Parents can often feel frustrated—and a little hopeless—when therapy “fails” to help correct the issues their teenage sons are experiencing. However, there can be a number of reasons why traditional talk therapy hasn’t been able to help troubled teen boys break out of their poor behaviors.
For one thing, a therapy session is once a week for about an hour. The rest of the time, your son has to continue to interact with the environment that likely triggered the troubling behaviors. From dealing with negative peer pressure to struggles with siblings and other family members, it can be difficult for troubled teens to succeed in their therapeutic efforts.
By attending a therapeutic boarding school, your teen has space and help to make invaluable mental, emotional, and behavioral changes that wouldn’t be possible with regular therapy.
Therapeutic Boarding Schools Provides Immersive Therapy
Attending a therapeutic boarding school is a 24/7 time commitment. Students eat, sleep, attend therapy, classes, and play while going through a therapeutic boarding school program. This complete immersion is a significant part of the success seen at therapeutic boarding schools.
For instance, if your teen has been struggling with anger management, having therapy even once a week may not be enough to make a real impact on their behavior. Often, when it comes to behavioral disorders, having immersive therapy can make a significant impact. At a therapeutic boarding school, your teen will be able to work one-on-one with a therapist, as well as participating in daily group therapy.
Along with help from their therapist and other boys in their therapy group, your teen will also receive support from the rest of the staff, from the direct care staff to the teachers. As this environment has been curated to be as supportive and therapeutic as possible, these resources can significantly support your teen as he makes these critical changes to his behavior.
Change In Environment Can Make Measurable Differences
Another reason why therapeutic boarding schools help teens make changes that therapy alone wasn’t enough to trigger. Instead, the complete change in the environment can make a real impact on your teen. Even if your home is a safe, nurturing space, your teenage son likely spends most of his time outside of the house, whether at school or with friends. In those environments, your son’s therapy may not be enough to help him change.
For example, say your son has been spending the majority of his time with other troubled teens who are on the fringe. Going to therapy once a week will have little impact if he spends most of his time with friends that will egg him on to engage in illicit—and potentially illegal—behavior.
Instead, your son will spend his time with other boys who are working on making positive changes in their life, all under the guidance of therapists, direct care staff, and other adults who encourage their charges to make the best choices. In this more supportive environment, your teen can feel safe enough to make the changes they need to make to get back on the right track.
Skills And Academic Learning Is Based In Therapeutic Practices
To help give your son something to focus on outside of therapy, therapeutic boarding schools also have robust educational programs and skill-based learning incorporated. For one thing, as many troubled teens enter therapeutic boarding schools with poor grades, having a more supportive schooling environment can make a huge impact on your teen’s academic performance.
Also, therapeutic boarding schools for troubled teens will often have leadership programs, life skill classes on subjects like culinary arts, and other necessary skills. As many struggling teens have missed these lessons, these teens can learn them as they discover who they really want to be in the future.
Also, while some therapeutic boarding schools don’t offer accredited programs, here at Sundance Canyon Academy, your son will receive a nationally-accredited education. His instructors will be state-licensed teachers, and the classes will be paced to help your son succeed.
Teen Boys Can Thrive At Sundance Canyon Academy
If you are interested in what we have talked about concerning our therapeutic program here at Sundance Canyon Academy and would like to learn more, please contact us.
One of our program advisors will be happy to speak to you and will help you learn everything you need to know about therapeutic boarding schools and how we can help your son.