• Residential Treatment Program for Teens 14-18

Residential Treatment Centers

The Benefits of Residential Life for Teen Girls
  • Jane Peterson
  • No Comments

Embracing Growth and Empowerment: The Benefits of Residential Life for Teen Girls

Embracing Growth and Empowerment: The Benefits of Residential Life for Teen Girls 1200 800 Jane Peterson

The Benefits of Residential Life for Teen GirlsSolstice West is proud to be a beacon of hope for families seeking care and support for their teens. As a leading residential treatment center, we understand the unique challenges that adolescent girls face in today’s fast-paced and demanding world. Through our family-systems-focused approach, we have witnessed firsthand the many benefits of living in a nurturing, clinical-sophisticated environment. In this blog, we will explore our program’s profound impact on the lives of these young individuals and how it empowers them to thrive personally, academically, and emotionally.

1. Therapeutic Environment

One of the critical advantages of residential life for teens is creating a structured and therapeutic environment. At Solstice, we provide a safe and supportive community where each person can feel heard, valued, and understood. Our team of licensed professionals, including therapists, counselors, and educators, is dedicated to guiding and supporting families throughout their journey. This environment fosters trust, allowing the teens to explore their emotions, build resilience, and develop healthier coping mechanisms.

2. Individualized Treatment Plans

Every student joining our program has unique strengths, struggles, and aspirations. Our residential program allows us to tailor individualized treatment plans to address each teen’s specific needs in every area of life. Through therapy sessions and interventions personalized to complement their treatment history and unique needs, we help them overcome challenges and develop positive behavioral patterns. Here, they are empowered to make healthy life decisions and choices.

3. 24/7 Support and Supervision

Adolescence can be a tumultuous period for teens; some may require constant support and supervision. At Solstice, we offer round-the-clock care, ensuring our residents can access guidance whenever needed. This continuous support empowers each individual in our community to build trust and open up, creating deeper connections with peers and staff.

4. Academic Excellence

Residential life at Solstice focuses on therapeutic growth and prioritizes academic excellence. We provide a strengths-focused learning environment that encourages academic progress and development. Our accredited educational program ensures that each student can continue their education without interruption—often excelling far beyond their expectations. At Solstice, student’s have personalized attention to help them reach their full academic potential.

5. Peer Support and Social Development

Being surrounded by peers going through similar challenges can be immensely beneficial for teenagers. Our residential community encourages peer support, fostering strong bonds and friendships. Engaging in group activities, sharing experiences, and celebrating achievements promotes social development and enhances self-esteem.

6. Life Skills and Independence

Preparing teens for a successful transition to adulthood is a crucial aspect of our residential program. We focus on developing essential life skills that will serve them well beyond their time with us. These skills include effective communication, decision-making, time management, and self-care, empowering them to navigate life’s challenges confidently and independently.

Residential life at Solstice offers teenagers a unique opportunity to heal, grow, and rediscover their strengths. By providing a nurturing environment that allows them to step up to their challenges with staff support, individualized therapeutic plans, and comprehensive life skills training, we empower these young individuals to embrace their potential and lead fulfilling lives. Our commitment to their holistic development ensures they leave our program with newfound resilience, confidence, and the skills needed to thrive in all aspects of life.

If you are a parent or guardian seeking a transformative experience for your struggling teen, we invite you to explore the benefits of residential life at Solstice.

Need more than your local therapist can offer? Contact Our Admissions Team

 

mental health days
  • The Solstice Team
  • No Comments

Should High Schoolers Have Mental Health Days in School?

Should High Schoolers Have Mental Health Days in School? 2560 1943 The Solstice Team

High schoolers face a lot of stress outside the classroom that can impact their ability to stay present in class. Mental health issues among teens have skyrocketed in the past decade. While doctor’s appointments are considered excused absences, mental health is not treated the same as physical health in the school system. High schoolers are encouraged to take sick days to rest and catch up on schoolwork from home, but taking a mental health day to take care of themselves and mentally prepare to focus more on assignments is often considered school refusal. Some public schools have proposed that high schoolers should be allowed to take up to five mental health days off per semester to improve academic performance. 

What are Mental Health days?

While school-related stress affects the mental health of 61.5 percent of students, only 26.1 percent of them have ever taken a mental health day. The intention behind allowing for mental health days is that teens who leave school for therapy appointments, teens who have a panic attack in the morning and show up late, and teens who have experienced significant loss or trauma that need time to grieve will have excused absences. The goal is to bridge the gap between how we treat physical and mental health. Taking a mental health day from school is a chance for teens to reset their nervous system and get out of fight-or-flight mode. It’s a break from the everyday stress of tests, deadlines, and social pressures. Plus, it provides time for rest, reflection, and recharging. 

