At The Forge School, each clinician is trained in Brainspotting and often includes modalities such as EMDR, Heart Math, Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness into their treatment plans.  With that, clinicians are able to tailor their approach to treatment based on what works best for each individual student.  

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) specially addresses the physiological response triggered by past trauma. This type of therapy has proven extremely helpful with attachment trauma because it induces the neuroelectric connection between both sides of the brain.  When this happens, the client is choosing to induce themselves into a traumatic scenario within a safe environment.  In turn, the nervous system relaxes and the automatic physiological response begins to relax as well.

Heart Math is used by The Forge School’s clinicians to measure biophysical responses such as the body’s threat system.  Heart Math shows what the body does in real-time and how it reacts to stress levels — as well as how the body reacts to mindfulness practices.  Heart Math is extremely helpful at The Forge School specifically because young men, in particular, often have a hard time putting words to how they are feeling.  Being able to visually see their body’s trigger response, and feel it in the moment, has proven significant in their treatment.  The Forge School clinician Brandon Holt says that “using different tools help our young men figure out how they can attune to themselves and this type of intervention, being able to visualize that in a safe space, allows them to know ‘okay, there is definitely something going on here’ and ‘there are areas that need to heal.'”

There is no one path to treatment that is going to work well for everyone.  The clinicians at The Forge School have training in multiple modalities and, with that, can provide the opportunity to find out what will work best for each individual student.

About the Forge School

The Forge School is an emboldened residential treatment center and school developed in response to the neurobiological needs of boys and young men. At The Forge School we combine the immersion of extraordinary outdoor experiences, empathetic and attuned individual and family counseling, and exceptional educational rigor to help build greatness beyond an education. The Forge School also aims to reconnect boys to their bodies through meditation, yoga, mindfulness, fitness, and healthy nutrition.