Boot Camps For Teens from Flagstaff, AZ
WinGate Wilderness Therapy, the premier Outdoor Therapeutic Adventure Program, is chosen by parents as a substitute to Boot Camps For Teens in Flagstaff, AZ. Established among the beautiful red mountains of Southern Utah, and with a combined experience of over eighty years of wilderness therapy, the WinGate staff understand the complexities of how to properly treat troubled teens. This treatment is accomplished by supporting and directing them in the learning of a new path and direction for life.
Although not a Boot Camp, WinGate is a preferred alternative to these programs. What most parents don't know is that "Boot Camps" began years ago as "shock incarceration" programs for only adults, designed for "first-time" offenders. The intention of the boot camp experience was to make the "time served" so shocking and abhorrent, the offender would be "scared straight" into model behavior, to avoid another sentence.
In the end, authorities recognized that boot camps, using "military-style" discipline, not only did not work, but oftentimes worsened the problem. It is critical for all parents considering a boot camp for their child, to investigate other viable alternatives for the rehabilitation of their teen. Wilderness adventure programs, such as ours, are considerably more productive when transformation and restoration are the objectives.
WinGate Wilderness Therapy is recognized nationally as a premier "therapeutic transitional living" wilderness program. Here we teach both independent living skills and personal accountability, leading to a lasting life of health and balance for our teen campers.
You can expect the finest results from our compassionate and experienced staff, here at WinGate. Our research-validated approach to wilderness-based treatment causes our work to WORK! The peaceful, distraction-free atmosphere of our wilderness area benefits even the most "treatment-resistant" and "rebellious" adolescents.
Our purpose is to bring forth peace and restore emotional health. The goal is to see your struggling boy or girl transition into adulthood, living independently as a healthful individual. You can reach us immediately at (800) 560-1599. We are here to help you and your struggling child today.
Boot Camps For Kids from Flagstaff, AZ
Out of sheer desperation, some parents will turn to teen boot camps in an attempt to protect their adolescent from incarceration or even the possibility of death. However, before sending a teen to a boot camp facility, one should do their homework on boot camps vs. wilderness therapy or residential treatment. Like most facilities and programs, not all boot camps are created equal. You should know that there have been numerous incidents of death among the "less than adequate" boot camps. The tragic combination of corporal punishment administered by poorly trained staff, sadly, has led to the deaths of several teens while attending a boot camp.
You can feel comfortable and confident that WinGate, as a superior wilderness behavioral health program, licensed by the State of Utah, is a long-time member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP). This accreditation and affiliation is a resource and beacon to both parents and professionals that WinGate offers the highest quality services to the teenage wilderness participants and families we serve.
In essence, our hope and goal is to help shape a "heart of peace," which replaces the "heart of war." Wilderness therapy for emotionally challenged teens is unique in that there are consistent and continual opportunities for observation and intervention. These moments are uninterrupted by the usual day-to-day disruptions and distractions found at a traditional inpatient treatment center setting.
The wilderness atmosphere produces for our counselors, twenty-four hours a day, the epitome of Alliance-based therapy blended with Group therapy, conducted by our staff of therapists.
Teen Boot Camps
In "military training camp" fashion, teen boot camps are created to teach both structure and discipline to "wayward" young people. This "instruction" is generally performed through the application of "military-style" control which includes strenuous physical activity. The objective of boot camp staffers is to "challenge the camper" with the "hope" of instilling confidence and self-reliance.
However, it's critical for parents to recognize that boot camps have recently come under severe criticism, by mental health authorities and practitioners, for being "too harsh while not addressing the juvenile's underlying psychological issues via proper counseling and therapy."
We have come to know that our adolescent wilderness clients in "wilderness treatment" possess a greater capacity for attention, thus enabling a more focused and thriving process for healing. We witness our ~studentteen3~s growing closer to their peers while developing a stronger bond with the field therapists as well.
The peaceful environment of the outdoors enables the teenage wilderness participants to gain more quickly an insight into their previous, unhealthy behaviors, allowing them to make proper and adequate changes. These nurturing, yet challenging conditions, allows our adolescent wilderness clients to gain perspective, grow up, and achieve an improved level of maturity all while addressing behavioral obstacles and issues.
Juvenile Boot Camps
In the past, a few private boot camps and military academies have given "scholarship" or "grant" programs for families in need of financial assistance. However, these "grant" programs usually turn out to be "loans," disguised as "financial aid," to be paid back in monthly installments. What's more, most of these boot camp programs are extinct and are therefore hard to find.
In short, free boot camps for struggling teenage boys and girls typically do not exist. However, there are state-funded boot camps that can be utilized only if your teenager has been or is in the state juvenile system. Although state-funded boot camps may be the only financially viable option for some families, this option causes serious drawbacks worth considering.
Therapeutic healing and counseling are certainly not emphasized at Juvenile Boot Camps. The boot camp staffers are not licensed nor are they trained to administer direction for the "emotional issues" and "psychological disorders" that are normally at the root of all behavioral problems in adolescent boys or girls. These boot camps give only discipline and authoritarian control. In the end, boot camps resemble "jails" more than "therapeutic interventions."
At WinGate Wilderness Therapy, we include the parents and family in your at-risk adolescent's progress and therapy. Over the years, we have served thousands of boys and girls from Flagstaff, AZ and from all over the country. Our track record has demonstrated to cause results that are life changing.
We know that emotionally challenged teens can become healthy, independent adults, and can develop as strong people motivated for success. Call WinGate Wilderness Therapy today at (800) 560-1599.
Parent Resources in Flagstaff, AZ Area:
National Alliance on Mental Illness Flagstaff - Raising awareness and providing essential education, NAMI Flagstaff advocates and supports group programs for people living with mental illness. NAMI Flagstaff assists with the mental illness needs of our community by replacing "stigma" with "understanding" while helping thousands of individuals and families each year.
Quotes For Daily Living:
“About a third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and emptiness of their lives. This can be defined as the general neurosis of our times.” by C.G. Jung (Psychoanalyst, Author and Friend of Sigmund Freud)
“Bipolar Disorder robs you of that which is you. It can take from you the very core of your being and replace it with something that is completely opposite of who and what you truly are." Alyssa Reyans (Author of Letter from a Bipolar Mother)