Troubled Teenagers

The press is always talking about how problems with troubled teenagers have escalated. Most families do not think that this could ever describe their own situation, but more and more families are coming to me with just this problem. They are good families who have worked hard to raise their children well, only to find that they are now saddled with this very problem. Many of these families are embarrassed and ashamed that this is now their own personal problem. They are often reluctant to discuss their situation with a stranger, even one who can help guide them to a possible solution.

I got into the business of educational/therapeutic consulting because I was one of those families. We also prided ourselves that we were raising our children properly, instilling in them the good values that our parents had instilled in us. Education was always stressed, working and playing hard, abiding by the rules and never giving up. How could I now be concerned with articles about troubled teenagers.

So I started my business because I wanted to help other families, who may have found themselves in similar situations. Families come to me because they simply don’t know what to do. I have many families who feel guilty that they need help in finding a therapeutic placement for their teen. Many families who have adopted their children, feel especially guilty that by sending their teen to a residential school, it will be similar to the abandonment that their child must have felt when they were given up for adoption. They often wait until the situation is so dire that they feel in a state of panic. I deal with this situation all the time and tell parents that they needn’t feel guilt or shame for asking for help. If you find that you are reading more and more about troubled teenagers and wonder if your family could benefit from some additional guidance, please contact me and find out from a professional if a therapeutic placement is an appropriate next step.