Dr Fred has worked closely with many families and individuals to provide assistance with admission, transportation to, and placement in therapeutic wilderness and boarding school programs, private middle and secondary schools, and colleges and universities.

Click on one of the following links, or scroll down this page for more information about each service.

• Therapeutic Wilderness Programs
• Non-Therapeutic Outdoor & Wilderness Programs
• Private Therapeutic Boarding Schools
• College Admissions and Academic Advising

Links to therapeutic boarding school programs:

Links to therapeutic wilderness programs:

 College Admissions and Academic Advising

With experience as a college admissions counselor and academic advisor, as well as work in college counseling at the secondary school level, Dr Fred is able to provide assistance with the transition to college, college choices, and the application process for students and their parents. This service is designed for students and families who do not have access to the comprehensive college counseling programs that many schools offer.

Fees for these services are charged at the standard hourly rate, and not as an all-inclusive and expensive package. You and/or your child will only be billed for the services you request and receive. Oftentimes one to four sessions are adequate, with additional sessions available as needed.

• Services provided include the following:
• College selection and advisement
• Assistance with editing and reviewing of essays, applications
• Managing the transition from home life to college
• Developing a realistic plan for the college admissions process
• Placement of students with specialized needs (e.g. AD/HD, learning disabilities)
• Advisement regarding choice of classes, major, and standardized test preparation services
• Help with career exploration and options for career choices

Top of Page

 Therapeutic Wilderness Programs

Therapeutic wilderness programs provide a way for adolescents and young adults to develop independence, increase self-esteem, and to work therapeutically on issues such as opposition and defiance, substance abuse, academic problems, family relationships, difficult behaviors, as well as various other struggles that today's teens face. There are differences between the many different camps and programs that are available. Some are more appropriate for younger teens whereas others are geared towards older individuals. Many programs address minor family and school problems that are getting worse, while others are set up for those involved more seriously in delinquency, substance abuse, and other destructive behaviors.

 What are wilderness therapeutic camps?

There are two basic types of wilderness therapeutic camps: long-term and short-term camps

Long Term Camps

These programs usually consist of large base camps located on large parcels of wilderness property. Usually these camps consist of a few central, permanent buildings such as schools, offices, dining halls, maintenance facilities, etc. There are also several small campsites in which groups of 8-12 campers live with their counselors on a year ‘round basis. The campers build their own tents in these programs. They are responsible for cooking some of their own meals and planning their own activities with guidance from their counselors.

Groups also take various types of adventure trips form these facilities. These trips may include activities such as backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, ropes course activities, and other adventure activities.

The therapy occurs in these programs through the campers experiencing group process as they take responsibility for their own needs. Usually these programs include group problem solving sessions called circle ups or huddle ups. The traditional therapeutic modality used in these camps is Reality Therapy. Some camps have changed modalities in recent years to Brief Solution Focused Therapy. These programs usually have accredited educational programs. The time campers spend in these programs ranges from a few months to more than one year.

Short Term Programs

Short-term programs usually do not maintain permanent base camps. In these programs, campers are usually evaluated and admitted at a central professional office. After orientation, they are then placed with a group of peers and transported to a wilderness location where they begin a wilderness trek with a team of adult leaders. Similar programming and therapy to those of the long-term camp are used in these programs. Therapy is based on the resolution of group problems by the group, as is the case with the long-term camps. Campers usually stay in these programs from 21 to 90 days.

How successful are wilderness therapeutic camps?

Various follow-up studies have determined that 75-80% of the young people who complete these program experience significant improvement in the problems that brought them to the programs. The success rates of wilderness therapeutic camps compare very well with the success rates of other residential treatments facilities.

Are boot camps considered to be wilderness therapeutic camps?

Boot camps are not considered to be wilderness therapeutic camps. Boot camps are great programs for training military personnel. There is little evidence of long term success of these programs in bringing about change in the emotional problems that are the basis for problem behavior in adolescents.

(Source: National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camps website (www.natwc.org))

Dr Fred will work with you and your family to find the best option for you and to facilitate the easiest transition. Wilderness camps are not a cure-all, but in many cases, they have often provided young people with a new outlook and a new sense of self, while working on their personal problems with trained mental health professionals.

