Forever grateful it shut down. No more staff bragging about how they got children to drink their own pee. No more overexerting girls until they pass out. In my time here I witnessed 2 suicide attempts, one where staff were negligent leaving knives around. If your child is struggling you don't ship them off in the woods with a bunch or strangers who know nothing. All wilderness programs should be shut down worldwide. read more

Open Sky is life changing not only for my daughter but for our entire family - our 20 year old daughter voluntarily attended Open Sky during the January - April months. My daughter was experiencing deep depression and anxiety - outpatient therapy was having very little impact on her. She decided to try it and in hopes that she would have a reset. The impact this program had on her is amazing and she continues to utilize the tools. She also made lifetime friends and continues to stay in contact with her team. Our family is forever grateful for the positive impact this program had on our daughter. Feel free to DM me with any questions - either myself or my daughter would be happy to speak with you. Also, if you are investigating a program like this I highly recommend you join the Wilderness Facebook group and see that the reviews are genuine and this experience is life changing. We are forever grateful to Open Sky. Aho. read more

I don't need to say much I think this screenshot says it all. No certification needed to work with your children. If you want evidence-based services this is not it. read more

Open Sky Wilderness Therapy - Counseling & Mental Health Near Me - Durango, Colorado

Therapy team was ve helpful. Administrative staff, particularly financial office, not very much. Not responsive. Business model not completely transparent to families in terms of treatment. read more

i experienced daily emotional abuse here. they denied me my basic civil rights--i was not a minor and was told explicitly before i arrived that if at any time i wanted to leave i could. they refused to let me leave for three and a half weeks, threw away the letters i was writing to my parents, and lied to them saying i was a behavior problem. i accumulated MORE trauma with this program, and i had gone to these people for help healing. open sky should be shut down and no one should send a loved one here. please. read more

The most difficult decision of our lives turned out to be the best one we could ever made for our son. From the moment when, in desperation, we contacted Open Sky, from start to finish, it felt like a life changing experience. They received us so carefully, as we were totally lost , beyond scared , devastated, and powerlessly tired; they guided us with love and light, supporting us every step of the way. Honestly, no words can describe good enough how professional, truly caring and deeply devoted everyone in O.S's team is. Specially Nick, our son's therapist, who really got him from day one and created a strong connection. Our son regained a positive perception of himself, learned many coping skills and helpful tools, developed resilience as he struggled with the challenges he faced in the field. He built healthy relationships with peers and grew confidence while experiencing some leadership opportunities. We also love the ongoing family support Open Sky provides. Along with other activities we participated in, the twice a week parent calls (that we still join) really help us, where both staff and parents unite as a warm community with the solely drive to support and help. Every single step of our journey at Open Sky was beyond healing, truly transformative. We recommend Open Sky to any family struggling with teenagers or young adults. You can lean with absolute trust on these amazing people we call "angels"; they will have your back and will do anything to help you through the roughest of times. Thank you Open Sky ! read more

For many months our son didn't agree with us on anything. Now we are 100% aligned on this--Open Sky Wilderness Therapy saved his life. At age 15 he rapidly declined into a state of depression, defiance, and daily cannabis use. We were engaged in constant power struggles and escalations at home. We'd exhausted all therapy and interventions locally, and he resented our attempts to find new options. Our gut knew this was NOT our son. He was hurting and we needed to do something drastic to change the course of his life. Making the decision to send him to Open Sky was the hardest thing we've ever done. But once he'd arrived safely we finally took a deep breath for the first time in months. Open Sky welcomed him in and provided him with an incredible opportunity to clean up, eat well, connect with nature, and grow alongside similarly-natured boys. Exceptional field guides, who've made it their life's work to support kids in a team environment, challenged him daily. As he'd bump up against their rules, they held boundaries and helped him drop into his true feelings. His clinical therapist was like a surgeon, swiftly cutting right to the heart of his sadness and resulting behaviors. His care for our son was deep. He lovingly held space and pushed him to open his mind and heart, fueling more change in 11 weeks in the woods than he could have accomplished in many years of weekly therapy at home. This experience changed the dynamic of our family, giving each of us new skills we now use daily. Our minds are at ease. Our souls feel connected to our beautiful boy. Our bodies have recovered from the physical manifestations of emotional trauma. And our hearts are full of hope for a bright future. All thanks to Open Sky. read more

Our young adult son (25) made more progress in 3 months at Open Sky than he had in the previous 5 years. These amazing professionals perform triage, similar to the emergency room, pinpointing the issues (his was anxiety, depression, ADHD) and quickly guide the healing process. Once your son or daughter understands the value of what's happening 24/7 in wilderness therapy, rapid recovery follows. Not everything sticks and that's why many students continue with longer term aftercare. Chris Blankenship was our son's therapist and 1 of the main reasons we chose this program. He's amazing, sincere, kind and direct with students & parents. If you can attend their Family Quest weekend, I highly recommend it! (Don't be afraid of the winter weather as students are well equipped.) They communicate with the family and provide needed support. By the time our son graduated, our communication was much improved and his growth was exponential. We are sincerely grateful to Chris, EJ & Mia (our Quest therapist & guide) & the entire Open Sky team for showing us the light at the end of the tunnel. read more

