Many of our clients express that while traditional talk therapy was initially helpful, it has limitations and their child no longer engages. Getting their child to go to a session often becomes such a battle, on top of all the other battles, that disengagement and therapy fatigue becomes the norm. That’s why Wonder opts for another pathway to connection with kids.

“Experiential therapy” has many forms but for us it is an Activities Based Approach to therapy that enables clients to experience themselves in various types of situations or interactions in the real world, whether at home or in the community. This allows our clinical team to engage with kids in the moment struggles arise in real time. Our team utilizes a heightened type of attunement because there are many more factors affecting kids in the real world. We see the subtle moments kids engage in relationship and work from there.

Many young people benefit from this type of therapy because it encourages curiosity and openness to emotional experiences. An understanding of how different contexts and activities evoke different behavior patterns in each of us allows individuals to chose from a broader range of more adaptive options.

We often use activities, such as hiking, rock climbing, art work, or other types of play to foster connection and trust in the therapeutic relationship. Our clinicians meet with clients in the community and in-home to help them explore their environment with a receptive and more confident approach to living.