The research behind our approach
What research says about adventure-based therapy.
Research gives us reasons to take adventure-based therapy seriously—and reasons to be clear about what we know.
Studies have reported benefits, including in community mental health settings. The evidence varies across programs, populations, and study designs. Here we explain selected findings, their limits, and how they relate to our approach.
Different approaches. Different evidence.
Adventure-based therapy uses purposeful experiences within therapeutic work. It can take place in community settings as well as other formats. Wilderness or residential programs differ from the individual counseling and recurring groups described on our website.
Experiential learning, outdoor education, and nature-based programs overlap with parts of this work, but they are not interchangeable with mental health treatment. Evidence for one format does not automatically establish effectiveness for another.
These studies did not evaluate Adventurelore, Spark, or the proposed homeschool group. Research on individual elements also does not prove the effectiveness of their combination in our services.
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Counseling and adventure therapy
Directly relevant setting
Community-based adventure therapy
A nonrandomized comparison of 1,135 young people at a community mental health center.
Young people receiving counseling with an adventure component had larger clinician-rated reductions in problem severity than those whose counseling did not include it.
What to keep in mind: The groups were not randomly assigned. Differences in clients, treatment, or clinician ratings could help explain the findings; the study does not establish that adventure therapy is superior to other counseling.
Why we share it: A useful example of adventure therapy in community mental health care, with a setting closer to outpatient services than residential wilderness programs.
Tucker, A. R., Javorski, S., Tracy, J., & Beale, B. (2013). The use of adventure therapy in community-based mental health: Decreases in problem severity among youth clients. Child & Youth Care Forum, 42(2), 155–179.
Mixed programs and settings
The broader adventure therapy literature
A meta-analysis covering 197 studies and 206 distinct samples.
Participants showed moderate average improvement from before to after adventure therapy (Hedges’ g = 0.47).
What to keep in mind: Programs and populations varied; studies commonly used a single group without a comparison group. The average is not a success rate or a randomized estimate of benefit over standard counseling.
Why we share it: Supports a research history for adventure therapy, while leaving uncertainty about particular formats and services.
Bowen, D. J., & Neill, J. T. (2013). A meta-analysis of adventure therapy outcomes and moderators. The Open Psychology Journal, 6, 28–53.
Youth psychotherapy
The therapeutic relationship
A meta-analysis of 99 studies of child and adolescent psychotherapy.
A more positive child–therapist alliance was associated with better child outcomes. The average association was small (r = 0.17).
What to keep in mind: An association does not establish a single cause of improvement or show that the relationship outweighs every other aspect of care.
Why we share it: Supports treating trust and collaboration as important parts of counseling.
Roest, J. J., Welmers-Van de Poll, M. J., Van der Helm, G. H. P., Stams, G. J. J. M., & Hoeve, M. (2023). A three-level meta-analysis on the alliance-outcome association in child and adolescent psychotherapy. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 51, 275–293.
Condition-specific treatment evidence
CBT for childhood anxiety
A Cochrane review of 87 randomized studies involving 5,964 children and adolescents with anxiety disorders.
CBT probably improves short-term recovery from anxiety disorders compared with waiting lists or no treatment.
What to keep in mind: Evidence was less clear when CBT was compared with usual care or other treatments. This review did not test Adventurelore’s integration of CBT strategies and adventure.
Why we share it: Supports using appropriate CBT methods for anxiety, with treatment selected for the individual.
James, A. C., Reardon, T., Soler, A., James, G., & Creswell, C. (2020). Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11, CD013162.
What this means for families
Our approach brings together relationships, purposeful experiences, and counseling methods selected around individual needs. The studies help explain that approach; they cannot predict how any one young person will respond.
When considering counseling, ask how the clinician will choose goals with your child, select activities or other methods, and review progress. The fit between the young person, the clinician, and the plan matters to that conversation.
Talk with us about fit ↗Sources checked October 6, 2026. This is a selected research overview, not a systematic review of all available evidence.