Behavioral programs are among the most effective methods of treatment for common teenage problems. Many young people struggling with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, 
addiction and other mental illnesses find great success in residential treatment programs.
Teens are often resistant to traditional talk therapy, and consequently gain little benefit from these approaches. Behavioral programs can be successful at helping teens with their issues by approaching therapy from a different perspective. Following are a few of the most promising methods of treating older children, tweens and teenagers.
Experiential Therapy
Based on the concept of encouraging people to learn through actions and activities, experiential therapy is used to give teens the opportunity to experience success and take responsibility for their actions.
Several specific types of experiential therapy can help young people overcome their problems. Through equine therapy, teens have the opportunity to work with professionally trained horses, an approach that has been shown to be particularly effective. Young people, particularly girls and young women, feel a connection with the animals. Most find this work relaxing, which enables them to open up to therapists.
Other forms of experiential therapy, including meditation, expressive arts therapy, recreational therapy and music therapy, can also be beneficial for this population. These types of behavioral programs are designed to allow patients to learn from their experiences without focusing on the idea of treatment.
Group Therapy
One common sentiment of teens, regardless of whether they are battling mental illness, substance abuse or an eating disorder, is that they are alone in their suffering. Group therapy is one of the behavioral programs that can best address this issue.
Sitting among a small group of peers who are dealing with the same condition or disorder, and talking through the difficulties with a therapist’s guidance, is a highly effective way for teens to approach their problems and find solutions. Participating in a therapy group allows teens to improve their social skills, gain a perspective of their issues and discover new ways to cope. They can also form close bonds that open them up to the transformative powers of trust.
Residential Therapy
Some troubled teens need a more focused type of long-term support. Residential treatment centers that combine education, therapy and other behavioral programs provide teens with the support they need to overcome their challenges.
Residential therapy typically treats teens for an extended period of time, removing them temporarily from the environment that gave rise to their problems.
Teens who are dealing with serious issues, and especially those who have returned to old behaviors after trying traditional therapy, benefit significantly from the residential treatment center environment. This setting allows teens to build bonds with peers and therapists, and ultimately, to learn to change and control their own behavior patterns and accomplish their treatment goals.
Behavioral therapy programs have a common objective: to change detrimental or unwanted behaviors by identifying and changing distorted thinking patterns. At Havenwood Academy, we offer a variety of programs designed to help girls and young women learn to work through their problems. Through this intense level of focus, they learn to identify their own solutions.
At Havenwood, girls find hope and peace, and get back on the road to a healthy, happy life. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of our behavioral programs.
Think Havenwood Might Be For You?
We encourage any visitors considering placing their daughter in treatment to fill out our online assessment as soon as possible. This two minute form will give our admissions team all the information needed to determine if your daughter is a good fit for our program.
Eric Allred was born and raised in Rigby, Idaho. He grew up on a family farm where he learned the value of work. He graduated from Rigby High School and attended Rick’s College, now known as BYU-Idaho. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Utah State University, received a master’s degree in organizational behavior and human relations from the University of Phoenix and a second master’s degree in marital and family therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute. Eric has been involved in Rotary and was president of a local Rotary Club. He enjoys being with his family and doing outdoor activities such as fly fishing.
Chase was very fortunate to start in this industry as a struggling 17 year old kid looking for a mentor and something to be passionate about. Wilderness therapy was Chase’s first stop in this industry and was truly a transcendental experience for him. Chase has an enormous love for this line of work and the power that it has in creating change in everyone involved. Chase’s biggest belief is the power a mentor, strong, healthy relationships, and accountability can have on anyone, especially youth. Taking a very relational approach to his work, Chase has always been very relatable to the students he works with. Being able to understand and relate to a vast variety of the same struggles as a lot of the students he works with has been able to help him continue to grow, learn, and teach. Chase believes that with great rapport and trust, he can use his experience to continue to coach and train new staff, and has the ability to find those staff with the passion for this industry, and help them grow. His love and passion can be felt the moment you talk with Chase about this industry and he passes that on to others he works with. In his spare time you will find Chase cheering for the Eagles, Yankees, and Mavericks, hanging out with his brother, learning more about Eastern Psychology, and continuing to grow and learn.