Boarding School, Troubled Teen, Struggling Teen-ADOLESCENT CRISIS TEAM

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Ask the program representative about their experience and treatment philosophies, if you do not agree you may not want to go any further with them. If you cannot support the programs ideas you, your child and the program will be in for long, frustrating process without the desired outcome.

Wilderness Programs
Wilderness therapy programs are based on behavioral models and experiential education. These approaches to working with children are widely accepted forms of treatment and intervention for both adults and children. Children with low self-esteem, oppositional, defiant and conduct problems discovered their potential as well as the individual and group skills necessary to become successful in life. The top wilderness therapy programs are viable alternative to traditional therapy, residential treatment programs and psychiatric hospitals.
They enter the wilderness on a journey of self-discovery. When children become involved in routines that are logical and necessary in nature, the natural result is to develop relationships, communicate, reveal their problems, help each other, face the consequences of their behavior and discover their hidden potential. They discover their true feelings as well as more realistic hopes and dreams. It is a time of reflection, discovery and building new skills. Rather than become angry, children become assertive. Instead of hiding their feelings, they ask for help and talk to people they trust. Instead of rushing around, they learn to listen to others and be patient. In those moments when they are alone watching a sunset (and not a television), children discover their true self. When they are afraid of their feelings, they become courageous instead of victims.
Wilderness therapy is a positive and emotional growth experience where children face natural challenges that are designed to be therapeutic in nature. Children are not merely thrown into the wilderness and made to suffer hardships. They are removed from their environment, encouraged, challenged and give every opportunity to succeed. Wilderness therapy programming is overseen by licensed medical and mental health professionals who have experience and training in experiential education, behaviorism as well as group and interpersonal therapy.

The wilderness is seen as a place of safety and natural consequences and a place they can look at their life and consider what they were doing, what they were thinking, how that made them feel, what they want and what they are willing to do to make that happen. The wilderness is a place to take action where initiative is naturally rewarding. Children begin to change naturally when they are removed from environments filled with negative influences and triggering events that produce self-defeating, reckless or self-destructive behavior. Depending on the child and the issues that he/she is working on, a wilderness program can be the beginning stages. Wilderness programs are short term (1-2months), which may not give the long term result that is needed, they may need to transition into a long term program to receive the best result. Please fill out our information contact form, to be directed to a number of pre-qualifying programs.

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Disclaimer: Adolescent Crisis Team is not responsible for the contents of any pages outside our control. Information contained in Adolescent Crisis Team Services or on any linked sites is not intended as medical advice. Its intent is solely informational and educational. The information is not a substitute for talking with your health professional. Readers are advised to exercise their own further informed review, judgment, and evaluation in the selection of any and all programs, services, and health information.