Healing Base Camp

An Intense, Week-long Program that blends Mountaineering and Positive Psychology

Flagship Austrian Base Camp

The Program

Philosophy – Within a positive psychology framework the focus is on helping participants cultivate what is strong within them (strengths, resiliency) rather than uncovering and treating what is “wrong” (symptoms, weaknesses).

Approach – Rather than using traditional psychotherapeutic methods of uncovering and treating the trauma and resulting PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, anger, confusion and survivor guilt, this program provides participants with the opportunity, experiences, skill and tools to give themselves permission to flourish.

Founded on the principles of PERMA+, this program utilizes various positive psychology and positive cognitive behavioral tools and techniques to help participants cultivate hope, trust, purpose and meaning, positive emotions, meaningful relationships, engagement and a sense of accomplishment.

A unique, structured group program based on Dr.Martin Seligman’s theory of well-being called PERMA+. PERMA is an acronym that stands for the components essential to creating a life worth living. To learn more about our approach, check out this page. In a nutshell:

Positive emotions – Focusing on and cultivating positive emotions like joy and gratitude

Engagement – Engaging in a task that matches one’s ability but is simultaneously challenging

Relationships – Cultivating meaningful relationships

Meaning – creating a life of purpose and meaning

Achievement – Being self-motivated to complete a task which requires a sense of mastery, perseverance and resilience.

Plus… Mountaineering. Can be anything related to self-care or physical activity, such as climbing, walking, nutrition and sleep.

The Setting

The week-long Healing Base Camp takes place in the beautiful Austrian Alps. To learn more about why our Hub is in Kaprun, Austria, we invite you to read our blog post here. The safety of Austria provides a refuge from living under war and allows families to open their minds and hearts to the experiences and challenges placed before them – all of which are intentionally and thoughtfully designed for each member of the family.

Our belief is that it is possible to find meaning, experience positive emotions, cultivate social relationships, discover strengths and create a life worth living even in situations of prolonged uncertainty and dire circumstances.

The Team, i.e. "The Magic"

Mountain Guides – Our team of guides is selected by lead climber and architect of the climbing program, Andreas “Andi” Gassner. The guides not only teach participants how to climb, they provide the opportunity for the kids to take risks safely and overcome these fears and challenges their limits. The climbing is a key component to the participants’ overall growth during the week.
Therapy Team – Led by our Clinical Director, Dr. Amit Oren, our team of therapists includes child therapists, art therapists and specialists for each camp that can address any need that arises. Each activity is designed by a therapist to have a purpose and meaning – including art and organized play.
MSF Staff – To handle all the little things – because if they don’t happen, they become big things! Overall program execution, legal administration, insurance, photography, videography, food and travel preparations, etc! These are essential ingredients for a successful week.
Uncles and Aunts – Along with the core Mountain Seed staff, we hand-select Uncles and Aunts with decades of experience in their field (climbing, nursing, outdoor adventure, etc) to accompany the children, women, and veterans on their climbs. This group of incredible individuals have unique skill sets that make them invaluable to the team.