My Boarding School Blog

Therapeutic Wilderness Programs

Parents dealing with a teenager with behavioral problems might be interested in learning more about therapeutic wilderness programs for troubled teens.

Therapeutic wilderness programs should not be confused with boot camps courses for troubled teenagers.  In wilderness programs, “Nature serves as the ultimate teacher, unable to be manipulated or conned by a defiant, angry adolescent. Such an environment by necessity requires certain behaviors and actions. Teens quickly learn how cooperating with their peers results in a significantly more positive experience than when they refuse to participate in certain activities, such as fire-building, food preparation, and camp set-up.” (wilderness-programs-info.com)

Unlike the boot camp programs, there are no drill instructors trying to break a teen’s unruly spirit in therapeutic wilderness programs. Each activity is designed to enrich the child’s purpose and encourage self-confidence and self-direction.  The program seeks to make the experience “as safe and rewarding as possible. While boot camps tend to be more punitive and jail-like in nature, the wilderness therapy program is liberating and fulfilling as the child learns he or she has the ability to learn new skills and cooperate within a group.” (wilderness-programs-info.com)

Outward Bound is one such program.  It is also probably the most well-known.  At Outward Bound, “courses are demanding. It can literally take every waking moment to get from point A to point B … Travel will require perseverance and understanding of the environment. Route finding, navigating and dealing with bad weather are all very real challenges to be expected in wilderness travel.” (outwardbound.org)

By challenging the teens to perform activities that they never knew they could accomplish, programs such as these get into the young person’s head and rewire much of the angry, defeatist, self-conscious thought patterns that have led the teen into past trouble.

If you would like more information about therapeutic wilderness programs, please visit:

• http://www.wilderness-programs-info.com/wilderness.html
• http://www.outwardbound.org/intercept/camps-troubled-youth-how-it-works/what-is-an-ob-course-for-struggling-youth/
  Endnotes

1. “Typical Day at SUWS” SUWS Wilderness Programs. Undated. Retr. 22 Mar. 2012 <http://www.suws.com/wilderness-programs/typical-day-suws>
2. Ibid.

1. “What is wilderness therapy?” Wilderness Programs Info. 2010. Retr. 22 Mar. 2012 <http://www.wilderness-programs-info.com/wilderness.html>
2. Ibid.

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Therapeutic Camps

Parents dealing with a troubled teen might be interested in learning more about therapeutic camps for teens with behavioral problems.

Wilderness-based therapeutic camps take teenagers out of their old environments and put them into a situation that they cannot manipulate with the negative behavioral patterns that have served them well in the past.  They are then forced to complete challenging, or even frightening, activities that they have never tried before. By completing these difficult tasks in a rugged environment, it forces the teens to reevaluate themselves and their preconceived notions about family, teamwork, education and friendship.  Often, teens that complete a program at therapeutic camps emerge with a newfound maturity and self-confidence.

Outward Bound is one of the most famous of the wilderness therapeutic camps.  Outward Bound’s website tells teens that their program “may be the hardest thing you have ever done. It will challenge you mentally, physically and socially. Outward Bound philosophy maintains that by facing the challenges the course will offer you, you will emerge physically and mentally stronger, with an increased mastery of expedition skills as well as a better understanding of your own capabilities and how to make a difference in the world. You learn how to work as a team and become a leader. We think that the payoff is well worth the work, but you should be aware of what you’re getting into and excited about tackling the challenges.”(outwardbound.org)

The SUWS wilderness program of Shoshone, Idaho, is another well-known wilderness camp. Its program is similar to that of Outward Bound, and seeks similarly to help teens improve their respect for both themselves and others. “By living in a group with their field instructors and peers, teens learn the value of being part of a team and contributing to a larger cause. Each group completes initiatives on a high and low ropes course, allowing them to face their fears and develop bonds of trust. The teens also learn basic search and rescue skills such as first aid and emergency response, getting them excited about working as a team and helping others.” (suws.com)

If you would like more information about therapeutic camps, please visit one of the links below, which were referenced in the article:

• http://www.outwardbound.org/intercept/camps-troubled-youth-how-it-works/what-is-an-ob-course-for-struggling-youth/
• http://www.suws.com/suws-articles/wilderness-peak-experiences/
  Endnotes

1. “Typical Day at SUWS” SUWS Wilderness Programs. Undated. Retr. 22 Mar. 2012 <http://www.suws.com/wilderness-programs/typical-day-suws>
2. Ibid.

1. “What is wilderness therapy?” Wilderness Programs Info. 2010. Retr. 22 Mar. 2012 <http://www.wilderness-programs-info.com/wilderness.html>
2. Ibid.

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School for Troubled Girls

If you have a daughter who is exhibiting serious, prolonged self-destructive or inappropriate behaviors, you might be considering a school for troubled girls.  There are a great many to choose from, in every state and province.