Top of Page

 Transportation to Therapeutic Programs

When clinically appropriate, Dr Fred will travel with clients and families to help transport adolescents to therapeutic boarding schools and to wilderness programs. Traveling with a trusted and reliable doctoral level mental health professional can be a much less traumatic option than transportation companies offer. Oftentimes the persons who travel with a teenager or child are former (or current) law-enforcement offices, security or body guards, or bail bondspersons. While using such services is appropriate for strongly resistant children and those with a high risk of running away, when the issues are less intense and the risks are lower, Dr Fred offers a more soothing alternative. Few, if any of the transportation companies offer the services of a licensed mental health professional. Dr Fred is able to comfort, educate, and encourage students and parents during the process and will facilitate the logistics of applying to and attending therapeutic programs.

Non-Therapeutic Outdoor & Wilderness Programs

There are also non-therapeutic wilderness programs that do not provide the intense psychotherapeutic aspect, but which provide opportunities for leadership, self-discovery, wilderness training, and developing self-confidence. 

Some of the programs we recommend include Outward Bound (www.outwardbound.org) which offers various types of wilderness, outdoor, and professional training programs, and National Outdoor Leadership School or NOLS (www.nols.edu). Both NOLS and Outward Bound provide a very extensive and wide range of excellent learning and outdoor life experiences and Dr Fred has had success referring many patients to both organizations.

Top of Page

 Therapeutic Boarding Schools

Private boarding schools are divided into therapeutic and non-therapeutic programs. Dr Fred offers advisement and help with the selection of an appropriate school, as well as assistance with admission and placement.

Therapeutic boarding schools are highly structured settings that combine private education and intensive psychological help. They offer hope to parents who can't control or communicate with their kids and who are frustrated with how to proceed.

Therapeutic Boarding Schools generally accept students with histories of substance abuse, behavioral problems, learning difficulties and special needs. They provide a supportive, structured environment and work on increasing communication skills, family issues and emotional growth issues.

Many offer experiential education opportunities and team sports. Psychotherapy is usually offered and groups occur daily. Academics, however, are the main focus of Therapeutic Boarding Schools. Many Therapeutic Boarding Schools will send kids to a wilderness program prior to admission as a warm up, or if lagging and being uncooperative, send them to one get their attention and then re-admit them.

(Source: The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (www.NATSAP.org))

Top of Page

UPDATE: September 2007

Hidden Lake Academy

I recently traveled to Hidden Lake Academy in Georgia with a client of mine who has faced some challenges and needed some help away from the home and local environment. Although my time at HLA was brief, I was able to tour the campus and get an idea of the therapeutic and academic philosophy of the school and its staff. With a comprehensive approach to academic, social, physical and emotional well-being, Hidden Lake Academy impressed me with their dedication to providing an excellent opportunity for adolescents. In conversations with with Jeff Holloway, the Assistant Headmaster of Hidden Lake Academy, I learned the philosophy of the school, as well as their commitment to allowing students to express their creativity, to develop their own individual identities, and to learn the social and academic skills to get back on track.

What impressed me most was something that wasn't present at Hidden Lake Academy; the strict locked-door, institutional, and rigid approach that I have experienced in visiting other therapeutic boarding schools. There was a sense of respecting the individual while understanding the issues and defenses that troubled adolescents face. During an initial interview with my patient, I was impressed with the clarity and insight that the staff used to help this anxious and resistant individual to adjust to the shock of the transition to a therapeutic boarding school. HLA has clear rules and guidelines, and enforces rules with consistency and kindness. The students I happened to run into were walking to their dorm from classes, and were laughing, joking, and politely said hello.

The school works to help adolescents with low self-esteem and who have made poor choices to develop in a comprehensive and well-rounded program. The school's literature states they use "an intense all-around program that features stimulating academics and supportive group therapy. The five-part 15-18 month program gives students from 12 to 17, the life skills they need to reach their full potential and face the future with confidence."

A unique independent therapeutic boarding school in a rural setting that is beautiful and peaceful, yet close enough to Atlanta for students and staff to attend cultural events and field trips, Hidden Lake Academy stands apart from many therapeutic schools. Their acceptance of their students as individuals, the comprehensive total development approach, and the kindness and skills of the staff top the list of reasons I would recommend HLA for adolescents with low self-steem and/or oppositional issues. The proximity to a major metropolitan area (Atlanta) as well as to states on the east coast also makes this an ideal option for families who may be less comfortable with schools in more distant states. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my experience with Hidden Lake Academy.