The Interpreted Rock

By Stephen C. Schultz “I was on the road in my car last week. It was a long stretch of highway where it is easy for your speed to creep up. I looked in the review mirror and saw blue and red flashing lights. I watched as the right hand of the officer extended to lift a microphone to his mouth. He was obviously running my plates. I glanced at my driver’s side mirror and observed as his door opened and he stepped around the edge of the door and closed it with a single, fluid motion. In a cautious and calculated manner, with his right hand resting about hip high on his revolver and his left hand carrying some paper, he was at my door in ten easy strides.” Ok…now that you have read that first paragraph, what are you feeling? Did reading that stir any emotions? Could you relate to my experience? How many of you are smiling? You’ve been there…right? You know the feeling. Often there is dread. Sometimes there is fear. Most times there is frustration because you were just goin...

Guest Blogger Clinton Dorny Executive Director Discovery Ranch for Boys Having worked in the helping profession for over 15 years now, I am constantly amazed at the value of Experiential Therapy and the use of animals in the healing process. The students who come to us at The Ranch, struggle in life due to early childhood trauma of some sort. They often fight the good fight against anxiety, depression and other mental health or developmental concerns. The use of animals in the therapeutic process has been a part of what we do at Discovery Ranch since its inception. I have always tried to share the value, respect and care we place on the animals in our care. They are just as much a part of the “treatment team” as our clinicians. For this reason, I’d like to share some details about the integration of animals into the therapeutic process. It has come to my attention that there is a misperception or misunderstanding about what we do with our calf program....

By Stephen C. Schultz As I started to think about writing this blog post, I was caught up in some memories of being at outpost. For those who aren't aware, outpost is a section of private land in Southwestern Utah that is owned by RedCliff Ascent . RedCliff is an Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare treatment provider, or better known as a Wilderness program. Outpost is where the families go for graduation. It is a place where there is fresh water, shelter and emergency supplies. There is also a very cool replica of an ancient Native American Kiva. You can learn more about outpost here in this article entitled; An Open Letter to Parents Researching RedCliff Ascent I decided that an intriguing story or experience I had while in the back country hiking with a team of students wasn't what a parent would want to read when it came to research. By the time you truly want to know if a wilderness program works, the last thing you want is a bunch of fluff. RedCliff has be...