by Lisa Aniballi, Admission Counselor

Before going on their first trek, each new group of residents will spend several weekends with Gray Wolf staff members at the Waterhouse Center in Monroe, Washington. These weekends of teambuilding are designed to be fun and challenging and to provide the residents and staff with the opportunity to get to know each other in a new way.

We begin the first day with an introduction and a safety briefing, then we are on to a sequence of activities, often starting with “new games.” “New games” are games with no winner or loser, just an opportunity to loosen up and have fun. We often find people smiling and laughing and participating more than they originally thought they might, realizing that it’s okay to be silly and have fun and let
down their guard. After each activity, we take the opportunity to process the experience, talking about how to have sober fun and checking in to see how
the group and individuals are doing. Then we move on to a trust sequence.

We do “trust leans,” “trust walks,” body lifts, and other activities that encourage relying on others. These experiences give us the opportunity to talk about trusting others, to discuss the support that we need in recovery, and to share how good it can feel to surrender to that support. As we continue to build on this foundation of interdependence, we move on to problem-solving activities where residents are challenged physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In the process of working together to find solutions, they learn about themselves and each other.

We camp overnight and have dinner, a campfire, and time to hang out and get to know each other. Sometimes conflicts arise between residents and can be worked out with the help of the facilitators. Teamwork flourishes when members communicate feelings and resolve difficulties. Sometimes a ride on the zip line tops off the day’s activities. 

On Sunday we move on to another challenge - the “high ropes.” The “high ropes” are activities 50 feet up in the trees. After safety instructions and practice, and with the support of the group, each resident dons climbing harness and helmet and challenges himself climbing up into the course. Once again, each member of the group is challenged to take new risks, to trust himself and others (including a Higher Power), and to push past his preconceived limits. Residents are supported for the choices they make, and no one is forced to participate. Sometimes making a decision to go up into the course and come right back down is the best decision they can make - they are learning to set boundaries and trust their own intuition to know what is best for them.

At the end of the weekend, the residents share what they learned about themselves and each other and most importantly how they can apply this knowledge to their “real life” in recovery. By the time we’re driving back to the Ranch, the residents are generally tired and content. They have made some new friends - friends that they will get to trek with the next week and get to spend five months of their lives with. They have seen themselves and others in a different way. They have experienced the power of working together, which is the key to recovery. Without realizing it, they have addressed issues of trust, support, communication, responsibility, commitment, and problem solving, and have faced their fears.