Many parents are concerned that missing classes will mean that their teen will get behind in school, reinforcing their low self-esteem and lack of motivation. Teaching children to work hard, show dedication, and always do their best is important. However, it is equally important to teach them how to listen to themselves, slow down, and recognize when they are not getting their needs met. Allowing them to take a break when overwhelmed can save them from spiraling deeper into depression. 

Teen mental health days bring awareness to the challenges that today’s adolescents face and foster open dialogue about this issue. As a result, the concept of taking a mental health day from school has the potential to reduce the stigma around mental illness.

How do Residential Treatment Centers Encourage Mental Health Days?

Academic programming at residential treatment centers is designed to integrate mental health education and awareness into the classroom. Qualified teachers are trained to identify signs that students are struggling and offer accommodations to better support their learning. Teachers understand that sometimes students will have therapy appointments during class or that they may need to step into the hallway when they are feeling overwhelmed and work with students to ensure that they stay caught up.

Our attitude is that mental health should be prioritized. We understand that many students who have struggled with mental health issues have had negative experiences at school, problems with attendance, and difficulty planning for their futures.  Our accredited academic program prepares students for college by emphasizing experiential learning and study skills that motivate students to be enthusiastic about what they learn. Regardless of their academic performance, students struggle to feel accomplished when their mental health is compromised. 

Ways to Integrate Mental Health Education into Academics

  • Offer creative electives. Visual art, music, and journaling are beneficial activities for processing emotions and tapping into creativity. Electives are graded based on investment rather than the quality of performance, which allows students to explore topics they find interesting without feeling as much academic pressure. 
  • Spend time in nature. Teens spend a large chunk of their day in indoor classrooms, which can contribute to restlessness and low energy. Teachers often suggest holding class outdoors, as spending time in nature is proven to lower the stress hormone cortisol. As a result, stress, depression, and anxiety levels go down.
  • Cultivate authentic connections. Supportive, caring relationships are essential for adolescents. In small class sizes, teens have the opportunity to speak up in class and feel a sense of community with their peers. Teachers make an effort to build close relationships with students outside the classroom by offering additional academic support and college counseling. Teachers become invested in teens’ therapeutic growth by working closely with the clinical team to understand students’ needs in the classroom.
  • Block schedules.  As a year-round schedule with five quarters, students have the opportunity to catch up on credits, get ahead, or integrate more electives into their schedules. Classes meet for half days to make room for group therapy, therapy appointments, and study halls to help students work on their personal and academic goals. As classes meet four days a week, students have Fridays off to participate in recreational activities in the community.

Solstice RTC Can Help

Solstice West is a residential treatment program for young girls and assigned female at birth ages 14-18 who struggle with issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and/or relationship struggles. This program provides three types of therapy: individual, group, and family therapy to allow girls and assigned female at birth to explore themselves in a variety of ways. Through groups on various topics, girls and assigned female at birth learn to become more aware of their emotions and to express them appropriately to others. Students will leave with the skills they need to transition into the world feeling confident, happy, and able to manage their emotions.

For more information, call 866-278-3345. We can help your family today!

residential treatment center for girls
  • The Solstice Team
  • No Comments

Why Send Your Child to a Residential Treatment Center for Girls?

Why Send Your Child to a Residential Treatment Center for Girls? 2560 1829 The Solstice Team

We’ve all heard horror stories. Military-style boot camps. “Scared Straight” programs. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. In reality, a residential treatment center for girls and assigned female at birth is an environment specifically geared toward giving your child a safe space. Growing up is never easy, but with the aid of caring professionals, your child can work through their issues. 

Benefits of a Residential Treatment Center for Girls

An RTC like this offers many ways in which to guide your child back on track. The most common reasons for considering a residential treatment include:

  • Helping your daughter’s problems. Outward behavior often reflects inner turmoil. For instance – it is easy to write school refusal off as stubbornness. However, chances are, there’s an underlying cause. A residential treatment center for girls and assigned female at birth specializes in identifying and confronting these problems.
  • Treatment for mental illness. Puberty is especially difficult for those struggling with a mental disorder. With dedicated mental health professionals, if your child struggles with such a condition, on-staff psychiatrists will help them learn that they are not defined by their illness.
  • Building family relationships. These facilities focus on teaching your child how to bond with the rest of the family. After all, the goal is to make your child better equipped to encounter the world – by strengthening their ties to the ones close to her, they will be ready for anything to come.
  • Getting back the child you love. Sometimes, seemingly overnight, the child you know turns into a complete stranger. No matter how hard you try, everything sets them off – and you watch them slip into dangerous, reckless behaviors. The right care and attention will guide your child along a path back toward success.

