Designed for struggling adolescents ages 13 to 17, Trails Carolina is a comprehensive therapeutic wilderness program set amid the tranquil North Carolina Mountains. Developed specifically to address the "whole child", Trails incorporates proven methods and clinical therapies to help change troubling behavior, guide adolescents up new paths of self-awareness, reengage students in an appreciation of academic challenge and learning, and most importantly, help lead families toward a better understanding their individual family systems and provide them with the tools for reunification and healing.
Graham Shannonhouse, Executive Director of Trails Carolina states, "One of my primary focuses in the development of the Trails philosophy and model was to ensure that families be included as an inherent and active part of the entire process. Too often, families feel isolated and ill-equipped to manage their child's struggles. Trails not only provide parents a safe place for their child, but also offers them a more complete understanding of their unique family system, and how they can impact real and meaningful change."
"What I believe differentiates our family approach," she continues, "is the fact that we have been able to design the program to intertwine both the student's and family's experiences from the onset. Rather than being an "add on" that requires the experience to be modeled around an existing protocol, our family component is a focused and purposeful compilation of our program's philosophy---to direct individuals towards a common, healthier and more productive purpose."
Immediately upon a student's arrival, the family is provided with a parent manual that includes information, tasks and assignments that specifically mirror their child's work. With the child's primary therapist acting as liaison, families work with a certified marriage and family therapist who guides them through the various stages of their work, which includes two day parent workshops, communication with other families, parent and sibling calls, webinars, and a two-day graduation experience that celebrates accomplishments while setting realistic expectations for both parent and child for what is to follow. In addition, families have access to their child's online personal website that is updated with treatment information and photos weekly.
"At TRAILS, our team of professionals is committed to the health, healing, and continued success of the individuals that comprise the family unit," says Shannonhouse. "Our focus on the family work is a direct reflection to our commitment of ensuring real and lasting change.