We are incredibly honored to share that Rooted Life Adventures has been awarded Best Integrated Mental Health and Experiential Program by GHP Global Health & Pharma.
This award recognizes programs that successfully integrate meaningful mental health support into real-world, experiential education environments and we couldn’t be more proud because this is exactly why Rooted Life Adventures was created.
Why This Award Matters
When families begin searching for a gap year program or summer abroad experience for their teen or young adult, they typically find two very different options:
Traditional gap year or summer camp programs with little to no emotional support OR highly clinical programs such as residential treatment or wilderness therapy
For many families, neither option feels quite right. Some students don’t need residential treatment, but they do need more support than a traditional program offers. Rooted Life Adventures was intentionally designed to fill this missing middle ground.
Winning Best Integrated Mental Health and Experiential Program validates the innovative model we have built, one that provides structured, preventative mental health support inside an adventurous, confidence-building international experience.
What “Integrated Mental Health” Means at Rooted Life Adventures
Integrated mental health support does not mean therapy sessions all day.
It means:
- Live-in therapeutic coaches who travel, cook, and adventure alongside students
- Real-time coaching during real-life moments
- Support when students need it and space when they don’t
- Skill-building in emotional regulation, independence, communication, and resilience
- Optional telehealth continuity with a student’s therapist at home
Our team lives with students 24/7 during the program. That means support happens naturally while navigating friendships, planning meals, hiking glaciers, surfing waves, or exploring new cities.
Growth doesn’t happen in an office. It happens in real life. And that is what makes our model different.
Adventure, Confidence, and Bragging Rights
One of Rooted Life Adventures’ most powerful aspects is that students leave with pride not stigma. Our programs in New Zealand, Australia, and Costa Rica are filled with bucket-list experiences:
- Surfing and sea kayaking
- Exploring waterfalls and jungles
- Hiking near glaciers and world-famous landscapes
- Cultural immersion and community service
- Deep friendships and shared adventure
Students return home with stories they are excited to share. They feel like they did something bold, global, and life changing. That shift from shame to confidence is transformational.
A Gap Year or Summer Program With Mental Health Support Without the Clinical Feel
Many parents searching online type things like:
- gap year with mental health support
- therapeutic summer program abroad
- supported gap year for young adults
- non-clinical mental health program for teens
- summer camp for teens struggling with anxiety
If that’s you, you’re not alone. There is a large population of young people who need structured support, but not an intensive therapeutic setting. Rooted Life Adventures was built for exactly that student.
We provide:
- structure without restriction
- support without smothering
- community without pressure
- growth without stigma
And now, that model has been recognized internationally.
Innovation in Preventative Youth Mental Health
Winning this award is not just a milestone for our team, it reflects a larger shift in youth mental health. Preventative, supportive, real-world mental health models matter. Not every student needs treatment. Many simply need:
- a reset
- a confidence rebuild
- real-world practice in independence
- healthy friendships
- supportive adults who believe in them
Rooted Life Adventures is proud to be paving the way for this “middle-ground” approach, and we are deeply grateful to be recognized for it.
To the Families Who Trust Us
To the parents who take a leap of faith and send their child across the world…
Our students who show up nervous but willing…
The therapists and consultants who refer families to us…
This award belongs to you too.
Because what we see every season is growth, courage, resilience, and connection.
And that’s why we do this work.
Looking Ahead
As we continue expanding our programs in New Zealand, Australia, and Costa Rica, our commitment remains the same:
Adventure.
Community.
Support.
Confidence.
All integrated into one life-changing experience. If you are looking for a gap year or summer program that offers real mental health support without becoming clinical, we would love to connect with you.