All Kinds of News for February 08, 2017

What distinguishes Gateway Academy in Utah from other residential treatment centers is an emphasis on brain-based learning and healing within the context of relationships. By understanding what’s happening in an adolescent’s brain at this formative stage of development – and by individualizing treatment through therapy rooted in relationships — a boy can learn, grow and heal.  Gateway’s "Sparks" brain-based approach is based on neuroscientific research by Dr. John Ratey, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Ratey found that movement and exercise “supercharges” mental circuits, enabling better retention and understanding of information. "Emerging research shows that physical activity sparks biological changes that encourage brain cells to bind to one another. For the brain to learn, these connections must be made; they reflect the brain’s fundamental ability to adapt to challenges." – Dr. John Ratey

Studies in school districts throughout the country are promising. Time and again, neuroscientists and educators have found that exercise stimulates the brain, priming it to learn. In addition, aerobic activity helps regulate systems that might be out of balance, making it a great therapeutic tool. If all of this is possible for adolescents, it must apply to adults as well!  When Gateway Academy personnel travel to conferences around the country, this emphasis on movement and mindfulness is shared with colleagues and professionals. In January at the annual NATSAP (National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs) Conference in Tucson, AZ, Gateway Academy teamed up with Pacific Quest Wilderness Therapy to co-sponsor an early morning yoga class. Movement, mindfulness and physical activity allowed everyone to begin their day as the students at Gateway Academy do, Sparking the brain and the body for success.