When A Therapeutic Approach Doesn’t Help Your Boy, Consider Residential Treatment

When_A_Therapeutic_Approach_Doesn_t_Help_Your_Boy_Consider_Residential_Treatment

Belligerent. Disrespectful. Undisciplined. Defiant. Aggressive. Destructive. All these words and more often describe troubled teen boys who are dealing with a range of emotional, behavioral and mental health issues. For parents of troubled teen boys, getting them the help they need is the first and most important step. Many parents think that if their son would just “talk to someone” that the problems would go away.

However, there are times when a therapeutic approach alone doesn’t provide the necessary structure and discipline that troubled teen boys need to overcome the challenges they face. That’s when parents needs to consider residential treatment programs.

The Problem With Day Therapy

Most parents and teens who are just beginning the process of getting a troubled boy back on track may seek recommendations from doctors, school counselors and other experts to have the teen attend therapy sessions for a while. These therapy sessions usually take place a few times per week, with a licensed, experienced professional. While the therapist is doing the best they can with the limited time available, sometimes day therapy is not enough.

When a troubled teen boy is in real trouble, a few hours of counseling per week is often not enough to counteract the overwhelming negative influences elsewhere, such as at school, with peers, and even a troubled home life. Parents who are helping their teen with day therapy sessions, but are no noticing much of a difference or even witnessing worse behavior, should consider residential treatment.

What is Residential Treatment?

Residential treatment is an umbrella term for on-site teen help programs such as therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, wilderness camps, working ranches and other similar facilities and programs. These residential treatment programs are found in nearly every state and are specifically designed to feed, house, educate and treat troubled youth.

Residential treatment programs for teens provide a structured, safe place for teens to get out of their current environment with all its negative effects, and start again surrounded by staff and peers who understand what is going on and how best to help the troubled teens. Residential programs for troubled youth focus on a number of things, such as setting and achieving goals, getting consistent counseling, taking on responsibilities, keeping up in school and contributing to the program via chores and other work. While it is difficult for parents to consider placing their troubled teen sons in a residential program, it’s often the best decision for everyone involved.

What are Residential Treatment Programs Like?

Residential treatment programs like therapeutic boarding schools are designed to help troubled teens get the professional help they need. Most programs focus on three areas: Therapy, academics and social/recreation.

Therapy: Residential treatment facilities employ licensed and professional therapists, counselors and advisors who work with troubled teens via individual and group therapy sessions several times per week. Often, family therapy sessions are included. The intense therapy helps the teens get help in overcoming a range of issues and learn new coping skills on how to deal with their problems. Typical teen struggles may include depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, bipolar, low self-esteem, abuse trauma, oppositional defiant disorder, adoption or abandonment issues, substance abuse and more. Once teens get to the root of the problem they are better able to move forward.

Academic: Residential programs have a special emphasis on getting troubled teens back into a school atmosphere and maintain academic progress. Licensed teachers in small classrooms give teen boys the chance to catch up to their grade level, often with special academic plans, tutoring sessions and more. The emphasis on academics can even extend to college prep courses or vocational/technical training in some facilities.

Recreational/Social: Many residential programs offer lots of things to do for troubled teens. From equine therapy and farm work to sports leagues, extracurricular clubs and recreational therapy, teens can set and achieve goals, build self-esteem, develop new hobbies, form healthy relationships with peers and learn more about living life in a positive and healthy way.

No matter what a troubled teen boy’s particular challenges in life are, there’s a residential program that is perfect for him to work out his emotional, behavioral and mental health issues. Parents who are frustrated at the lack of results with traditional day therapy should seriously consider residential programs for troubled youth and see how their troubled teen boy’s life turns around for the better.

Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

Written by Natalie

10 Jun, 2015

Recent Posts

Set Aside Differences With Your Ex for Your Teen’s Sake

Set Aside Differences With Your Ex for Your Teen’s Sake

Whether your divorce took you by surprise, or it is the fresh start you've needed, it is going to have an impact on every member of your family. Children and teenagers can often bear the brunt of the emotional turmoil surrounding significant changes to the family...

Does Your Troubled Teens Addiction Run in the Family?

Does Your Troubled Teens Addiction Run in the Family?

Did you get your eye color from your mother? Perhaps your hair and nose hail from your father’s side of the family? So many of our physical traits and behaviors can be due to our genetics. For some, there may be an increased propensity for addictive behaviors if there...

Recognizing if Cyberbullying is Happening Over Zoom Classes

Recognizing if Cyberbullying is Happening Over Zoom Classes

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Zoom.com has quickly risen to become the go-to choice for businesses and schools to hold meetings and classes. As parents, we worry so much about our teens being bullied when they are in school. It’s easy to think that the bullying would...

Teenagers Dealing With Mental Health Issues

Teenagers Dealing With Mental Health Issues

This piece is to help parents help their children,a lot of teenagers are struggling with mental health issues and would love to know you're there for them,even if they don't act like it Subtopics; •Common mental health issues teens face •How to know if your child is...

Signs Your Teen May Be Going Through Drug Problems

Signs Your Teen May Be Going Through Drug Problems

All teenagers are going to act out and have mood swings. With the changing hormones of adolescence, the occasional outburst is normal. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore warning signs that may indicate a deeper issue with your troubled teen. While most mood...

A Year of COVID and Checking Up on Your Teenager

A Year of COVID and Checking Up on Your Teenager

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has harshly impacted our way of life, relationships, and mental health. We’re working differently, we’re living differently, and we’re spending time with family and friends differently. But the pandemic has not just taken a...

You May Also Like…

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *