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Tips on Finding the Right School for Your Troubled Child

Tips on Finding the Right School for Your Troubled Child

It’s important to keep these in mind when finding the right school or program for your child. Parents are often overwhelmed when their left with finding the right type of school or program that will best meet their troubled children’s needs. If they’re lacking in motivation, behaving out of control, or just failing in their grades, they need an option that will not only help their rehabilitation process, but also care for them as a human being. Luckily there are an abundance of services that offer your child a chance to succeed and get back on track. If you’re thinking that boarding schools are your only option, there are alternatives to this route such as a boot camp for teenagers that will correct their problematic behavior. Here are some things that you should consider when looking for the right program for your child. When looking for a school for your troubled youth, the first thing that you’re going to want to check is their accreditation status. Do not go ahead and choose a school that is not accredited as their credits will not be transferred upon completion. It’s easy to find as the schools that have passed their regional accreditation place this on their website. The difference between a private school and an alternative school for the troubled is that there are additional services such as counseling and “on-on-one’s” that are offered within their curriculum. This being said, tuition prices could average out to $40,000 for the year as well as lodging costs. Lastly, ensure that the school of your choice awards a diploma that is recognized by educational accrediting bodies. Wood Creek Academy is a therapeutic boarding school for boys offering wilderness therapy programs unlike a typical juvenile boot...

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Teens Learn Valuable Life Skills at Wilderness Therapeutic Boarding Schools

Teens Learn Valuable Life Skills at Wilderness Therapeutic Boarding Schools

Written by Wood Creek Academy. One of the most effective choices for parents of troubled teens is to send them to a wilderness therapeutic boarding school. Find out more about the types of lessons that students learn while attending one of these schools. Teenagers who have emotional, academic or social challenges can often struggle with traditional methods of education or discipline. Sending many teens to a harsh juvenile boot camp can often lead to them rebelling or increasing their feelings of anger. In addition, their current social environment – such as being around a group of destructive friends – can make it difficult to change their habits. For these teens, a new approach in a different location is often necessary in order to put them on the road to making a positive change in their lives. One solution to this is to have a troubled teen attend a wilderness therapeutic boarding school. These programs offer students a place to go for nine to 12 months and work on their behavioral and emotional issues in an outdoor setting. Through a mixture of group and individual therapy, academic counseling and wilderness adventures, participants raise their self-esteem and begin to cope with the issues that have previously stunted their emotional growth. A major difference between a wilderness therapy program and a boot camp for teenagers is in the level of life skills that teens learn. At a therapeutic boarding school, students take daily educational classes as well as performing tasks that can help them grow as a person and acquire necessary skills for their rest of their lives. Some examples of this include: Outdoor Skills: Being in nature is a major component in the process at wilderness therapeutic boarding schools. It gives students the chance to contemplate in a peaceful setting. It also gives them a chance to learn how to work and communicate with other students to complete tasks in an outdoor setting. This can include survival camping, fishing or kayaking expeditions. Coping Mechanisms: One of the challenges that troubled teens face is learning how to deal with complex emotions such as anger and disappointment. Developing healthy coping mechanisms can help them to better navigate difficult moments in their life. One approach taken by many therapeutic boarding schools is to have students engage in regular group therapy sessions where they can hear what other students are going through, understand they are not alone and help each other develop better ways to communicate and deal with tough situations. Life Skills: Attending a wilderness therapeutic boarding school helps students develop skills they can use for the rest of their lives. Students learn how to perform basic chores such...

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Preparing Your Child for Therapeutic Boarding School

Preparing Your Child for Therapeutic Boarding School

Written by Wood Creek Academy. Making the decision to send your child to a boarding school for troubled teens is never easy. Therapeutic boarding schools such as Wood Creek Academy require students to attend for 10 to 12 months, which means that students will be spending a long time away from home. This can be particularly difficult for parents when they realize their children are struggling emotionally and can’t be there with them. However, in many cases therapeutic boot camps are the best option for getting kids back on track and prepared to becoming high functioning members of society. Unlike a boot camp for teenagers, a therapeutic boarding school is built around a holistic approach that addresses student’s issues with kindness and compassion. Still, your child might be angry or resentful about being sent to a therapeutic boarding school. This is perfectly natural, but you’ll want to make sure they are in a good place emotionally before they leave on their journey. Here are a few tips for preparing your son or daughter to leave for a therapeutic boarding school,: Explain What a Therapeutic Boarding School Is — and Isn’t When a teen hears that they are going to a therapeutic boarding school, it’s natural to equate it with a juvenile boot camp where discipline is used to instill respect into kids. You’ll want to dispel this notion to get your child in the right frame of mind for their journey. Show them as much information as possible about the boarding school to let them understand where they are going. Visit the Boarding School If you can, it’s a great idea to schedule a visit with your teenager to the boarding school before they start. Doing this will allow them to ask questions about the school and feel comfortable before they leave home. It will help lessen the shock in the transition when first attending the school if they have already had a chance to meet the faculty and understand the program. Leave Lines of Communication Open Even if your child is upset that they are going to a therapeutic boarding school, you want to make sure that you leave lines of communication open so that they can express their frustration, anger or fears in a constructive manner. Make sure you reinforce that this isn’t a punishment and get them to see the potential benefits that their attendance at the therapeutic boarding school can have on their lives. ————————————————————————————————————————— Based in Montana, the Wood Creek Academy is a therapeutic boarding school that gives troubled teens the life skills needed to deal with their challenges. Unlike a teen boot camp, Wood Creek Academy uses a...

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