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‘Family Intensives’ Offer More Support for Parents and Teens
Teenage boys with learning disabilities, ADHD and related issues can make tremendous strides when teachers, therapists and supportive families who understand their special needs are combined with a structured environment. Academic achievement and improved behaviors come about as a result of hard work – not only on behalf of teens, but also their parents.
At Stone Mountain School, a North Carolina boarding school for boys with ADHD, learning disabilities and related issues, parent involvement is one of the keys to students’ success. As part of a comprehensive family program, parents are invited to seminars, parenting workshops and a parents’ weekend and participate in parent support groups and family therapy sessions.
What happens if a family needs additional support? They get it! Stone Mountain School’s family therapist offers Family Intensives, custom-designed workshops and experiences that a family can go through while under the direct leadership and consultation of a licensed family therapist.
“We have a number of parents who are eager to do the work to build a stronger family unit,” said Jim Johnston, LMFT, the family therapist at Stone Mountain School. “Family Intensives are a unique and effective way for families to work together to develop new skills and connect on a deep level.”
Custom-designed to last anywhere from a couple days to a full week, these in-depth family therapy experiences can include father-son, mother-son, parents-grandparents-siblings-son, or any combination of family members requested. The family therapist designs each experience around the specific therapeutic needs and personal interests of the family, and challenges them to exercise both intellect and emotion throughout the process.
Examples of Family Intensives include:
- A fly-fishing weekend
- A culinary extravaganza
- An all-inclusive art project such as glass-blowing or book-making
- Recording an album in a music studio
All activities are interspersed with psycho-educational material and directed family therapy. In some cases, time may be divided between family therapy sessions and marital counseling to bolster the adult relationships that form the foundation of the family unit.
“We want families to know that there’s a lot they can be doing to improve their relationship with their child even though their child is not at home,” said Johnston. “Focusing on adult relationships is productive because parents are continuously modeling their values, morals and communication skills for their children.”
Families at Stone Mountain boarding school for boys have found Family Intensives particularly helpful to:
- Manage an upcoming transition (e.g., returning home from boarding school or moving on to another therapeutic program for teens)
- Work through a family crisis (e.g., divorce, remarriage, death or other event)
- Break a family out of old patterns of interacting
- Show off a student’s newfound skills or interests
After completing a family intensive, parents and teens often report:
- Improved communication
- Enhanced cooperation (i.e., parents are able to speak the same language and send a unified message to their child)
- Greater willingness and ability to find useful resources in the community, such as a family therapist or groups/hobbies that help parents recharge
- More motivation and progress in school
- Momentum to move forward in a positive direction
Family Intensives are tailored to the needs and interests of the family. For more information about Family Intensives, or to make specific requests or suggestions, please contact Stone Mountain School.