Wilderness Therapy Programs for Troubled Teens in San Bernardino, CA
Within the last few decades, America (including San Bernardino, CA) 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 San Bernardino, CA 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 San Bernardino, CA 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 San Bernardino, CA area
For moms and dads from San Bernardino, CA 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 San Bernardino, CA area, including:
- attachment disorders
- attention deficit
- eating disorders
- anxiety, depression
- self-destructive or antisocial behavior behavior
- adoption-related issues
We lead troubled girls from San Bernardino, CA 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 Direction in San Bernardino, CA for Troubled Teenagers
Many families from San Bernardino, CA who are searching for direction, have made Elk Mountain Academy their first choice for their at-risk child who may be undergoing alcohol dependence, peer conflict, or ADD/ADHD (attentional disorder) related trials. Here at Elk Mountain, our counselors understand the common issues that at-risk adolescent girls from San Bernardino, CA are faced with every day; and we provide direction to our teen 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 rehabilitation that lasts a lifetime.
EMA’s counselors and field staff discourage judgments and labels, and never allow a diagnosis to interfere with what at-risk teens have in common with each other - their humanity. We have provided support to numerous families from all over the nation, including those from San Bernardino, CA; Our licensed counselors provide a variety of relevant residential treatment strategies (equine, life training, behavioral therapy); helping students toward the path of rehabilitation for teens battling drug abuse/addiction (including marijuana), ADD/ADHD (attentional disorder), or anger related obstacles.
Elk Mountain has transformed the lives of countless at-risk adolescent girls over the years, including many from San Bernardino, CA. Our approach has improved the lives of our at-risk teen students, and their families. We see that troubled teens can grow to be healthy adults with a desire to succeed! Elk Mountain understands that in order for our at-risk teen students to experience real rehabilitation, the entire family needs to be part of the life skills development and experiential education direction that our counselors provide. Our admissions specialists can be reached immediately at (208) 266-1122.
Additional Partnerships in San Bernardino, CA
NATSAP FOR PARENTS: NATSAP is a volunteer membership organization who supports therapists and programs in San Bernardino, CA with their efforts to help troubled adolescent girls 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 deliver the necessary resources available to help you match the unique needs of your child with a particular treatment center for struggling youth or young women in San Bernardino, CA; that would best benefit them. Provided is a list of articles offering support to you during this difficult time, as well as suggested questions for you to consider before making a final placement selection.