When parents have nowhere else to turn, a Christian retreat for troubled teens could be the answer. No parent wants to admit her child needs outside help, but sometimes it's unavoidable and better to get help before the problems deepen.
Where to Find Teenage Retreats
You can find Christian retreats and camps for at-risk youths across the country. Several websites catalog them to make the process of locating the perfect one a bit easier.
- My Summer Camps: This site for summer camps includes a section just for "Youth at Risk" camps. Among those, there are several that have a Christian background. These programs are organized so you can see location and type of program at a glance.
- Camps for Troubled Youth: This site organizes camps into four separate types for at-risk adolescents, and one of the categories is for Christian camps. The site stresses that the Christian camps aren't designed for teens with severe psychological problems or dangerous backgrounds.
- My Troubled Teen: This site focuses on all types troubled teens and mentions many Christian programs, as well as boarding schools, residential treatment, wilderness programs, and ones designed specifically for eating disorders. Their programs focus specifically on spiritual cleansing and renewal.
- Restoring Troubled Teens: This organization considers itself a "one-stop shop" for getting troubled teens needed help. They feature a whole list of different camps, some of them specifically Christian. Their goal is to reintegrate teens back into society.
- National Youth Network: The Network is meant as a resource for both parents and educators to get help for troubled youth. They offer wilderness programs, outdoor therapy, boarding schools, and summer camps and programs.
- Troubled Teen: This site offers plenty of help for troubled teens. With the mission statement of being dedicated to reuniting families, they offer boarding schools, military schools, residential treatment centers, wilderness programs, and boot camps. A selection of these programs are based on the Christian faith.
Benefits for Troubled Teens
All parents have the same worries when their teenagers become troubled, and these concerns always comes down to safety. Parents want to be sure their children, as well as others, remain safe. When teenagers are truly troubled, it can be very hard to reach them. Because of that, it can be beneficial to send them away to a retreat of some type to get some outside help, usually from professionals. The benefits of sending your teen to such a program include the following:
- Meeting like-minded friends
- Providing parents temporary relief
- Learning a new skill set to help troubled teen cope
- Getting reintroduced to their faith
- Living in a safe environment
Activities at Christian Retreats for Troubled Teens
The main objective at a Christian retreat for troubled teens is for kids to get the help that they need. It's difficult to see your child with problems, whether they're emotional or otherwise. Secondarily, the focus is on learning the values and morals of Christian faith. Activities at these retreats run the gamut between spiritual and normal camp-type activities. They include the following:
- Daily worship
- Leadership training
- Teamwork initiatives
- Seminars
- Survival skills
- Swimming
- Canoeing
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
Does My Teen Really Need Such a Program?
It can be difficult to admit that your child has problems and to commit to one of these programs by making that difficult call. If you've already gotten so far in the process to realize your child does need help, there is plenty of it out there. These programs are designed to not only help your child, but leave you comfortable with your decision as well.
