What Parents Can Expect
Parenting a teenager struggling with mental health or behavioral challenges can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. You may be feeling hopeful, worried, or even unsure about what to expect as your teen begins their healing journey. At Hillcrest Adolescent, we’re here to guide and support you through the process, providing transparency, compassion, and the expertise needed to help your child thrive.
Learn more about our teen treatment programs or call us now at 800-234-5599.
What To Expect During the Program
At Hillcrest, we utilize a phased approach to ensure steady progress and lasting results. Research shows that structured treatment timelines lead to the most significant improvements for teens. Here’s how we break down the treatment experience:
The First Phase: Stabilization and Assessment
During the initial phase, your teen will receive a thorough assessment to determine their specific needs. This includes evaluations by our team of licensed professionals and input from you.
The focus will be on stabilizing their symptoms, developing trust, and creating a personalized treatment plan.
In this phase, we dive deeper into understanding the underlying causes of your teen’s struggles.
Evidence-based therapies and therapeutic activities help your child identify triggers, build coping mechanisms, and work toward emotional and behavioral growth.
Recovery extends beyond the individual. This phase includes family therapy sessions and preparation for life after treatment. The goal is to strengthen relationships, rebuild trust, and equip both you and your teen with tools for a successful reintegration at home.
Minimized Contact with Home: A Step Toward Growth
One of the most challenging aspects for parents is the limited direct communication with their teen during treatment. While we keep you informed of their progress through regular updates, this boundary allows your teen to fully immerse themselves in their recovery.
It’s an opportunity to break unhealthy patterns and foster independence. Although it may feel difficult, this step is a vital part of the healing process.
Emotional Ups and Downs
Recovery is rarely a straight path. During their time at Hillcrest, your teen may experience moments of resistance, deflection, or frustration. These reactions are normal as they confront challenging emotions and behaviors.
Expect ups and downs along the way, and know that setbacks are part of growth. Avoid the temptation to “rescue” them from these moments, as facing and overcoming challenges is essential for long-term success.
Evidence-Based and Experiential Therapies
At Hillcrest Adolescent, we take a holistic approach to healing by blending evidence-based therapeutic practices with experiential activities.
This comprehensive model helps teens uncover the root causes of their struggles, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and foster a sense of self-discovery that extends beyond traditional therapy.
Our evidence-based therapies are rooted in scientific research and are tailored to meet the unique needs of each teen. These therapies include:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A highly effective approach that helps teens identify and reframe negative thought patterns that contribute to unhealthy behaviors or emotions.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Focuses on teaching emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness techniques to help teens better manage intense emotions.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Encourages teens to explore the deeper, often subconscious emotional challenges and past experiences that may influence their current behaviors.
- Family Therapy: A vital component that fosters improved communication, rebuilds trust, and strengthens relationships within the family unit.
To complement these evidence-based methods, we also incorporate experiential therapies that engage teens in creative, hands-on, and nature-based activities.
These therapies are designed to promote emotional healing, improve self-esteem, and encourage vulnerability in a supportive environment. Some of the experiential therapies your teen may experience include:
- Equine Therapy: Builds confidence and trust through interactions with horses, fostering emotional growth and self-awareness.
- Surf Therapy: Combines the therapeutic benefits of physical activity and the calming effect of the ocean to help teens build resilience and overcome challenges.
- Art Therapy: Provides a creative outlet for self-expression, allowing teens to explore and process their emotions in a nonverbal way.
While your teen may naturally gravitate toward some activities and initially resist others, we encourage full engagement in all therapies.
Each method is carefully designed to help your teen grow, heal, and develop new insights about themselves. By participating in both traditional and experiential therapies, your teen will leave Hillcrest with the tools and confidence needed to thrive in their personal and emotional journey.
Academic Support: Bridging Education & Recovery
We understand that academics play a vital role in your teen’s future, and maintaining their educational progress is a priority at Hillcrest Adolescent.
Our tailored academic support program ensures that your teen doesn’t fall behind while they focus on recovery. Whether they need to catch up on missed assignments, improve their grades, or simply maintain their current academic standing, our dedicated academic team works closely with them to meet their unique needs.
To make this process as seamless as possible, we collaborate directly with your teen’s school to follow their current curriculum, ensuring that their education aligns with their peers. This collaboration includes coordinating assignments, meeting any special requirements, and providing progress reports to their school when necessary.
In addition to traditional academics, we incorporate time management and organizational skills into the program to help your teen develop habits that will support long-term success. By combining education with recovery, we help prepare them to return to their academic environment with confidence, resilience, and the tools needed to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
The Need for Family-Focused Recovery
While your teen is the identified patient, we recognize that recovery involves the whole family.
Family therapy sessions address communication breakdowns, unresolved issues, and any dynamics that may have contributed to your teen’s struggles. These sessions are a space for growth, understanding, and healing.
No one expects perfection, but self-awareness and collaboration can lead to meaningful change. Our team is here to support you with honesty and compassion every step of the way.
Your Partner In Healing
At Hillcrest Adolescent, we’re honored to be part of your family’s journey toward recovery. We understand how much trust it takes to seek help for your child, and we are committed to providing the highest standard of care. From structured treatment phases to personalized support, we aim to put your mind at ease and guide your teen toward a healthier, brighter future.
Have questions? Contact us today to learn more about our programs or to schedule a consultation.
Get Help Today!
We Focus on Teen Recovery in a Caring, Safe and Intimate Setting
We specialize in behavior, anxiety, personality disorders, complex psychiatric disorders, and many co-occurring issues. Our philosophy? To empower clients to address their struggles head on and to find the most wholesome path for long lasting healing, and overall life quality.