Consider Solstice

Solstice is a residential treatment center for teen girls and assigned female at birth ages 14-18 struggling with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Solstice can help your child reach their fullest potential while simultaneously developing healthy relationship habits at the same time.

For more information about Solstice, please call (866) 278-3345 today!

benefit from residential treatment
  • The Solstice Team
  • No Comments

Top 5 Reasons Teens Benefit from RTCs

Top 5 Reasons Teens Benefit from RTCs 2560 1848 The Solstice Team

Adolescence is a challenging time for most teens. Their bodies and hormones are rapidly changing, and even their brains are going through new development. There is also the additional challenge of changing social dynamics as friendships begin to hold more importance than family relationships. Young women are beginning to figure out who they are as individuals as they discover new interests. Because of all these changes, many teens can feel like the ground is constantly shifting underneath their feet, and find themselves struggling to keep their balance.  Teens can benefit from residential treatment in surprising ways.

Changes and challenges are normal during adolescence, but there may be times when young women and assigned females at birth face particularly difficult struggles. In these situations, If your child has been struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, or learning differences, it may be beneficial to look into enrolling in a residential treatment center (RTC). 

Why Enroll in an RTC? 

Residential treatment centers for teens are typically a good fit for young women and assigned females at birth who have already pursued some sort of outpatient therapy and have achieved limited success. One of the difficult things about outpatient therapy, especially for teens, is getting engaged in the therapeutic process. If a teen doesn’t want to attend outpatient therapy, they may skip appointments or be purposefully late. Or if a teen doesn’t feel like sharing, their therapist may be left in the dark. With residential treatment, that isn’t an option. Therapists are on-site with their students and are kept up to date about how each of them is doing day-to-day. Long-term residential treatment programs are often more successful than outpatient therapy or brief hospital stays as teens have more opportunities to apply the skills they’ve learned and internalize these changes. The skills that they develop while enrolled in an RTC are practiced daily with peers and staff trained to support them on their treatment path. 

Residential treatment centers not only benefit teens, but it can also help their families. Because teens will likely return to the home environment after treatment, it is important to involve family members so that old patterns and behaviors can be addressed. Additionally, family dynamics can be worked on in family therapy sessions. This type of family involvement results in better outcomes for the teen in the long term. Using an interdisciplinary treatment team, Solstice offers a holistic and comprehensive program for therapy and overall care. With each student’s primary therapist leading the treatment team, we incorporate all the professionals that serve each student to provide an unmatched combined treatment approach, all within the context of our relationship-focused therapeutic approach.     

Through this relationship-based work in family therapy, we are able to restore families to healthy, trusting relationships. Solstice’s family focus helps our teens heal more quickly, and this healing extends to all family members. Families have weekly distance therapy sessions as well as quarterly on-campus family seminars.

Finding the Right RTC for Your Teen

Girls and assigned females at birth can benefit in any number of ways from a residential treatment center like Solstice. When looking for an RTC that is a good fit for your child there are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Removal from a Toxic Environment. Negative peers, easy availability of drugs or alcohol, stress at home or school, bullying, and other forms of mental and physical abuse negatively impact teens’ healthy development. RTCs provide a safe, supportive environment where your teen is distanced from stressors and negative influences. This gives them the chance to focus on the underlying issues they’ve been struggling with, which go beyond the behavioral problems they may have been experiencing. The structure of a new routine helps teens find stability and discover their personal motivation to make changes in their lives.
  2. Providing Valuable Resources. Caring, expert staff have experience dealing with the unique needs of troubled teens. Through individual, group, and family therapy, staff provides education about coping skills, thinking patterns, and changing personal habits for both teens and their families. Long-term success depends on strengthening your child’s support system at home, not just in the program.
  3. Connecting with Peers. Teens identify with other teens. RTCs provide a supportive community where your teen connects with others going through similar experiences. These connections create a unique support network with a focus on recovery. At Solstice, we believe that relationships are at the core of everything we do. The positive influence of peers can promote a powerful and sustainable change when combined with the intentional application of other therapeutic interventions.
  4. Teaching Transferable Skills. If your child cannot take the skills they’ve learned in the program back home, what use are they? A residential treatment center should strive to help your child build life-long coping skills that will continue to help them when they exit the program. Quality residential treatment centers for teens provide varied opportunities, such as adventure therapy, to learn and shift perspectives. When these experiences are integrated with individual therapy, your teen develops positive qualities like self-confidence, emotional resilience, and effective communication skills.
  5. Continuing Academic Progress. Many parents fear that their daughter’s education will be put on hold if they decide to enroll their in a treatment program. Teachers at Solstice work closely with the entire treatment team (parents, educational consultants, therapists, future school) in order to complete an individualized academic plan that will make certain a transition plan to the next school or post-secondary institution. With an accredited year-round academic program, girls and assigned female at birth are able to earn, catch up on, or get ahead of high school credits. The core classes offered are aligned with the state curriculum.

