ViewPoint Center strongly believes that leisure activities can play a significant role in the therapeutic and healing process for patients. Such activities have numerous benefits for individuals’ mental, emotional, and, of course, physical well-being. ViewPoint Center uses leisure activities to reinforce other forms of therapy. Participating in activities is helpful as early as the assessment or diagnostic stage, as interdisciplinary team collaboration allows therapists to see patients’ interactions and behaviors in leisure activities and communicate with the treatment team. These insights help bolster a comprehensive treatment plan that supports success across all life settings. Patients at ViewPoint are able to participate in on-campus activities such as pickleball, community chats around the firepit, and off-campus outdoor or community-based activities on the weekends.

“It’s incredible how much you can learn by observing patients while they engaged in on or off-campus activities such as watching them play a game of pickleball or chatting around the fire pit,” says Clinical Director Brandon Burr. “We want to give patients these meaningful opportunities to blow off some steam because it provides valuable insights into their behavior, preferences, and emotional well-being.”

Patients take part in campus activities that are helpful in stress and anxiety reduction. Having time to engage in enjoyable leisure activities with their peers and treatment staff reduces stress, and allows patients to reconnect with simply being a kid, an important and often overlooked part of clinical treatment. While traditional therapy is an integral part of treatment, ViewPoint Center finds that patients are able to have groundbreaking moments and achieve great strides in nontraditional therapeutic settings. Engaging in activities can serve as a means of emotional expression, allowing patients to explore and express their feelings in non-verbal or creative ways. It’s also another way that ViewPoint Center teaches healthy coping mechanisms which help develop the necessary skills to form and maintain positive relationships. Fun activities such as fireside chats or trail hikes invite patients to express their thoughts and feelings without judgment, slowly building trust with staff which in turn empowers them to transfer these skills to other relationships. 

Through these activities, patients discover their likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. Exploring different activities allows patients to learn more about themselves, their preferences, and what brings them joy and fulfillment. This increased self-awareness is valuable in therapy as it promotes personal growth and a deeper understanding of oneself.

About ViewPoint Center

The ViewPoint Center is a comprehensive therapeutic assessment facility licensed as a specialty psychiatric hospital for adolescents of all genders ages 12-17. ViewPoint employs two tracks, to be used independently or in succession, to accommodate the individualized needs of each patient.

• The short-term stabilization track provides a safe and nurturing environment that helps to stabilize a patient psychiatrically and clinically so that they can return to a program/boarding school in a matter of 1-3 weeks.  
• The assessment track provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation involving psychiatry, clinical, medical, academic, neuropsychological, and social milieu functioning. The 8-week clinical assessment provides answers to the most complex diagnostic questions as well as recommendations for longer-term treatment.  

To learn more about the ViewPoint Center, please visit ViewPoint Center or call (855) 290-9682.