
Adventure Therapy: Fighting Addiction with Fun
Joy can be hard to find at the beginning of the recovery journey.
This is one of the reasons relapse is so easy. Still, “hard to find” does not mean, “nonexistent.” Not only is true happiness possible post-addiction, but it’s also more likely.
At Next Step Recovery, we specialize in helping men in recovery find joy in sobriety. For us, this is a crucial part of the addiction recovery process. We show our patients how to live a healthy lifestyle by creating positive experiences without drugs or alcohol.
As we say:
“Recovery is the Real Adventure.”
Finding the Fun in Sobriety with Outdoor Adventure Therapy
Addiction recovery doesn’t happen on accident.
We bridge the gap between inpatient treatment and sustainable sobriety.
Adventure therapy helps make the aftermath of addiction feel less brutal. This fills those striving for recovery with hope and optimism about the future. Our patients have a chance to enjoy watersports, paintball, high ropes courses, hikes through the majestic Asheville area, and more.
We use activities like these to remind the men in our program that life is worth living—even without drugs.


Ready to Take the Next Step to a Life of Sustainable Addiction Recovery?
What They Say About Us
J.C., Beloved Client
B.D., Beloved Resident
T.A., Beloved Resident
L.M., Beloved Resident
Z.A., Beloved Resident
Z.B., Beloved Client
M.R.K., Beloved Resident
K.W., Family Member


Compassionate, Clinical Care
Next Step Recovery is big on evidence and empathy.
We implement addiction therapies with evidence behind them. We facilitate change with profound empathy for our clients and residents.
Taking Full Advantage of Asheville
Rewiring the Brain for Sober Fun
Adventure therapy helps men recovering from addiction feel the joy of life again.
Addiction wreaks havoc on the brain. One effect is that it becomes hard to find joy in the first few months of recovery. Our program combats that by putting men in the thralls of adventure—where they can’t help but feel alive.
Some of our favorites:
- Mountain Hikes
- Rafting Adventures
- High Ropes Courses
- Paintball
men love and thrive in our program.
It’s more than just an, “outdoor rehab,” it’s an opportunity for our men to bond and grow. It sets the stages for healthy relationships, dealing with uncertainty, facing fears, and other important life lessons. Meanwhile, they rediscover the, “natural highs,” of life.








Susan Stader is the founder and director of Next Step Recovery and NSR of Asheville, an Intensive Outpatient Program and a Long-term Extended Care program in Asheville, NC. She received her Master’s in Community Counseling in 2004 at Western Carolina University and went on to get her licensure in addictions and mental health counseling. Susan believes that treatment should be gender-specific and offered in a small setting. Small recovery communities, such as hers, are more intimate and more effective in overall client satisfaction and care.
Ready for the Next Step?
Recovery is the Real Adventure. Embrace the journey with other men on the same path. Lean on Next Step as your support network as you work toward sustainable sobriety. You don’t have to make the climb back to a life of meaning by yourself, but you do have to start. Take the next step toward your future today.