The author of Decide Now: The Good Life or The Best Life, L. Jay Mitchell has more than 35 years of helping young people overcome personal trauma through innovative programming. L. Jay Mitchell is the founder of Greenbrier Academy, a West Virginia-based school and treatment center for teenage girls. He is called a pioneer in wilderness therapy by clinical psychologist Brent D. Slife in the foreword of Decide Now.
Wilderness therapy is an outdoor-adventure experience designed to improve mental health and confidence. Often prescribed by psychology professionals, some 10,000 patients per year participate in wilderness therapy at more than 100 outdoor behavioral healthcare programs in the US. This form of treatment has roots dating back to the 1970s, but common principles and best practices across the industry weren't established until the mid-1990s with the creation of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative. More than 200 wilderness therapy studies have since been conducted by its members.
