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.