Wilderness Therapy Programs for Troubled Teens in Camas, WA
Within the last few decades, America (including Camas, WA) has seen the demographic of adolescents deemed, troubled, or out of control, reach epidemic numbers. While experts aren’t sure as to why our nation’s teens increasingly turn to negative behavioral patterns, modern-day issues such as easier access to drugs and the advent of the internet, social media and other screen-based distractions (to name a few) are most likely significant contributing factors.
But with the number of troubled teens rising each year, cities like Camas, WA so too is the number of residential treatment centers that advertise their services to parents seeking respite and therapeutic healing for their child.
And, while many of these treatment programs are well-intentioned and run by those who truly believe in their program’s treatment model and core curriculum, parents from Camas, WA and elsewhere are all too often duped into sending their teenage daughter to an expensive program that at best, is ineffective in treating their child’s behavioral and emotional issues, and, at worst, exacerbates said issues even further.
Among these detrimental programs are treatment facilities that pose as wilderness therapy programs for troubled teens when in reality, they are more akin to glorified outdoor boot camps.
With the wilderness industry's increasing popularity and recent mainstream exposure, parents sometimes unwittingly send their children to programs that omit the clinical aspects of wilderness therapy.
Though technically a wilderness program, these treatment facilities omit the very foundations that make wilderness therapy effective, and instead, utilize behavioral modification and punishments to enact change within their campers.
For example, instead of providing experiential group therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy, like the most reputable, adventure-based programs, these facilities merely seek to exploit the natural environment as a means to 'break' their campers, before 'building' them back up again.
These tactics are not only deceitful and misrepresent genuine wilderness therapy camps, they often aggravate the very issues campers were sent there to correct, to begin with.
Considering the average wilderness program is $500 dollars per day with a $3,000 dollar enrollment fee (not including what it would cost to transport said teen through a transport company two or more times) choosing this route of treatment is quite expensive.
Legitimate and Cost-effective Wilderness Therapy Programs for teens from the Camas, WA area
For moms and dads from Camas, WA unwilling to pay double (or potentially triple) for a wilderness program for their teenage daughter, there are cost-effective and dynamic treatment options to consider - like that of Elk Mountain Academy.
Elk Mountain Academy is a Christ-centered wilderness therapy program and residential treatment center for troubled teenage girls.
Elk Mountain Academy offers affordable, expert treatment for life-controlling issues and disorders in girls from the Camas, WA area, including:
- attachment disorders
- attention deficit
- eating disorders
- anxiety, depression
- self-destructive or antisocial behavior behavior
- adoption-related issues
We lead troubled girls from Camas, WA to seek truth and to trust in the Holy Spirit, our Holy Comforter who was given to all believers in Christ. At EMA we coach and train our students to seek, trust, and rely on the Holy Spirit, who is their comforter.
For more information regarding our treatment program, please call us today at (208) 266-1122.
Mental Health Guidance in Camas, WA for At-risk Teens
Many families from Camas, WA who are wanting guidance, have made Elk Mountain Academy their first choice for their struggling child who may be undergoing drug abuse/addiction (including marijuana), kleptomania, or anxiety related problems. Here at Elk Mountain, our counselors understand the common issues that struggling teenagers from Camas, WA are faced with every day; and we give guidance to our young students, so they can recognize and deal with their social-related problems in a way that is both healthy and productive. Our robust outdoor recreation and adventure therapy programs rely on connection, trust, and respect; thus inspiring an internally motivated transformation that lasts a lifetime.
Elk Mountain’s counselors and field staff discourage judgments and labels, and never allow a diagnosis to interfere with what struggling adolescents have in common with each other - their humanity. We have provided help to numerous families from all over the nation, including those from Camas, WA; Our trained counselors give a variety of relevant residential treatment strategies (equine, life training, behavioral therapy); helping students toward the path of transformation for adolescents coping with substance use (including marijuana), anxiety, or rebelliousness related issues.
Elk Mountain has transformed the lives of countless struggling teenagers over the years, including many from Camas, WA. Our approach has improved the lives of our struggling young students, and their families. We see that at-risk adolescents can grow to be healthy adults with a desire to succeed! Elk Mountain understands that in order for our struggling young students to experience real transformation, the entire family needs to be part of the life skills development and experiential education guidance that our counselors give. Our consultants can be reached immediately at (208) 266-1122.
Additional Resources in Camas, WA
NATSAP FOR PARENTS: NATSAP is a volunteer membership institution who supports therapists and programs in Camas, WA with their efforts to help at-risk teenagers and young women; and their families. NATSAP realizes that, as a parent, this is an incredibly stressful and difficult time for you. This is why they strive to provide the necessary resources available to help you match the unique needs of your child with a particular therapeutic facility for troubled teenagers or young women in Camas, WA; that would best benefit them. Provided is a list of articles providing help to you during this difficult time, as well as suggested questions for you to consider before making a final placement selection.