With many choices for treatment for your child, it is important to research your options to help you find a program with a mission statement and treatment plan that best suits your teen and your family. As a leading residential treatment center for teens, Solstice is known for our compassionate and relationship-based therapeutic approach. We believe that teens heal best in the context of healthy relationships, so we have created a safe and nurturing space for our students to do so.

The Benefit From Residential Treatment for Teen Girls

A residential treatment center for teens can help struggling teens by providing an increased level of support from what is available in the home environment. This typically includes individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy throughout the week. RTCs for teens also have some sort of academic programming available. The types of therapies and academic options vary from one RTC to another, depending on the individual needs of the students served.

RTCs are considered “residential” as students live on-site while they are receiving therapeutic support.  At Solstice, the close-knit environment created by the milieu on campus encourages life-long friendships and positive growth. Milieu therapy is an experiential therapeutic approach that utilizes the residential environment of our program to better understand how to help your child approach and overcome their challenges. At Solstice, milieu therapy is carried out by observing your child’s behaviors and emotions throughout the day, within a variety of different settings. Milieu therapy provides an invaluable “in the moment” understanding of your child’s challenges, unique from traditional talk therapy. The length of time that a teen is at a residential treatment center varies greatly and depends on their individual goals as well as the RTC they are enrolled. 

Guided by our relationship-based approach, the therapists understand the clinical value of spending time with the students beyond the walls of the therapist’s office. The ability to build rapport outside of the office setting is critical to the development of a therapeutic alliance, which is necessary in the healing process. Therapists often participate in outings, camping trips, recreation activities, and mealtime with students. Participation in these and other activities outside of the therapy office results in deeper, more trusting relationships, thereby facilitating a more effective therapeutic impact.

Solstice RTC Can Help

Solstice West is a residential treatment center for young girls and assigned females at birth ages 14-18 who struggle with issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and/or relationship struggles. This comprehensive program provides three types of therapy: individual, group, and family therapy to allow girls and assigned females at birth to explore themselves in a variety of ways. Solstice is dedicated to teaching teens how to incorporate healthy habits into their lives. 

Our goal is to equip them with the tools needed to lead happy, successful lives. We provide a nurturing and welcoming environment for teenage students and help them recognize that they are on the cusp of something wonderful: the chance to heal from their past and become the best version of themselves. Students will leave with the skills they need to transition into the world feeling confident, happy, and able to manage their emotions.

For more information about how your child might benefit from residential treatment center, call 866-278-3345. We can help your family today!

mental health crisis
  • The Solstice Team
  • No Comments

Transitioning Back to School Environment After Mental Health Crisis

Transitioning Back to School Environment After Mental Health Crisis 2560 1706 The Solstice Team

As many as one in five children need help with a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression. These students often have trouble processing information or focusing, which can contribute to a cycle of increased anxiety, dropping grades and missed school. One study found that nearly 80 percent of students failed to receive the mental health care they needed, and more than 50 percent of students ages 14 and older with emotional and behavioral issues drop out of school. Attending a residential treatment center with an accredited academic program can help teens integrate back into a school environment after a mental health crisis.

Fears About Returning to School

It is hard to meet academic expectations when you’re going through a lot outside of school. Added school stress can lead to teens shutting down when they are overwhelmed. Teens struggling with a mental health crisis are more likely to have attendance issues than their peers. 

Whether they’ve had to miss school for therapy appointments or hospitalizations or have had trouble motivating themselves to get out of bed on time, teens are often more worried about being judged by their peers than the amount of makeup work they may have to do. They may not know how to explain to others why they’ve been absent or how to ask teachers for help. Often, teachers struggle to accommodate students who are behind in class as they teach too many students to offer individualized attention. 

