Group Therapy

Group Therapy with Master's Level Counselors

During the assessment phase of our program, our Master’s level counselors develop an individualized therapeutic treatment plan. The treatment modality is group therapy. A student’s group therapy experience at Ridge Creek Wilderness begins with two weeks of daily one-hour sessions. These, like all Ridge Creek Wilderness group therapy sessions, help students become aware of the way their actions, thoughts, and feelings affect themselves. They gain new perspectives on issues that have caused problems for them, and are challenged to find more effective ways to deal with these issues. During the program’s emotionally in depth third week, students participate in daily two-hour sessions. The final week of the program consists of a one-hour session each day.

Therapeutic Philosophy

The clinical perspective utilized in the Ridge Creek Wilderness therapeutic curriculum takes the position that negative behaviors are symptomatic of underlying psychological issues. While certain behaviors may be problematic in and of themselves, they usually reflect secondary responses rather than causal factors. Essentially, individuals engaging in self-defeating patterns of behavior are attempting to cope with a variety of internal and external challenges that create heightened feelings of insecurity and defensiveness. Needs, whether known or hidden, internal or external, direct and motivate outward responses.

Most adolescents are unaware of the deep psychological dynamics at work in their lives. Because core emotional struggles and needs are rarely understood fully by teenagers, they often feel caught-up in a cycle of negative reinforcement for which they are not responsible. This can result in tendencies toward hopelessness, emotional frustration, and oppositional attitudes. It is only after adolescents are made aware of the motivations directing their behavior that they are able to exert more positive control over their responses. At the center of Ridge Creek Wilderness’ approach is the shift from perceptual irresponsibility and incompetence to behavioral responsibility and psychological competence.