I am forever grateful to Open Sky for helping my son make his way back to a happy, healthy and meaningful lifestyle. The therapeutic component of Open Sky not only taught our son more effective ways to communicate and work through difficult times, but gave me and my husband the tools to be better parents and develop effective ways of communicating. I highly recommend this program to anyone whose child took a detour in life and needed therapeutic guidance back to healthy living. read more

Open Sky was tranformative for our child in 2022. Was it traumatic for our child and for us as parents? Yes, at times. But the alternative, seeing the mental health issues remain unaddressed in other programs, was unacceptable. Wilderness therapy is HARD. This is by design. Open Sky was hard, but it was challenging, demanding and caring. Our child hated it in the beginning, then decided to 'do the work' as they say. Would our child say they loved it? No! This wasn't adventure camp - this is a therapeutic, intensive level kind of care that most kids don't need (thank goodness!). But for those who do need it, it truly is a lifesaver. Our child was able to begin to learn the skills they needed to cope with the mental health challenges they faced at that time, which were reinforced after Wilderness in another program. Wilderness is not for everyone. If you choose Wilderness, Open Sky goes above and beyond to help the children entrusted to their care. IT WORKS and we will be forever grateful this type of therapy exists. Aho. read more

I would advise parents considering this program to search for testimonies from people who have actually gone though Open Sky. I attended Open Sky four years ago. I still have nightmares that I'm back there- terrified, helpless, humiliated. Luckily, I'm in a better place now, having distanced myself from the people who sent me to this program. I'm grateful to have finally moved past this experience, and to be able to recognize that I hadn't wasted a year of my life due to my own deficits. Rather, Open Sky's operation as a feeder program to a number of residential treatment facilities and schools condemned me to loss of freedom, as my family had the lack of knowledge to relinquish me to the treatment business and the funds to facilitate it. read more

i was here for a period of time in 2015 including my 16th birthday. on my birthday i was woken up by staff and given a piece of paper to tape to my chest. it said "i do not matter" or something in that vein. i was made to wear it all day and on top of that was not allowed to speak or be spoken to. this was explained to me as being a therapeutic intervention. it's actually hard for me to remember most of my experience here but the flashbacks tell me it wasn't good. don't send your child into the troubled teen industry, look into breaking code silence, these abusive and poorly run programs are very real. read more

Open Sky is everything they say they are and more. The care they take of the girls is extraordinary. I would not hesitate to recommend them for any child whose issues indicate they need a reset on life. Professional and caring staff are on 24/7. My daughter came away so much stronger and healthier. She wanted to stay longer. Loved Open Sky and understood what it could do for her. read more

It would be difficult for me to express in a quick review how impactful Open Sky Wilderness Therapy has been for our family and how professional the program is run. They were equipped to hold our son and family through a nightmare and provide a path to begin again. The program is grounded in sound therapy practices, relationships are foundational, and the mindfulness focus is healing. The path is not easy for either kids or parents, but worth the journey to possibilities and transformation. read more

My 20 year old son had been suffering from depression and anxiety for several years and self medicating to help deal with his problems. We found that several local therapists were ineffective and decided that he needed a treatment program of some sort.He was willing to go to a wilderness therapy program vs. one in an actual residential setting. We chose Open Sky after researching several wilderness programs. I can say that his nearly three month experience there was the foundation for great progress he was able to make over time.It was a complete reset of his thinking and the start of his journey of self-exploration. With the help of on site therapists plus the field guides (all trainted therapists as well), he began to have a positive outlook and showed signs of a building self-confidence.The care and understanding of the staff combined with the carefully structured program allowed him to re-center his life and set the stage for a most productive one. He attended several aftercare programs which were essential (depression is not "cured" in 90 days) for continued progress.He is now in his last year of college (after a two year hiatus) and carrying a 3.4 GPA while starting a small business simultaneously. In short, he is back on track. Our family is so grateful that we found Open Sky.It is wonderful organization with very caring professionals.So for us, wilderness therapy was the answer to our prayers and Open Sky the perfect fit. read more

I cannot say enough great things about this life changing wilderness program. They are truly miracle workers for anyone struggling. If you are considering this for yourself or a love one, do it. read more

I was sent to open sky in December of 2020. I was taken from my house out of no where, with no knowledge of what was happening. I have many horror stories from this place that would take too much time to type out. For any parents researching sending their child here, please listen to the kids who have gone here. I believe that wilderness has the opportunity to be an inspirational and good experience, but it can also be an abusive and traumatizing experience. I think open sky is better than some other programs out there, but still there were so many moments there when we were dehumanized, belittled, and treated cruelly. As someone who went through it, I would never wish this experience upon anyone that I love. Recently, I decided to go on a short outward bound trip, to try to confront and move past my trauma from open sky. Outward bound was an amazing and empowering expirance where I felt real growth and healing. They treated us like we were real people, where at open sky I often felt like I was being treated worse than a prisoner. So my advice for anyone looking to help their child: Let them feel empowered, being kidnapped and sent to wilderness will only make them feel worse. You can't be forced into healing, like open sky implies. But wilderness can be so healing, if it is a good program, and one chooses to do it. Thank you for reading. read more

