If you have even given thought to the possibility of placing your teenager in a program to help them with their problems that they may be facing, then you’ ll need to be aware of a few of the most common red flags that we’ ve noticed in our research.
1 . Avoid any kind of institution with a large enrollment. Unless the institution branches out and gives its students more personal level experience in smaller groups and with one on one instruction and counseling, there is a very palpable danger of having your teenager placed on an “ assembly line” to success, rather than one that will actually build your child up and help them to really develop the basic foundations that they need to develop their lives in a constructive way.
2 . Any program that tries to dress its institution with false credentials we advise that you avoid. A licensed professional is an essential part of any type of therapy. While other individuals who are good people and have some qualifications may help in the process, the system should include regular contact with a licensed and qualified therapist in order to be effective.
3 . A program that will not be straightforward or upfront about its teaching methods or process of therapeutic agenda needs to be closely inspected. It doesn’ t matter if it is for “ ensuring that their formula is not copied by other institutions” or if the people simply do not want to be forth coming with what exactly their program entails (such as not allowing you to visit the campus or institution before enrolling your student there, etc.) it is a dangerous gamble you will be taking with your student’ s future. We recommend that you make sure that the staff is friendly and willing to help you understand fully what your child will be experiencing while at the selected institution before you enrolling them.
4 . A big distraction that we have noticed is if the program is Co-Ed. When boys and girls are thrown into one big melting pot it can lead to both sexes simply performing to gain attention from the opposite sex and can make progress extremely difficult to measure accurately. Or else they lock themselves away, afraid to show their true emotions in front of a peer of the opposite gender, fearing the consequences of opening up.
5 . Any institution that claims to be a “ quick fix” can be compared to a shady used car dealer, neither of which you should trust from what we have experienced. Your child deserves to have someone who is going to stick with them throughout their healing and growing process, which may prove to be very painful and emotional and should not be handled in a weekend or any other pre-determined amount of time. We’ve noticed that each youth is different and the amount of time necessary for each one differs from each teenager. A program should bend to the teens needs, and not the other way around.
These are just some of the pitfalls that we’ ve noticed in our experiences and feel that we should express to you, the parent or friend of a troubled teenager, before you make the final selection to help your teen with their problems. As with all circumstances, you should take into consideration your own child’ s needs and make a decision based on the information that you have at your disposal. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us for additional advice and support.