Stuart Squires, LCSW, founder of The Family Solution in St. George, Utah, explained to Lon Woodbury and Elizabeth McGhee from Parent Choices for Struggling Teens on L.A. Talk Radio the unique process of healing families through adventure therapy.
Lon Woodbury and Elizabeth McGhee both have extensive experience working with parents and at-risk teens. Lon is the founder of Struggling Teens and publishes the Woodbury Reports. He has also written a number of books on his specialty. As an independent educational consultant since 1984, he has helped numerous families in crisis. Meanwhile, Liz, has over nineteen years specializing in consulting and referral. Her present position is Director of Admissions at Sandhill Child Development Center.
Who is Stuart Squires?
The founder of The Family Solution, which is located in St. George Utah, Stuart Squires, also serves as its Executive Director. His organization offers families a short-term treatment process called "adventure therapy for families." His qualifications include being an LCSW--a licensed clinical social worker--and an approved supervisor for interns in social work. After working with families for more than ten years, he decided to create The Family Solution as a viable way to help families through outdoor activities.
A Unique Model: Healing Families through Adventure Therapy
During the course of the interview Squires talked about how his unique process of adventure therapy actually worked. The problem was not just the identified patient, the child who was misbehaving, but the entire family system. One solution to help rebuild rapport and family harmony was to take the family on outdoor trips like rappelling, hiking, or biking.
"What makes The Family Solution's answer to families in crisis a new therapeutic model?" asked Lon Woodbury. In response, Stuart Squires pointed out four clear differences:
1. This approach is unlike most traditional approaches. The entire family is involved. Everyone participates in the outdoor recreational adventure.
Second, the length of the treatment is only about a week, with a two to three month follow-up. During the week, families receive counseling and then extrapolate life lessons from their outdoor adventure.
Third, there is a strong emphasis on aftercare. The real benefit of the program is how things change for a family after they return home.
4. The program costs less than other treatment programs. In fact, it is a fifth less in price than what a family might pay for a wilderness program or a stay at a therapeutic boarding school.
The most effective way to heal a dysfunctional family system was to encourage the entire family to go on a recreational adventure together. This prevented the child from doing really well at a therapeutic boarding school or learning new behaviors and attitudes through a wilderness therapy program and then going back to their dysfunctional home life. The reason healing families through adventure therapy worked was because it worked on healing the whole family, not just the identified patient.
Lon Woodbury and Elizabeth McGhee both have extensive experience working with parents and at-risk teens. Lon is the founder of Struggling Teens and publishes the Woodbury Reports. He has also written a number of books on his specialty. As an independent educational consultant since 1984, he has helped numerous families in crisis. Meanwhile, Liz, has over nineteen years specializing in consulting and referral. Her present position is Director of Admissions at Sandhill Child Development Center.
Who is Stuart Squires?
The founder of The Family Solution, which is located in St. George Utah, Stuart Squires, also serves as its Executive Director. His organization offers families a short-term treatment process called "adventure therapy for families." His qualifications include being an LCSW--a licensed clinical social worker--and an approved supervisor for interns in social work. After working with families for more than ten years, he decided to create The Family Solution as a viable way to help families through outdoor activities.
A Unique Model: Healing Families through Adventure Therapy
During the course of the interview Squires talked about how his unique process of adventure therapy actually worked. The problem was not just the identified patient, the child who was misbehaving, but the entire family system. One solution to help rebuild rapport and family harmony was to take the family on outdoor trips like rappelling, hiking, or biking.
"What makes The Family Solution's answer to families in crisis a new therapeutic model?" asked Lon Woodbury. In response, Stuart Squires pointed out four clear differences:
1. This approach is unlike most traditional approaches. The entire family is involved. Everyone participates in the outdoor recreational adventure.
Second, the length of the treatment is only about a week, with a two to three month follow-up. During the week, families receive counseling and then extrapolate life lessons from their outdoor adventure.
Third, there is a strong emphasis on aftercare. The real benefit of the program is how things change for a family after they return home.
4. The program costs less than other treatment programs. In fact, it is a fifth less in price than what a family might pay for a wilderness program or a stay at a therapeutic boarding school.
The most effective way to heal a dysfunctional family system was to encourage the entire family to go on a recreational adventure together. This prevented the child from doing really well at a therapeutic boarding school or learning new behaviors and attitudes through a wilderness therapy program and then going back to their dysfunctional home life. The reason healing families through adventure therapy worked was because it worked on healing the whole family, not just the identified patient.
About the Author:
Find out more about Struggling Teens. Lon Woodbury has the recorded the entire interview on his L.A. Talk Radio show for people to listen to at any time.