Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy
Vulcan Challenge - Fire Element
AtomicAnt:
--- Quote ---On 2006-06-05 15:03:00, Anonymous wrote:
"it is s shame but there are probably no staff there who even know what the vulcan challenge was meant to do especially if they come up with a traumatizing idea like this..i am disgusted reading about it. i am a former staff who left during one of HLA's famous purges but i can tell you that a vulcan challenge could be a good one if it was created right. the "performance" of the challenge had little to do with it. the challenge came form the moment they were told what they were going to do. it should be creative and open ended so they students can be creative. having a young girl sing i feel pretty and dance to it after spending years and years under that insecurity was not a bad...though many of you will tear it apart, but how she handled it with grace even though she wanted to run was wonderful to watch. she came up to after and said she had never had a chance to dance before and her confidence was so much stronger now. HLA does not have the staff who understands the meaning of what they are teaching if they are doing horrific things and it is a shame because it could be good. "
--- End quote ---
And I will tear it apart. Forcing such a performance on a shy person could easily be far more humiliating and traumatizing than helpful. In fact, I can't imagine it ever being any kind of real 'therapy.' No one should ever be forced to mock themselves. That's just cruel. This is just one more example of a program having absolutely no idea what they are doing.
RobertBruce:
--- Quote ---On 2006-06-01 16:37:00, Deborah wrote:
"
What did either of you think at the time, the purpose of this 'therapeutic' activity was?
Sounds like a mandatory talent show and someone else picks your activity?
'Forced' seems to be the key word, and how do you 'force' someone out of their shell?
How could it have been more fun and more effect, if at all?"
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FUnny thats exactly what it was. No benefit whatsoever. Then again what at HLA does?
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2006-06-05 19:47:00, AtomicAnt wrote:
"
--- Quote ---
On 2006-06-05 15:03:00, Anonymous wrote:
"it is s shame but there are probably no staff there who even know what the vulcan challenge was meant to do especially if they come up with a traumatizing idea like this..i am disgusted reading about it. i am a former staff who left during one of HLA's famous purges but i can tell you that a vulcan challenge could be a good one if it was created right. the "performance" of the challenge had little to do with it. the challenge came form the moment they were told what they were going to do. it should be creative and open ended so they students can be creative. having a young girl sing i feel pretty and dance to it after spending years and years under that insecurity was not a bad...though many of you will tear it apart, but how she handled it with grace even though she wanted to run was wonderful to watch. she came up to after and said she had never had a chance to dance before and her confidence was so much stronger now. HLA does not have the staff who understands the meaning of what they are teaching if they are doing horrific things and it is a shame because it could be good. "
--- End quote ---
And I will tear it apart. Forcing such a performance on a shy person could easily be far more humiliating and traumatizing than helpful. In fact, I can't imagine it ever being any kind of real 'therapy.' No one should ever be forced to mock themselves. That's just cruel. This is just one more example of a program having absolutely no idea what they are doing."
--- End quote ---
There can be danger in any kind of therapy if the therapist does not know what they are doing. I was there for the girl that was given this challenge to sing "I feel pretty". It was a very positive experience for her. Was she scared and nervous at first? Yes. But, she overcame her insecurities with the help of sensitive and capable counselors and a very supportive Peer Group. She ended up gaining a lot of confidence through the experience. I do see the other side of that, however. Given a counselor who does not know what they are doing, it could be a damaging experience. That is why it is so important for schools like this to employ effective, licensed counselors.
AtomicAnt:
--- Quote ---There can be danger in any kind of therapy if the therapist does not know what they are doing. I was there for the girl that was given this challenge to sing "I feel pretty". It was a very positive experience for her. