What every parent wants
Every parent wants their child to succeed in life. We want our children to be happy. We cringe when they experience pain; even when it comes as a consequence related to a choice they have made. We want our kids to experience peace in life. We want our children to be kind and grow into respectable adults. We want them to have opportunities. We want smooth sailing for our kids. The catch? There are only so many for smooth sailing days, no perfect kids and likewise there are no perfect parents. Even a perfect parenting strategy combined with competent parents and ideal social circumstances still do not guarantee that our kids will always make choices that are for their best good. We sometimes end up with a dilemma that doesn't seem to have any solutions.
Here's the nugget of truth that many people find helpful. Everybody Struggles. Some people struggle in a more public manner than others but beneath the perfect social media persona is a human that struggles. Struggle is normal and even healthy. Think about it. A baby bird that is helped out of it's shell will die because it never had to build the strength necessary to take the next steps in life. Likewise an adult bird would fall from the sky if it suddenly had no resistance from the wind. A fish could not swim if there was not water resistance against which to flip its tail. If there was no gravity to hold us down we would simply float away. An athlete that doesn't train wont be able to compete. Struggle is universal and necessary.
One of the most difficult things a parent can experience is to see our child struggle and feel pain. We want to protect them and make it all better or we sometimes insulate them from the consequences of their choices. Other times, we attempt to take away their ability to make choices. The hardest thing to do, and the thing many parents struggle to practice, is to allow a child to experience the natural consequences of their choices. Until we allow them to feel the discomfort associated with the choices they make however, we actually keep them from learning and progressing. The best intended rescue that removes a consequence, in the long run, is more harmful than helpful.
If families are caught in a cycle that includes a child's unhealthy choices that we feel helpless to influence, it becomes necessary for us as parents or other concerned loved ones, to respond differently than we have in the past. Exactly what that will look like is as varied as the situation and the personalities of the people around us. Rest assured that there are solutions available to help inspire people to improve the manner in which they make choices. Success is attainable.
When families need to inspire change in their young person, they want something that works, and wilderness therapy is proving to be a great option as part of the solution. Research indicates it to be efficacious with long term positive results having been measured at over 80%. It's been shown to be cost effective as well. In the long run, research has show that wilderness therapy actually costs less than traditional in office therapy to inspire the same level of change.
While families have a student enrolled at Passages Alaska, Family members will have weekly contact with their student's clinician to discuss progress, goals and follow up care. Additionally, Parents will have access to a parent coach that works collaboratively with Passages Alaska. Parent coaching provides support, guidance and encouragement to parents who are navigating their way through an experience that is unfamiliar and challenging
Please feel free to call with any questions.
Thanks for your interest.