Treating Boys With Self-Harm Habits At A Therapeutic Boarding School

Finding out that your teenage son self-harms can be terrifying for any parent to learn. While most parents would do their best to support and help their son at home, the factors outside of the house which drove their sons' to self-harm still exist. One proven way to help a self-harming, struggling teen boy is to attend a therapeutic boarding school for troubled teens.  With professional staff who have a great deal of experience working with a variety of troubled teens, teenagers who self-harm can learn ways to respond to their troubled feelings and experiences appropriately.

Therapeutic Intervention For Teen With Self-Harming Habits

Once removed from the environments which were potentially triggering the self-harming habits, troubled teen boys attending therapeutic boarding school will undergo therapeutic intervention. Each boy in the therapeutic boarding school has an individualized care plan, and for those struggling with self-harming tendencies, a large part of the teen's personal plan will address this issue. Some of the ways this kind of plan can be enacted are:

• Individual therapy - In individual talk therapy sessions, not only will therapist address the self-harming habit but also the causes behind the dangerous practice.
• Group therapy - Working with other troubled teen boys with similar issues can help teen boys feel less isolated in their struggles. Also, the positive peer support can assist self-harming boys to overcome their impulse to self-harm.
• Directed reflection - Troubled teen boys are given time to work on personal therapy homework, which can involve different forms of self-examination. Also, our treatment center here at Liahona encourages healthy spirituality based on the parent's preferred religion.
• Careful monitoring - Even teens who are trying hard to avoid self-harming can backslide at times and attempt to engage in self-harm. Students at therapeutic boarding schools are carefully monitored, and one with a care plan indicating trouble with self-harm will be even more closely observed.

Harmful Habits Redirected At Therapeutic Boarding Schools

As troubled teen boys work to rid themselves of their impulse to self-harm, the redirection of that impulse plays an essential role at therapeutic boarding schools. Some of the activities the teen boys engage in to keep them distracted from harmful habits are:

• Academics - While some boys fall behind due to the circumstances surrounding their self-harm habits, therapeutic boarding schools provide supportive environments where the boys can catch up and academically excel at subjects they may have previously struggled with understanding.
• Extra-curriculars - Outside of the core academic subjects like math, science, English, and others, many therapeutic boarding schools offer extra-curricular activities such as culinary arts, service projects, outdoor adventures, and music studies.

Not all schools are equally up to the task of helping teen boys struggling with self-harm. Liahona Treatment Center does have staff experienced in helping boys overcome self-harm and other self-destructive habits. Contact us to see if your son is a good fit for our program.