Troubled Teens Resources

Parents are not equipped to analyze their teenager’s behavior, but they can take note of changes. And do take notes; different friends, new music,tattoos,etc. But take your observations and your instincts and your intuitions to a therapist because a therapist is trained to interpret the clues that you lay before them. A good therapist is your troubled teenagers first contact with those who will be charged with leading your teen to mental and emotional health.

It is with a good therapist’s counsel that you can start investigating military schools or brat camps or boys and girl’s boarding schools. They’ll be able to give you recommendations and a selection of boarding schools to review.

But by what criteria do you evaluate a therapist.Where do you begin your search?

Focus Adolescence Service provide some basic guidelines.

• First, check with your insurance company for any limitations.
• Talk to family members and friends for their recommendations. If you participate in a parent support group, such as Because I Love You and Families Anonymous, ask other members for their recommendations.
• Ask your child’s primary care physician or your family doctor for a referral. Tell the doctor what is important to you in choosing a therapist so he or she can make appropriate recommendations.
• Inquire at your church, synagogue, or place of worship.
• Call the professional organizations listed on this page for referrals.
• Network the resources listed on your state’s Family Help page.
• Look in the phone book for the listing of a local mental health association or community mental health center and call these sources for referrals.

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It’s not as simple as going down a list of boarding schools for troubled teens and simply choosing one that seems promising. You’ll need to also inquire as to their treatment philosophies and the specific therapies that they employ , Alas, you’ll find that there are as many varieties of drug therapies and treatment philosophies as there are boarding schools. Or so it seems.

In order to make an informed decision regarding the best boarding school or treatment program that is available for your struggling teenager, parents should seek counsel beyond what they may be able to receive from their teenager’s school counselors. Working with a qualified therapist to assist in the process of selecting the appropriate boarding school or boot camp will allow a parent to become educated to the various schools of thought on effective treatments and direct them towards those schools that employ programs that are most applicable to their teenager’s temperament and stage of addiction.

So now you are confronting the seemingly impossible task of selecting a qualified therapist.

Here are some guidelines to assist in that search.

Types of Psychotherapy - Psychoanalysis

Cognitive and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies

Credentials - Types of Psychotherapists

Finding a Psychotherapist

Interviewing and Selecting your Psychotherapist

Therapist Locator