Solstice East, a residential treatment center for girls, recognizes the importance for teens of learning from experiences and therefore integrates experiential components into activities on and off-campus. In addition to adventure activities and equine therapy, Solstice East has recently started to offer weekly Experiential Specialty Groups focused on team-building initiatives for every student on campus.
“Typically, our specialty groups are centered around discussion topics with students dividing into groups based on their individual needs. While this personalized approach is beneficial for teens, students who struggle with learning differences and social communication benefit from a more hands-on approach that helps them understand the value of psychoeducation in their everyday lives,” explains Adventure Therapy Specialist Dan Horseman.
Off-campus outings and adventure activities are divided into smaller groups where teens tend to focus more on their personal experiences and emotion regulation. Experiential Specialty Groups involve every team and multiple therapists, which gives teens the opportunity to focus on broader themes, like communication, teamwork, group dynamics and leadership.
“We’ll choose experiential activities and pair them with a topic, like healthy boundaries, and give students the opportunity to practice those boundaries in a structured way,” describes Horseman. “We start with psychoeducation about the topic for all the teams and then break up into team-building initiatives. Then, we debrief with students and point out what we have noticed, celebrating successes and encouraging students to practice certain skills.”
Many students who have made progress in their daily lives are pushed out of their comfort zone whenever they participate in these experiential activities. When deeper patterns in how they respond to situations and how they feel about themselves are revealed, it gives them insight into topics they may want to work through in sessions. Lessons are then integrated into weekly off-campus activities, community service and adventure camping trips to provide a context for students to apply these skills in real-life settings.
To learn more about Experiential Therapy at Solstice East, visit their website here.
Solstice East is a residential treatment center for young women ages 14-18 struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, and addictive behaviors. Solstice East gives young women the skills and confidence they need to lead happy and healthy lives. Students learn to build healthy relationships, cope with emotions, and effectively communicate through adventure therapy, accredited academics, equine therapy, and various specialty groups. Contact us at (855) 672-7058. We can help your family today!