TREATMENT MODALITIES

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

Within the first 24-72 hours of entering the program each client will receive a battery of psychological testing based on their presenting issues and treatment needs.

In order to ensure that the testing provides useful information the testing will be specific to the person and their needs. All test results will be review with the teenager as well as his or her parents.

We have the ability to conduct a full neuro-psychological evaluation when necessary and appropriate. It is an intensive testing process that is not needed for all clients but if this is something you are interested in exploring please feel free to discuss further with our admissions team.

PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION

Our staff psychiatrist will do a full psychiatric evaluation with each client within the first 24-72 hours of entering the program.

In addition to conducting a face to face evaluation of the client our psychiatrist will reach out to the parents as well as any previous outpatient psychiatrist that we have the authorization to speak to. We are very conservative when it comes to medication. It can be a valuable tool in the treatment process but is not the first resort. We would never administer or change a medication without consulting with the parents first and in order to get their approval.

Unfortunately, our society values and seeks the “quick fix.” Many teenagers we have treated and their parents are often disillusioned to the fact that medication on it’s own is the solution. We have worked with many clients who have been on various mediations at different points in their life with little to no success. Because we are so aware of this, we consult with and advise the family, teen and outpatient providers to make sure that the psychiatric and medication management services we provide have a positive impact on the teen.

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY

Every client will benefit from one on one, individual therapy every day.

Upon entering the program each client will receive a treatment team consisting of a Primary, Secondary and Family therapist. This way we can assure that there will be someone from the treatment team on shift every day. Due to the nature of Residential Treatment there are many opportunities throughout the day for positive clinical interventions. Clients are encouraged to seek out staff at any point in the day if they have something on their mind or need additional support.

GROUP THERAPY

Group therapy is a vital part of the program.

While we do a tremendous amount of individualized therapy, with the adolescent population there is so much value and insight that can be gained from interacting and engaging with one another. The group therapy we provide includes but is not limited to process groups, psycho-educational groups, DBT, CBT and expressive arts therapies such as music therapy, drama therapy, art therapy and writing therapy.

FAMILY THERAPY

Family therapy is a vital component of our program and any successful treatment for adolescents.

Adolescent are still dependent on our parents for so much in life, especially in today’s world where children are growing up faster than ever before. Family therapy provides us with an opportunity to learn about one another, how to understand, communicate and support each other in healthier ways. The majority of the families we work with travel to Pacific Teen Treatment from out of state, so while there are plenty of opportunities to participate in person, we can conduct family therapy remotely over the phone or Skype and our staff will always be flexible to coordinate sessions around parent schedules.

EVIDENCED BASED TREATMENT

This refers to treatment approaches that have been adequately tested in scientific research.

Emotions and science often see things differently, so we feel like it’s important that we use both traditional talk therapy as wells as evidence based approaches such as CBT and DBT.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a therapeutic method that combines behavioral therapy with talk therapy. This is a form of goal based therapy that uses a problem-solving approach to change thinking patterns and unhealthy behavioral patterns of our clients.

DIALECTICAL BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (DBT)

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy uses mindfulness skills to help an individual focus on accepting their emotions. Simultaneously, it also helps to adjust the unhealthy behaviors that derive from emotions. Mindfulness based skills help an individual to regulate emotions by living in the moment.

EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPY

Expressive arts therapies include music therapy, art therapy, writing therapy and drama therapy.

Each group is run by licensed specialist in his or her field. By engaging in expressive arts therapies, our clients find new avenues through which to express themselves, particularly early in the recovery process when it can be challenging to verbalize our emotional material.

EXPERIENTIAL THERAPY

Experiential therapies include activities such as Equine Therapy, Surf Therapy, and Team-Building exercises such as a ropes course where the clients have to work together to realize a common goal.

Teens who struggles with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and/or low self-esteem are often too scared and/or or overwhelmed to try new activities or put themselves in unknown and/or difficult situations. By showing them that they can in fact overcome these obstacles, we help to improve and increase an individual’s self-worth, thus providing another building block towards recovery.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES

Include groups such as Yoga, Meditation, Deep Breathing and Mindfulness exercises.

While we believe there is a lot to be gained from these alternative therapies that act as a complement to the other services we provide, we would never force someone into a group that the individual or family are not comfortable with. Instead we encourage our clients to try things out of their comfort zone if we believe it can help them.