Although most kids attending are dealing with substance abuse, also works well for Bipolar kids. Excellent Outdoor Therapy program. Founders are Good People who are Competent and Wise. Excellent staff to patient ratio. read more

This is a fantastic program that was transformational for our son. Open Sky is the gold standard for wilderness therapy programs. The therapists, guides and staff are all beyond excellent. We looked at a lot of programs and this one stands far above the rest. We are eternally grateful to Sebastiaan and the team at Open Sky. read more

After many years of working with all manner of therapies (traditional, group, art, outpatient, psychiatry, etc.) to help our son re-establish mental health, we found Open Sky. Their approach includes family systems among a bevy of research-based interventions and practices, and I cannot begin to tell you how impressed and thankful my wife and I are. The leadership team is top notch; they are deeply committed professionals and nothing less than excellent. The guides are terrific. The protocols, communication, and support services are outstanding. I can't imagine a better organization. It's not cheap, but it's well worth the investment. Highly highly recommended!! read more

This is a warning to parents considering wilderness treatment. Eight years ago I sent my 16 year old son to Open Sky. He was completely out of control and I was desperate to save him. I initially thought that Open Sky had performed a miracle because his behavior and attitude appeared to have changed. He was calm, open, kind and we could talk. From Open Sky it was recommended that I send him to Telos, a therapeutic boarding school in Utah. Telos supposedly picked up where Open Sky left off. He was in these programs for a year and then returned home. I thought we had discovered a lasting miracle, but he struggled terribly after returning home and his life devolved again and again. Nearly 7 years after leaving these programs, he started his own path to recovery and only then did I learn about how traumatized these programs left him. If you are considering sending your child to a treatment program, please read about the troubled teen industry first and about trauma. I sincerely love my son and only sent him into these programs because I thought they would help him. Pay attention - these are for profit organizations with very vague track records. They cater to affluent and desperate parents. They look good and they say all the right things and some of their staff may really believe that their methods and missions are good, but for my son and thousands of others they did more damage than good. Please be careful. read more

was there nov 2021 to feb 2022. talked to my mom twice over three months, the "psychiatrist" is spoken with once a week and knows nothing about his "patients". put me on a medication i knew nothing about and had awful side affects. went in actually excited about the idea, whereas i might as well have been in prison. no choice is given regarding whatever is going on. it is participate or have your stay lengthed. became extremely depressed while i was there, and yet to express that emotion wouldve meant that my therapist - some regard as renound nationwide - wouldve told me i simply wasnt trying hard enough. oh, and the patients there arent allowed to have conversations unless a guide can hear every word. consequences of this include a 15 minute period of mandated silence. i was struggling at one point about facing 2.5 more months there only to have a guide basically tell me to shut up. find a treatment where they dont pretend like the real world doesnt exist. find one that talks about AA/NA etc. oh and they will force you into an aftercare - so factor that into treatment costs. those programs are minimum 3 months, all the way up to a year or more. one last thing, when you graduate , they invite parents and put on this elaborate show where they serve coffee, meals never once had as a student, and hours long groups where the embellish the fuck out of the experience and , as a student who is seeing his parents for the first time in months, constantly reminded about how priviledged i was to be at such a "nice" program, there is no acceptable way to be honest about how i really felt. so parents get a distorted view. dont be fooled by the idealistic view of wilderness therapy - it sounds life changing. but if you really want to do that, go camping. This is not what it seems to be. read more

i went through opensky wilderness (team eagle!!!!) and it changed my life for the better. i'm a 19 year old girl who's been in therapy since she was 6, i am diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, ptsd, adhd, etc. and i went to opensky after a near suicide attempt in college. i was dangerously depressed, i loathed myself 24/7, i was unable to eat or take care of myself, and i suffered from crippling anxiety and severe mood swings everyday. opensky saved my life, and i made secure and healthy connections there with both other students and guides that i feel will last a very long time. i found empowerment and strength within myself through learning how to make fire, and i learned to love/accept myself without even knowing what i looked like while i was there. the therapy was incredible (chris from team E is the best!!!!), the cultures created by each time was also super incredible, the family work was so beneficial and effective, and the guides were all amazing and i always felt safe, cared for, and understood. i was there through the coldest months of the year (november-february) and i was rarely cold. if you are on the fence about sending your child here, i would encourage you to take the leap of faith and put your trust in this program. every person i know who has been through opensky has been changed for the better because of this place. i have my life back, i have so many more good days than bad, i am closer now with my family more than ever, and i am filled with gratitude everyday for the things that have helped me heal and grow. i cannot imagine a better treatment program. there's no place like this, and i would recommend it to any struggling adolescent/young adult and their families. read more