Timber Ridge prides itself in being able to offer
unparalleled personal attention to your daughter’s individual needs. Working closely with your daughter allows us to know when she needs to be nurtured, challenged, held accountable, or praised. Because Timber Ridge is designed to be her "home away from home," we are able to witness the same behaviors and issues you have dealt with at home, thus enabling us to identify and work through them.
You do not need to fear that your daughter will be lost in the crowd, for
our expertise is in exposing the problems at hand and facilitating the inherent strengths your daughter does not yet see.
Individual therapy is balanced in order that your daughter is challenged to grow and be accountable for her choices and yet be supported during times when difficulties seem overwhelming. Individual therapy is family systems focused. Group Psychotherapy is designed to teach your daughter communication and conflict resolution skills. Most importantly,
group therapy helps your daughter recognize how her personal issues affect the group and her relationships, so that she can practice changing them. Expressive Group Therapy is designed to provide a variety of creative and team-building experiences that are both fun and therapeutic.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is state-of-the-art cognitive behavioral therapy developed by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D. at the University of Washington. DBT is an empirically based treatment model that emphasizes a nonjudgmental, validation approach to treating students and their families. It has proven to have additional mental health benefits for the adolescent population, especially those who are characterized by a high degree of emotional instability. For example, it is useful in treating disorders such as complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mood and anxiety disorders, and substance abuse disorders. Often, adolescents who meet the above descriptions present with complex clinical profiles that can be complicated further by significant peer and family conflicts.
Timber Ridge has developed a distinct program which incorporates DBT principles and practices into the daily routine. We utilize formal skill building groups facilitated by nationally trained clinicians in concert with milieu programming, individual therapy and focused assignments such as ongoing self analysis of behavior and "mindfulness" exercises. Students monitor their behaviors and emotions on a daily basis with specially designed diary cards which reflect improvements in quality of life, attaining educational goals and deepening healthy relationships. In our residential setting, we have many opportunities to coach the students in using their newly acquired skills in a multitude of life situations.
Problematic behavior (self-harm, impulsiveness, etc) is both an unsuccessful attempt to reduce emotional distress and a consequence of impulsive decision-making that takes place when the person is emotionally dysregulated. A primary objective of DBT is to teach the student concrete behavioral skills.
The goals of treatment are:
- To decrease life-threatening and quality of life interfering behaviors
- Enhance behavioral capabilities and social functioning
- Reduce emotional reactivity (especially anger)
- Improve motivation to change
- Generalize new skills to the real-world environment.
Because DBT focuses on treating behavior, not diagnosis, students leave Timber Ridge with a portable skills-set to address emotional dysregulation, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance and mindfulness.
Other Components of Timber Ridge Prep therapy
- We offer a well-developed family program that dovetails with our student curriculum and includes a family workshop at the end of each of the four levels. Each level and family workshop has a specific focus. Students complete all four levels to successfully graduate from Timber Ridge Prep.
- We provide Master's level therapists, carefully selected to fit Timber Ridge Prep’s philosophy and goals.
- We offer individual therapy to help students learn to trust themselves, explore individual issues, and increase self-expression.
- Our group therapy and recreation programs encourage students to bond with their classmates, trust others, and develop social skills.
- Substance Use Disorder therapy is integrated into the DBT curriculum.
- We support our students during home visits and after graduation.
- Each student leaves the program with a comprehensive, clear, and concise after-care plan.
THERAPY
