities to serve by cleaning up the parks. They finish the day with group discussions of the day and the lessons people learned. For clients recovering from trauma, they also incorporate eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), brain spotting, and somatic experiencing. Passages Alaska runs a co-ed program that welcomes anyone seeing wilderness therapy for mental health treatment, but they specialize in treating adolescent boys and young adult males 14-24. Sean Tomkinson, a licensed clinical social worker, leads the expeditions. They also employ field guides with various backgrounds, including some with naval and counseling backgrounds. Passages Alaska's expeditions last 8 to 12 weeks, and then they cap the expeditions with a graduation. Clients can stay for additional expeditions after the 12-week mark.