For many teenagers, a toxic school environment is one of their biggest stressors–if they’ve been bullied by their peers, if their school friends experiment with substances at school, or if they are struggling with untreated learning differences. Going back to the same school may not be the best option for them, especially if they’ve missed enough school that they may have to repeat classes or be held back a year. 

Integrated Academics and Mental Health Treatment

Many of the families that we work with choose Solstice RTC for its accredited academic program that allows their child to remain in a classroom environment while receiving mental health treatment. As mental health and academic success often clash, we believe it is important to address struggles in both areas. 

The academic program at Solstice boasts 4 general education teachers, a special education teacher, fitness director, and art teacher who all teach direct instruction classes and are highly qualified in their subject area. Offering 6 classes a semester, class sizes range from 6-12 students in general education classes, and 1-4 students in study strategy classes focused on helping students organize and manage their time.

Highlights of Solstice’s academic program include:

 

  • Working on credit recovery. With year-round academics split into five quarters instead of two semesters, students are able to work at their own pace. Students can catch up on classes they’ve missed, take fun electives, or accelerate classes. Our program allows students to transfer credits they’ve earned to any academic institution they transfer to after they leave or to graduate from high school with a diploma from our state-certified private school.
  • Learning study skills. Many students judge their academic potential by the grades they get, rather than what they’ve truly comprehended or how passionate they are about a subject. While students are given letter grades through our program, teachers focus on helping students develop better study habits by using a variety of creative teaching strategies that appeal to different learning styles. 

 

 

 

Students with learning differences can choose to work with our Special Education teacher who specializes in teaching executive functioning skills and study strategies. They works one on one each week with their students to figure out what they need to work on specifically in school and to see if students need more one on one support in their other classes.  

 

  • Engaging in experiential learning. Students learn best when they understand why the information is important. For example, it’s useless to memorize a math equation without doing practice problems around its practical use. Similar to our experiential approach to therapy, our academic program aims to get students involved in small group discussions, personal projects, and fun activities.

 

Science labs involve lots of hands-on activities that are fun and can be applicable to life, like baking cookies, making soap, or identifying plants in the backyard. English classes might recommend journaling assignments or books that parallel the Hero’s Journey the girls and assigned female at birth have embarked on in individual therapy.

 

  • Rebuilding motivation.

 

We understand that every student has a different learning style that works for them and different subjects that they are interested in. It is unrealistic to expect them to enjoy all of their core classes equally, but we remind students not to get discouraged by the subjects they are less interested in and to consider how they connect to things they do care about.

Our ultimate goal is to help students recognize what they can take away from the classroom and apply to their everyday lives. Many students become complacent in a school environment and question why education matters when they have other things going on in their lives or are struggling to plan for the future. We also help older students study for standardized tests, apply for colleges, and explore their career goals.

Solstice RTC Can Help 

Solstice West is a residential treatment program for young girls and assigned female at birth ages 14-18 who struggle with issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and/or relationship struggles. This program provides three types of therapy: individual, group, and family therapy to allow girls and assigned female at birth to explore themselves in a variety of ways. Through groups on various topics, girls and assigned female at birth learn to become more aware of their emotions and to express them appropriately to others. Students will leave with the skills they need to transition into the world feeling confident, happy, and able to manage their emotions.

For more information, call 866-278-3345. We can help your child work through their mental health crisis and towards a healthier, happier future.

  • The Solstice Team
  • No Comments

Goal Setting During Hero’s Journey at Residential Program

Goal Setting During Hero’s Journey at Residential Program 1440 2560 The Solstice Team

When people set long-term goals to change unhealthy behaviors, they often refer to their progress as a journey, which can involve more twists and turns than they initially expected. This doesn’t mean that the obstacles that they face are insurmountable, but it may suggest that most goals feel out of reach without shorter-term goals and patience. The Hero’s Journey, a popular literary trope, is used as a template for goal setting at residential programs to empower teens to recognize they are the heroes of their own stories.

Who is a Hero?

Not all heroes wear capes. Anyone who sets personal goals for themselves strives to be more “heroic.” The hero’s journey deconstructs the idea of a “Superhero” by revealing that challenges are part of the journey. Many teens struggling with low self-esteem and confidence hold out hope for people who are willing to offer them a hand and struggle to recognize that the power might be within. People assume that the role of a “hero” is to help other people. Instead, the hero’s journey suggests that in order to do so, individuals must learn to confront their own insecurities and continue to follow their goals. 

