"Talk therapy" may not help depressed teens, according to a new study from Cambridge University in Great Britain.

Dr. Ian Goodyer and his colleagues studied 208 children ages 11 to 17 years under treatment for depression. Some only took drugs. Others took drugs but also underwent weekly sessions with a psychologist. Those in the medication-only group actually improved more than those who received therapy as well.

Other studies have found that troubled teens respond better to "experiential therapy" instead of traditional "talk therapy." Experiential therapy may involve working with animals, sharing a wilderness experience with trained counselors, art and drama, etc.

Dr. Goodyer's study appears in the July 20, 2007 issue of BMJ (British Medical Journals).

Equine therapy or animal assisted therapy may be better alternatives for kids who don't respond to traditional therapy. Visit animal-assistedtherapy.com for more information.

Labels: therapy, treatment_programs, wilderness_therapy

Professor Anna Mueller at the University of Texas recently confirmed what many teachers and parents have long known or suspected: teens that are under emotional distress can't perform well at school. If one area of a teen's life is causing emotional stress, the other areas of his life will be affected as well. Most parents automatically think "summer school" when a teen is struggling academically, but a wilderness therapy camp can address the root of the problem – emotional distress – so that a teen is better equipped to handle the pressures of life, even after high school is over.

"Instead of learning weather from books, charts, and maps, these teens master weather systems by tracking changes in the wind, temperature, and air pressure... 'Seeing' geology instead of studying it comes as a revelation to most students. They learn to 'read a mountain' by understanding what the rocks and formations in each level mean in terms of the mountain’s history and composition."

A wilderness camp is a world free from distractions like cell phones, television, and the Internet, where a teen can learn valuable life skills.

Read more online.

Labels: failing_in_school, summer_programs, wilderness_therapy