Troubled Teens Resources

Here is another excellent account of how effective animal assisted therapy is. It is a subject brought up often here because of it’s successful implementation into various teen therapy programs at boarding schools and teen boot camps.

“Bill Langford will tell you of an old adage he’s come to treasure, “The outside of a
horse is good for the inside of a man.”

In the past two years, the former oilman has seen horses connect time and again with troubled children, teens and adults on an emotional level that the best therapists can’t even touch.

“Horses can mirror the emotions of man,” said Langford, from the Cherokee Ridge Horse Farm in Carencro that he and his wife, Mary, started in 2005. “I didn’t always believe that. But I’ve seen it succeed so many times. If kids are having trouble acting out or if they’re afraid, horses can sense that emotion and react to that.”

Horse therapy sessions - or Equine Assisted Psychotherapy - is a treatment gaining popularity among professional counselors, special-needs teachers and people who work with emotionally disturbed youth.”
(Source)

Most troubled teens are in pain and unfortunately the only way they have managed to fight pain is to erect walls. Be it a dog or a horse, these animals can reach a troubled teen when no one else can. As you look for a teen boarding school for your teenager, be sure to inquire if this type of therapy is available. The Tipton Academy for Boys is an example of a boarding school that combine their animal assisted therapy with a variety of other treatment programs.