Elements of Goal Setting

Studies suggest that people who set their own goals are more likely to follow through than people who accept challenges from others, as they are more intrinsically motivated. When people write down their goals, they are 33% more successful in achieving them than those who formulated outcomes in their heads. Goal setting involves careful planning, prioritizing self-development, and looking for other resources.

Evaluating Goals Through Hero’s Journey

Many people think that goal setting involves checking off a to-do list sequentially. Instead, stages of change may be more gradual and relate to themes based on short-term goals rather than goals themselves. Residential programs use the model of the Hero’s Journey as a road map to help teens evaluate their goals.

Separation: At this phase, teens often feel lost and accept that there are many changes they may have to make in their lives. As they recognize they have a lot to learn, they accept the challenge of leaving his comfort zone to follow his adventure. Often, they are consumed with fear and insecurity about what may await. 

Threshold: This phase refers to first embarking on the adventure and trying to prepare for future challenges they may face. Once your child embraces the idea of change, they encounters a new culture with different rules, expectations, and relationships. This stage involves accepting help from others who offer insight, training, and guidance. 

Initiation: After the hero has crossed the threshold, they begins to take responsibility for the outcomes of their choices and sets personal goals for moving forward. Supportive mentors help your child in this stage as they learns new coping skills and gains confidence. At this stage of self-discovery, there is “no turning back.” 

Transformation: The hero begins to transform as they gains a deeper understanding of the challenges they faces and is able to apply the skills they have learned to real-life experiences. In this process, they realizes their old patterns of living are no longer relevant and uses their new skills and strengths to transform the way they lives their life.

Atonement: This period of transformation is marked by a new sense of inner peace and accomplishment. As they have addressed his fears, they have become more wise, independent, and optimistic about their future. 

Return: During this phase, the hero prepares to transition home and share the skills they have learned with others. For some heroes, they see their return as coming full circle, while for others, it is a launching point for their next journey. With the transition and family therapy resources provided along the way, families also have the skills to create a structured, supportive environment to welcome their child home.

Solstice Can Help

Solstice West RTC is a residential treatment program for young girls and assigned female at birth ages 14-18 who struggle with issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and/or relationship struggles. This program provides three types of therapy: individual, group, and family therapy to allow girls and assigned female at birth to explore themselves in a variety of ways. Through groups on various topics, girls and assigned female at birth learn to become more aware of their emotions and to express them appropriately to others. Solstice Residential Treatment Center is dedicated to teaching teens how to incorporate healthy habits into their lives. Students will leave with the skills they need to transition into the world feeling confident, happy, and able to manage their emotions.

Contact us 866-278-3345. We can help your family today!

  • The Solstice Team
  • No Comments

Father-Child Trip to Moab Brings Families Closer Together

Father-Child Trip to Moab Brings Families Closer Together 225 300 The Solstice Team

What happened when seven boisterous dads & children joined with a team of creative & committed folks from Solstice RTC West and Aspect Adventure in Moab for a three day Father-Child Retreat this last September?  My Answer:  Nothing Short of Magic.

Not the Copperfield stuff nor the “warm fuzzy” of hallmark cards & commercials.  I’m talking about what happens when people committed to having a gritty-good experience, “come what may,” meet up with Mother Nature in a setting known for its beauty, challenges, and plentiful opportunities for fun & reflection.  Magic indeed – the kind I watched unfold before me – nearly moment by moment.  Not by accident or ease.  But. By. Choice.

Beginning with every bit of a 5 hour drive south, Erik Yost, Amanda and I (TjRowden) agreed that it was promising indeed when fathers and kiddos packed snuggly into two vehicles and nary once complained as we motored down the road.  I think there was only one time when the inevitable “are we there yet” was heard enroute.  After all, someone just had to say it to make it a bona fide road trip.  We laughed and spirits were high – even a little giddy – as we neared our destination in Moab.  A campsite near Fisher Towers.  And from that point on – we entered the very capable hands of Jason Blauch with Aspect Adventure.

With the help of “Camp Mom” Nick, it became very clear – their intention was to provide for our basic needs with such a degree of attention and service that our little group would be able to focus 110% on the reason we were there.  That was for dads & children to deepen their relationships through less talk, more action.  Not via “Disneyland dadding.”  As we discussed on day one – it was to be done via “side-by-side” experiences that would emerge over the course of the trip. Unscripted opportunities to lean-in to the relationship vs out.  Moments – privately and with the group – to choose courage over quitting, service over selfishness, responsiveness over resistance, healing over hurt.

