Health and Therapy Services

Therapy is not something reserved for an office only; it is done everywhere and all the time. Besides having a full-time (on campus) licensed therapist, counselors and staff are trained to look for “teachable moments” in every activity and in every situation. This takes place as trust and relationships are developed between the staff and the teens, and between the teens themselves. Problem solving at camp transfers to problem solving in other environments.

All of the therapy offered at SHF is Christ-centered and derived from biblical principles. None of these principles is without application to today's culture. The teens are supported in dealing with issues related to their behavior and healthy modes of expressing their feelings. Many of the teens who come to SHF have already been through a great deal of secular and traditional psychiatric/mental health therapy. At SHF, many individual therapy sessions are non-traditional in that they may be held while walking through the woods, pulling weeds, or sitting on a swing.

SHF has a full-time resident nurse/therapist who specializes in Child and Adolescent Christian Counseling, and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). She handles all medical aspects of care for the teens including medication administration; illness and injury care and follow-up; psychiatric appointments, and all ongoing therapy. She coordinates the residents’ individual treatment plans and goals, as well as all parent/family therapy. Each teen participates in regular individual therapy sessions, and regular group EAP sessions. She also provides training and education to our staff and counselors, as well as health education to our teens.

EAP is a form of experiential psychotherapy that includes equines (horses). Some of the activities that are included in EAP are grooming, handling, riding, and learning to have a relationship with a horse. This all leads to opportunities to enhance self-awareness, and re-pattern maladaptive behaviors, feelings, and attitudes.

It is our belief that when a teen is in crisis the entire family is also in crisis. Therapy is focused on the teen from day one. After several months in the program we expect the family to begin participating in family therapy. We include the parents by offering regular phone conferences and family sessions here at the farm. These are scheduled on family visitation weekends. We also provide parenting conferences at different times of the year to promote healing of relationships.