Help for Troubled Teens

Parents who see their children having a hard time making friends, getting good grades, or are even struggling at home will eventually realize that maybe the traditional educational system doesn't meet all the needs that their children have. Or maybe their current sessions with the therapists aren't making the difference they hope these would make. In some cases, work out their issues better and eventually blossom into productive, motivated members of society when they are taken out of mainstream schools and placed into the right kind of alternative school system.

Turning Winds Academic Institute is one of the best therapeutic boarding schools in the country. It's an alternative school that provides therapy while at the same time helping students earn academic credits. Turning Winds make it a point to keep the student to staff ratio low so that they will be able to focus more on the individual needs of the students. With an admission rate of only 50 students at a time, Turning Winds does a great job of making sure no student slips through the crack.

Initially, parents may think that maybe some therapy would do while their children remain in a traditional school. Depending on the teen's response to therapy, it could be a good thing or it could be insufficient. It's insufficient for some teens because a few hours of therapy each week hardly makes a dent on the influence of their environment at school. Also, for some teens, the school system itself and how classes are taught doesn't respond to their specific needs. This could be said for children with ADD/ADHD, dyslexia and the likes. The traditional educational system just wasn't made with them in mind, which is the reason why they struggle and have very little success in mainstream schools.

Turning Winds' program makes sure that each child gets the kind of help that he/she needs, both on the therapy and on the academics part of the program. To give you a bird's-eye view of how Turning Winds structures its programs to be helpful to students, here are the three phases that the students go through:

1. Orientation phase - The orientation phase lays the groundwork for the program the students will follow while in Turning Winds. Depending on the response of the student, this could take anywhere between four to six months. This includes a psychoanalysis and assessment to determine a teen's individualized roadmap, which could still change along the way depending on the student. Turning Winds provides group counseling sessions in addition to the individual counseling sessions in order to help students utilize the positive effects of peer experience at the end of the day. All of the activities that students participate in have therapeutic value which are geared towards helping them strengthen their self-image and self-esteem as well as learn valuable life skills such as getting along well with other people, assertiveness, and conflict resolution.
2. Transition phase - After the orientation phase is done, the transition phase begins. During the transition phase, efforts are focused to helping students transition back to a home environment. Aside from continuing with efforts to stabilize the students emotionally and academically, parents also begin family counseling with the students. This is important so that students will come home to an environment that will be helpful for their recovery. The support of parents during the transition phase is an invaluable contribution that makes a big difference to students.
3. Aftercare phase - Whether the student will be able to reintegrate well to society relies also on how good the aftercare program is. Turning Winds has a good aftercare program involving a network of therapists that can be visited after coming home. After the agreed upon number of visits has been exhausted, Turning Winds still makes their network and resources available for parents in case their children needs further help.

These three phases makes a big difference in helping struggling teens believe in themselves again.

"Turning Winds has been a huge part of my life. It has given me a safe environment to grow in with a ton of long life friendships in the mix. Things we do here are fun, but also helpful for gaining social skills and just learning to have fun by being yourself, but the main thing this place has done for me and many others is it has helped my family and I find happiness."

-Jenna

"Before I came to Turning Winds I was a lost kid. I use the word kid, because my behaviors at home were immature and dangerous. My parents could see the thing that I was blind to. They sent me to Turning Winds so I could see these things for myself. I can now honestly say that I am not lost. I have grown up and learned so much about myself. It has not been easy, but it has been worth it."

-Mindy

"Turning Winds is a place that any parent who is in need of sending their teenagers to a protected environment will feel safe in doing so. It provided me life skills that I will need in order to be successful throughout my life. I have accomplished many diverse things and will continue to grow emotionally. Not only am I learning many things, Turning Winds has guided my family in the right direction as well. I am able to have positive relationships with family and friends that will benefit me. Turning Winds is a life changing experience for anyone and I personally feel that every teenager deserves this opportunity."

-Irene