And the lab for such opportunities?  One-on-one short hikes for fathers and daughters; a sixty+ foot climbing face and similar rappelling wall; thunder & lighting storms with fierce winds and rain (and even brief flooding of a desert creek near camp); double rainbows; blazing sunrises and sunsets; a hike near Fisher Towers; helping in the camp kitchen & with clean-up; night skies with stars that wouldn’t stop (inviting conversations that nearly didn’t either); and a fireside group where the vulnerability of dads and children alike was non-forced and – in a word – sacred.

Amidst anxieties, fears, and fatigue there was effort, courage, and compassion.  And in the face of a few “unexpecteds“ (i.e. weather, plans, emotions), I observed flexibility, determination, gratitude, support and many small choice points done well – very well.  After all, what is much of treatment, relationships, life if not learning to do hard things well.  If that was a measure of this trip –I was surrounded by giants.  Magic?  Yes indeed.  Because intention + action = magic.

 

  • The Solstice Team
  • No Comments

College Prepared: Solstice Students Earn Higher Scores Across the Board

College Prepared: Solstice Students Earn Higher Scores Across the Board 1280 853 The Solstice Team

At Solstice, education is a huge part of our programming. We understand that most of the girls and assigned female at birth that come in our doors are college-bound; therefore, we strive to provide them with excellent academic opportunities.

We’ve looked at the last five years of ACT scores from Solstice students and compared it to state and national averages–the results are astounding.

Solstice students score higher than state and national averages

We want our students to be able to graduate from Solstice and thrive out in the world.

For those with college in the future, we provide test preparation materials and classes for every student who seeks to take the SAT and/or the ACT. Our teachers work diligently and passionately to help students follow a structured academic plan that meets college admissions criteria.

Teachers aid girls and assigned female at birth in going through various possible colleges, understanding the application and essay writing process, and also give support for scholarships, financial aid, and community service.

It looks like all of our hard-work has paid off.

Our students at Solstice have surpassed state and national averages by enormous amounts. As you can see in the graph to the right, Solstice students scored nearly 75 percent higher on the ACT than the state average–they scored high above the national average as well.

Academic excellence at Solstice

For many of our students, school has become a place of struggle and negativity. We strive to create a traditional, challenging academic environment that can support our students emotional and learning needs. We want to transform the negativity into an excitement and hunger to learn more.

We’ve developed a program that can meet students where they are by having small class sizes, certified teachers, and individualized academic plans. Our academic program is fully intertwined with our clinical program which allows for a better overall treatment process.

If you believe your child may be struggling, it is critical to reach out to a professional for further guidance. There are options for your family.

Solstice is here for your daughter

Solstice is a groundbreaking residential treatment center for girls, ages 14 to 18. Our girls and assigned female at birth often grapple with depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, and other emotional or behavioral problems when they come to us. Dealing with these issues can get confusing and overwhelming fast–but we’re here to help guide you.

Through a unique combination of therapeutic programs based upon both traditional and holistic mental health treatment, we treat our clients with age and gender specific techniques. We strive to empower teenage people with the ability to believe in themselves and provide the tools and motivation required to instill these beliefs for life.

For more information about how we help at Solstice, please contact us at (866) 278-3345.

 

transitioning from wilderness programs
  • The Solstice Team
  • No Comments

Back to School Tips & How We Help Our Students Thrive

Back to School Tips & How We Help Our Students Thrive 5976 3992 The Solstice Team

Transitioning back to school after a lengthy, relaxed, thrilling summer vacation is easy for some students–but for others, it’s painful and often creates unnecessary struggle throughout the rest of the school year.

Especially if your child grapples with anxiety or depression, going back to school can be an instigator for those issues. We have some advice that could possibly help in guiding your child back into school more smoothly.

Time management & organization are top challenges to going back to school

When girls and assigned female at birth struggling academically come to us, many of their issues often lay in an inability to manage their time and stay organized. Without these skills, your child can easily find herself just two weeks into school already missing assignments left and right, already dealing with an epic amount of anxiety, and already ready to give up.

This isn’t necessarily because she’s “lazy” or doesn’t care about school–much of the time it’s because they doesn’t know how to handle these responsibilities correctly.

A critical–yet sometimes tedious–part of time management and organization is maintaining a planner. I know, it sounds too simple and obvious–but most teens don’t keep a planner. When your child goes back to school, start off their organization strong.

