Should Parents Feel Guilty About Resorting to a Troubled Teen Residential Program?

This is a difficult question to answer. However, for you, as a parent, this is a double-edged sword. Determining the best solution for your troubled teen may not always be the easiest one to accept. This is especially true when it comes to sending them to a therapeutic school for teens (or similar programs), even though it may be for the best.

There are many aspects to consider when you “send them away” or you feel “you have failed as a parent.” Yet, recognizing the benefits of professional guidance is always a positive first step of helping your teen.

Plus, there’s no single sign of troubled teen behavior. Even as a parent, sometimes you may not recognize the signs until they gets really out of control. However, when larger problems do occur, a therapeutic boarding school may be the best solution. It’s also important to realize the main reason for sending your adolescent to a troubled teen boarding school is to offer the help when they need it the most.

There are many troubled teen residential programs available. Teen wilderness programs, teen summer camps, and teen military programs are located throughout the U.S. In fact, according CRC Health of Cupertino, California, some the most effective ways to improve the lives of struggling teens involve residential programs.

According to the Consumer Information of the Federal Trade Commission, these residential treatment programs have a range of services. Drug and alcohol treatment, confidence building, military-style discipline, and psychological counseling for behavioral and emotional issues are just a few. Parents must also realize that these programs are “intended to provide a less-restrictive alternative to incarceration, hospitalization, or intervention.”

In addition, according to CRC Health, the feeling of guilt can be limited when you realize:

• Significant progress can be made with the education and rehabilitation.
• Your primary responsibility as a parent is to offer the best care and healthiest environment for your teen.
• You are separating your teen from the environment where they were floundering.
• It will provide your teen with a structured environment in order to succeed.
• You will have the opportunity to “catch your breath” and work on aspects of your own life that may have affected or been impacted by your teen’s problems.
• Therapeutic residential programs help make up for missed academic achievements and create a philosophy that allows them to achieve future success.

Most importantly, there is nothing wrong with doing what is best when major troubles arise. Nor should you feel too much guilt by sending your adolescent to a troubled teen boarding school. All loving parents strive to provide the utmost care and affection. Even if it means seeking professional guidance in a residential program, the overall results can be very effective. It can help secure a positive future for your troubled teen and that’s what counts.