Providing services in small groups, Chicago Adventure Therapy approaches outdoor activities in a therapeutic fashion using the sports themselves and group process to raise and address issues. During CAT’s customized programs, participants learn outdoor activities such as sea kayaking, cross-country skiing, rock climbing or cycling, as well as related skills such as rescue, repair, map reading and trip-planning. The goal is that participants gain new skills that enable them to make and implement healthy decisions in their daily lives. CAT programs can be custom designed around particular issues, and depending on program activities and technical skill instruction, participants may work on developing the following therapeutic skills:

• Interdependency
• Personal responsibility
• Communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Accountability
• Supportive behavior
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Coping with fear
• Personal safety
• Skill mastery
• Confidence building