She needs to write down every assignment, every exam, every thing that pertains to the gradebook. With this, they can make a to-do list easily. They can look at their planner and be reminded exactly when that project she’s already forgotten about is due.

Now, that’s organization, but time management is essential to staying organized. Your child can have all of their homework assignments, projects, meetings, and exams written down in their planner, but if they doesn’t know how long they’ll take, it’s hard to know when the best time to complete them is.

We often have our girls and assigned female at birth actually ask the teacher how long an assignment or project will take them, then they’ll record that along with the date it’s due in their planner. When they don’t do this, many often end up spending much longer than they need to on assignments.

If they can complete something in 15 minutes and get an A, they shouldn’t be spending an hour on it. That’s 45 minutes they could’ve spent getting something else done. By managing their time, she’s able to get things done more quickly and have the time to relax, take a breath, and control their anxiety.

How we help our girls and assigned female at birth become successful students

Many of our students have learning differences and, for many of them, school has become a place of hardship and anxiety. We help create individual goals and milestones for each individual–because no student is the same.

Our special education program, while nurturing and specific, is also very rigorous. It’s important for parents to know that putting their child into treatment doesn’t mean they have to give up their academics. Our girls and assigned female at birth eventually return to public school, private school, college, or even a job, so it’s critical for us to be able to keep that growth going.

Around 60 percent of our girls and assigned female at birth score higher on math and science than the national average–this is because our program is built to not only support our students, but also push them so they can reach their full potential.

Solstice is here for your daughter

Solstice is a groundbreaking residential treatment center for girls, ages 14 to 18. Our girls and assigned female at birth often grapple with depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, and other emotional or behavioral problems when they come to us. Dealing with these issues can get confusing and overwhelming fast–but we’re here to help guide you.

Through a unique combination of therapeutic programs based upon both traditional and holistic mental health treatment, we treat our clients with age and gender specific techniques. We strive to empower teenage people with the ability to believe in themselves and provide the tools and motivation required to instill these beliefs for life.

For more information about how we help at Solstice, please contact us at (866) 278-3345.

 

  • The Solstice Team
  • No Comments

Help for Learning Differences: Recognizing the Signs in Your Daughter

Help for Learning Differences: Recognizing the Signs in Your Daughter 1280 853 The Solstice Team

Knowing whether your child needs help for learning differences or not can be a challenge for parents. Many questions swim around in your head: Does they have ADHD or does math just bore her? Does they really hate reading or is it because they have a learning disability?

These questions are normal and you’re not alone–many children need help for learning differences, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes teens with learning differences slip under the radar in the typical school system and never thrive in education, which is why there are specific options for your teen if you believe they may have an issue.

Recognizing whether your child needs help for learning differences

Teens will rarely ask for help–but that’s not hard to believe. Letters and numbers may be turning themselves upside down and around, but they may just play it off cool and act like they just hate school because they’re afraid of getting labeled “weird.” Because of this tendency to mask their issues through other means, it may be up to you to keep your eyes open.

help for learning differencesSome signs that your child may need help for learning differences include:

  • Issues spelling words correctly
  • Trouble with memory and frequently forgetful
  • Problems adjusting to new settings and environments
  • Avoids reading and writing assignments
  • Difficulty summarizing or grasping abstract concepts
  • Often misinterprets or misreads information
  • Either hyper-focuses or ignores details
  • Works slowly or spends a ton of time studying yet still struggles in class and with grades
  • Trouble following direction or staying organized

Any of the above symptoms could point to your child needing help for learning differences. Some parents decide to ignore it and hope it improves by itself–this is a grave mistake.

If your child truly does have a learning disability that’s keeping their from excelling in school, it probably won’t improve and will lead their down a difficult path. Instead, if you suspect they may have an issue, seek out a professional for further guidance.

Untreated learning differences can lead to much deeper issues such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and much more. Early intervention is the key to success in these cases–so the faster you check it out and figure out what’s going on, the better.

Solstice is here for your daughter

Solstice is a groundbreaking residential treatment center for girls, ages 14 to 18. Our girls and assigned female at birth often grapple with depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, and other emotional or behavioral problems when they come to us.

Through a unique combination of therapeutic programs based upon both traditional and holistic mental health treatment, we treat our clients with age and gender specific techniques. We strive to empower teenage people with the ability to believe in themselves and provide the tools and motivation required to instill these beliefs for life.

For more information about how provide help for learning differences at Solstice, please contact us at (866) 278-3345.

 

Start Typing