Will my teen hate me if I send them to a therapeutic boarding school? Will my teen hate me forever if I send them to a school for troubled teens?
Have you exhausted your local resources with your troubled teenager? Are they struggling with depression, anxiety, technology addiction? Maybe they are engaging in risky behavior, stopped going to school or now failing their classes?
One of parents’ greatest fear is that their teen will hate them forever if they are sent to a therapeutic boarding school — this is not true. As long as parents do their due diligence in finding the right setting for their teen.
How to handle teen hate is a common concern.
Your teen will likely be scared of the new situation and may also promise to “do better at home” if you’ve discussed the possibility of going to a therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment center.
We never recommend parents threaten their child with this option, since choosing residential therapy is such an amazing opportunity for your teen to develop coping skills they may be lacking, improve self-esteem to make better choices, learn anger and stress management skills and most of all – improve their overall mental wellness.
Most of these programs’ strengths are aimed at emotional growth and wellness – academics are typically secondary, but are important and included. Keep in mind, without emotional wellness – nothing will work in life.
In many situations, talk therapy at home was not successful. Engaging in a therapeutic boarding school offers your troubled teenager a variety of therapies such as: art, animal, music, sports, horticulture and more therapies.
In our experience, your child will likely grow from fear and anger they already have — to love and understanding that this decision was made with their best interests in mind.
We are parents, too, and we know this is a tough decision, but it is one of the most loving decisions you can make for your teen’s future. Many parents ask themselves, why will residential treatment work when home therapy has failed?
The majority of parents have to employ a transport service to safely get their teen to a program. Although this can seem deceptive, again, you will be pleasantly surprised that your teen will not hate you.
We encourage you to talk to other parents and teens that have used these services to better understand how they work. Don’t rely on the internet and some stories that are geared towards fearmongering. Be smart, hire licensed and insured teams, talk to references and get your child the help they need.
This is a major financial and emotional decision, it’s going to impact your teen on so many levels in their long-term life. It’s why since 2001 we’ve been educating parents about the teen help industry and finding the right fit for your family’s individual needs.
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