When your teen isn’t succeeding in traditional schools and is causing your family home life to be unbearable, you may feel as if there is nowhere to turn. Teens who need professional counseling and long-term therapy may do best in a Christian ranch setting. In more ways than one, you can help your teen find themselves at a Christian ranch that share your values and can teach your teen how to regain control of his life.

Does My Teen Need a Christian Ranch?

When you are struggling with a troubled teen whose behavior is more than just a typical adolescent rebellion, it can be a frustrating, confusing time. Many teens exhibit bad behavior as a result of some underlying issues that can only be remedied by professional counseling. At these long-term residential treatment facilities like Christian ranches, teens live in a structured environment where they learn to work, go to class and contribute to the community.

Many Christian ranches have excellent success rates in helping teens with a number of issues like ADD, ADHD, depression, bipolar, anxiety, substance abuse, low self-esteem, abuse trauma and more. If your teen has been formally diagnosed with an emotional, mental or behavioral issue, he may be a good candidate for a Christian ranch program that offers academic, therapy and recreation components as part of its program.

What Exactly is a Christian Ranch?

There are plenty of teen help programs out there, such as therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, wilderness camps, boot camps, and working ranches. Ranch programs with a Christian emphasis may be particularly attractive to you as a solution if your household is devout and you want a program that will incorporate Christian teachings and activities. All good teen help programs should have academic, therapeutic and social aspects to it. A Christian ranch simply adds religious instruction and resources to that program.

Christian ranches may include devotionals, scripture reading, mandatory church attendance, and even opportunities for students to deepen their own spirituality. Other Christian ranches may provide these aspects as optional for students to participate in. You will have to do your research on any Christian ranches that you are considering for your teen to ensure that it does match your values.

How Do I Find a Good Christian Ranch Program?

Not all Christian ranch teen help programs are alike. Depending on the location, length of time in operation and the program philosophies, some programs may not appeal to you while others seem to be just right. Here are 5 things to look for when choosing a good Christian ranch program that matches your values:

1. Check Out The Staff: Just because a program is advertising itself as a Christian program doesn’t mean they have a unique way to help teens. Every teen help program should have licensed, experienced therapists, counselors, social workers and others who know how to help troubled teens. Untrained or self-trained therapists cannot provide the long-lasting healing that troubled teens need.
2. Examine the Location: Many states have strict laws about teen help facilities and set very high standards for marketing, management, maintenance and operations. Other states have few laws and regulations. Make sure that the Christian ranches you are considering are located in states with strict laws and ensure that they meet or exceed those requirements.
3. Research the Program: A good Christian ranch teen help program should have plenty of testimonials and recommendations from parents and teens who have gone through the program. Christian ranches that are brand new or don’t have many references can’t really be proven successful or not and you run the risk of putting your teen in a program that simply doesn’t work.
4. Identify the Cost: Running teen help programs isn’t cheap, and most programs charge tuition. Make sure your chosen program’s tuition is comparable to similar programs and that you know exactly what is covered. Ask about any hidden fees, application costs and other surprise charges before enrolling.
5. Interview the Directors: You are entrusting your teen to strangers, albeit well-meaning ones. You should interview the directors and others who will be working with your teen to ensure that you understand the treatment process and that their values and goals align with you and your teen.

Troubled teens from across the country have turned their lives around thanks to Christian ranches and other teen help programs. Parents who do the research on such programs will have peace of mind when it is time to turn their troubled teens over to the experts.