You’ve reached a breaking point with your son. A new crisis seems to arise each day, making your household feel more like a battleground than a home. It’s time to reach out for help by enrolling him in a residential treatment center for troubled teens.

There are so many programs, it can be hard to decide which therapeutic boarding school is best for your child. Choosing wisely starts with finding a program that shares your goals. Parents of struggling teens generally want them to:

• Acquire healthier habits
• Develop positive thought patterns
• Improve their academic standing
• Learn to manage their emotions
• Overcome mental or emotional issues holding them back
• Stop addictive behavior

It’s a tall order, but these goals are achievable. Help Your Teen Now is an advocacy group dedicated to helping families find the best placement for their troubled teens and navigate logistics like funding. As parents as well as professionals, their advice is always free.

Whether you reach out for guidance or go it alone, it’s important to know what features are important in a residential treatment center for troubled teens.

Your Teen Needs A School That Provides Intensive Therapy

If traditional therapy and even medication hasn’t helped, your struggling adolescent obviously needs more support. Make sure you choose a school with a strong therapeutic component. One such program is Liahona Academy, a residential treatment center for troubled teen boys.

Your son will receive weekly individual therapy and and attend group therapy multiple times a week. You’ll also join him in family therapy, so everyone in your household can develop healthier communication patterns.

Rather than just trying to modify your son’s behavior, the therapeutic team at Liahona will work with your son to help him discover the why behind his destructive behavior. Through therapy, students learn to identify triggers that can set them off and set them back; acquire coping skills; and learn to set and work toward goals. Meanwhile, your son will be gaining practice in maintaining meaningful and respectful relationships.

Your Son’s School Should Have A Strong Academic Program

Your teen may be so mired in problems that you can hardly believe he’ll make it through adolescence unscathed, let alone go on to become a successful life. life. The school you choose, however, should have a broader vision for your child.

Liahona Academy is a fully accredited school, staffed with licensed teachers and certified tutors. Each student receives support at the pace they need to move forward in their education. Basic coursework is enriched by art, music and literature. The end goal is not for your son to scrape by with a GED, but to earn his high school diploma with his peers. He can then head towards post-graduation goals like college.

Your Son’s School Should Provide Structure And Balance

Teens are notorious for erratic habits. Too many late nights can put your son in a sleep deficit, exacerbating mental or emotional issues and causing problems with focus. Teens in today’s digital age also often let their screen-time outpace time spent in physical activity. This leaves them with pent-up energy they release in counterproductive ways. Add to this lifestyle an unhealthy diet and potential substance abuse and you have a recipe for imbalance.

At Liahona Academy, we believe firmly in the mind-body connection. Students get well-rounded, healthy meals and education in nutrition as well as fitness. Daily physical activity like running and participating in organized sports is augmented by active excursions—hiking, swimming, horseback riding and more—often in scenic Zion National park.

Your Son Needs A School That Will Treat Him With Respect

Some programs aimed at troubled teens believe students can be wrangled into good behavior through military-style discipline. This authoritarian attitude does little to help a boy facing serious mental or emotional challenges. It can also prompt further rebellion in a boy who has problems anger and authority figures.

At Liahona Treatment Center, we’re convinced troubled teens benefit most from a perfect balance between love and discipline. Parents can heave a sigh of relief knowing that their son will be treated with care as he works to make positive changes in his life. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.