The benefit of such a school is that “instead of wreaking havoc on themselves and their families the teens will spend their days in group counseling, individual and family therapy, and learning how to interact with peers and adults in a meaningful and healthy way.” (thefamilycompass.org)  Emotional growth is fostered through greater social- and self-awareness.  Girls learn “more about themselves and what drives their destructive behaviors. The youth are asked to specifically look at what’s going on in their lives and what kind of decisions they’ve been making.” (thefamilycompass.org)

One such school for troubled girls is the Academy at Sisters, a therapeutic boarding school for girls in Bend, Oregon.  The Academy at Sisters offers a treatment program based on a “cognitive behavior model,” which “has been recognized by The National Institute of Health as the most effective approach to dealing with … at-risk girls.” (academyatsisters.org)

This approach involves examining thinking patterns, regulating emotional outbursts, and controlling behavior patterns.  “Thinking, emotions and behavior are all related; negative thinking patterns often lead us to negative emotions, which lead us to negative behavior.  So in order to change behavior, we need to focus on our thinking patterns.” (academyatsisters.org)

Exploring these connections can help teenaged girls avoid problems.  “For example, let’s think about how a fight in the locker room may have been prevented. Mary is in gym class and she sees two of her friends off to the side whispering and giggling. Rather than approach them and ask them what they are talking about, she thinks …they must be talking about me … and they have no right to talk about me that way.” (academyatsisters.org)  Mary’s negative thinking leads her to a negative emotional outcome, which leads to a confrontation and then a fight.  By examining their thinking, emotional and behavioral responses, girls learn to avoid trouble.

If you would like more information about what to look for in a school for troubled girls, please visit one of the links below, which were referenced in the article:

• http://www.thefamilycompass.com/boardingschoolsfortroubledgirls.htm
• http://www.academyatsisters.org/program/therapeutic-boarding-school-for-girls

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School for Troubled Children

If you are the parent of a teen with behavioral problems, you may be interested in the possibility of placing him or her in a school for troubled children.

Such facilities specialize in caring for at-risk teens of both sexes and teaching them to become useful, mature adults.  The Cal Farley’s programs are typical of such facilities.  Located in Amarillo, Texas, Cal Farley’s offers “three types of services to children and families: residential, educational and community-based. All services are provided at no cost to the family of the children in our care.” (1)

The first type, or “campus-based, programs offer children a campus environment where children live in homes or cottages at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch or Cal Farley’s Girlstown, U.S.A. Ten to 12 children live in the homes with house parent couples providing supervision, mentoring and parenting. Our basic-care services offer 24-hour supervision in a small community setting.” (2) The campus-based programs are available to students from all over the country, and enable counselors to keep a close eye on their young charges.

Next, the community-based services offer “a variety of resources to children and families. Not all children require or would benefit from our residential services, but many families can benefit from our expertise without resorting to the trauma of out-of-home placement.” (3) Such services might include life-skills coaching, teaching children how to set and achieve goals, extra-agency referral, family and child counseling, and other support services.

Lastly, Cal Farley’s offers educational programs that provide children “academic, athletic and extracurricular opportunities similar to those offered at other Texas public schools.” (4)

Cal Farley’s Boy’s Ranch and Girlstown USA are fairly typical of the types of schools available.  The Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center of Estes Park, Colorado, is another respected school for troubled children. Its curriculum is values-driven, and it makes a priority of teaching integrity, personal self-worth and respect for others.  Its “fundamental philosophy, Eight Plus Five Equals Ten, has animated Eagle Rock since its inception. The eight themes, five expectations, and ten commitments shape daily living; they are the source and purpose of ongoing conversations.” (5)

If you are interested in learning more about the subject of choosing a school for troubled children, please visit:

• http://calfarley.org/about/Pages/default.aspx
• http://www.eaglerockschool.org/about_us/mission.aspx

Endnotes

1. “About Us.” Cal Farley’s. 2012. Retr. 15 Mar. 2012 <http://calfarley.org/about/Pages/default.aspx>
2. “Child Profile FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).” Cal Farley’s. 2012. Retr. 15 Mar. 2012 <http://calfarley.org/admissions/Pages/ChildProfileFAQs.aspx>

1. “Mission and Philosophy.” Eagle Rock Schools. 2012. Retr. 15 Mar. 2012 <http://www.eaglerockschool.org/about_us/mission.aspx>

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School for Girls with Behavior Problems

If you are considering a school for girls with behavior problems, this article will help you decide if it is right for your family.

The purpose of such a school is to get teenaged girls out of the status quo environment that has enabled their misbehavior, and to place them somewhere that does not permit or encourage manipulation or avoidance.  The girls become engaged “in group counseling, individual and family therapy, and learning how to interact with peers and adults in a meaningful and healthy way.” (thefamilycompass.org)

Girls are taught self-examination and use that to improve impulse control.  They learn “what drives their destructive behaviors … and what kind of decisions they’ve been making.” (thefamilycompass.org)

Copper Canyon Academy, in Rimrock, Arizona, is one such school for girls with behavior problems.  It is “designed to assist young women 11 to 17 years of age who have been struggling with issues such as drug/alcohol use, depression, anxiety, defiance, isolation, anger management, and low self-esteem.” (coppercanyonacademy.com)

Copper Canyon Academy offers most of the typical therapeutic techniques, such as one-on-one and group counseling, family workshops, and teambuilding.  But one interesting additional treatment it offers is equine therapy. The horses in the program “serve as co-therapists, setting firm boundaries, testing students’ boundaries and providing students with an opportunity to learn to empathize with, nurture and care for others …As students work with the animals, they begin to realize that lying, manipulating and cheating don’t work; they begin to form bonds and to expand their horizons beyond themselves.” (coppercanyonacademy.com)

If the article above has sparked an interest in how to choose a school for troubled girls, or if you would simply like more information on what programs are available, please visit one of the links below, which were referenced in the article:

• http://www.thefamilycompass.com/boardingschoolsfortroubledgirls.htm
• http://www.coppercanyonacademy.com/faq.html

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