Boot Camps for Teens from Phoenix, AZ
WinGate Wilderness Therapy is a premier Family treatment program, chosen by parents as an alternative to boot camps for teens from Phoenix, AZ. With over eighty years of combined experience with wilderness therapy, the WinGate program and staff understand how to properly treat struggling teens. This is achieved by counseling them in the learning of a new path and direction for life.
What many parents don't know is that "Boot Camps" began years ago as "shock incarceration" facilities for adults, designed for "first-time" offenders. The intention was to make the time served so abhorrent the offender would be "scared straight" or "shocked" into model behavior, thus avoiding another sentence. In the end, experts agreed that boot camps using military-style discipline, not only didn't work, but often made problems worse.
Family treatment for At-risk Teenagers
It is crucial for all parents who are considering a boot camp for their child, to examine other viable options for rehabilitation. Wilderness adventure programs are much more productive if transformation is the objective.
WinGate Wilderness Therapy is widely acknowledged as a premier outdoor wilderness program. Here we teach both independent living skills and personal accountability, which leads to an enduring life of health and balance. We are certain that when you choose our wilderness therapy program, the real impact on your teen's poor behavior will offer you and your family the favorable results you desire.
We want you to know that you can anticipate the finest results from our sympathetic and skilled staff, here at WinGate. Our research-validated approach to wilderness-based treatment causes our work to WORK! The serene and distraction-free environment of our wilderness area can benefit even the most "treatment-resistant" and "rebellious" teenagers.
Call our WinGate Wilderness Therapy admissions counselor at (800) 560-1599 to get more information about our outdoor wilderness program. A family specialist is standing by to guide you today!
Boot Camps For Kids from Phoenix, AZ
Out of sheer desperation, some parents will turn to teen boot camps in an attempt to protect their teenager from incarceration or even the possibility of death. However, before sending a adolescent 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 premier wilderness camp 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 gives the highest quality services to the teenage wilderness clients 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 at-risk adolescents 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 residential treatment center setting.
The wilderness atmosphere produces for our clinicians, twenty-four hours a day, the epitome of Family treatment blended with Brainspotting therapy, conducted by our staff of practitioners.
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 students in "wilderness treatment" possess a greater capacity for attention, thus enabling a more focused and thriving process for transformation. We witness our ~studentteen3~s growing closer to their peers while developing a stronger bond with the therapists as well.
The peaceful environment of the outdoors enables the teenage wilderness clients 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 students 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 provided "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 troubled teens typically do not exist. However, there are state-funded boot camps that can be utilized only if your teen 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 guidance for the "emotional issues" and "psychological disorders" that are normally at the root of all behavioral problems in teenagers. These boot camps provide 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 struggling teenager's progress and therapy. Over the years, we have served thousands of boys and girls from Phoenix, AZ and from all over the country. Our track record has demonstrated to cause results that are life changing.
We know that at-risk adolescents 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 the Phoenix, AZ Area:
Banner Behavioral Health Suicide Prevention Hotline - As one of the leading reasons for violent death, Banner Health recognizes that suicide is a growing problem in our country, and we strive to offer ideas and support for both you and your family.
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Phoenix - National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Phoenix - NCADD in Phoenix is a non-profit organization granting the residents of Phoenix, and encompassing area, with a comprehensive list of services ranging from Family Education and Counseling to Outpatient Programs.
Quotes For Daily Living:
"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive. I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it, I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others. I am not going to get angry, or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can." The XIVth Dalai Lama
"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you!" Christian D. Larson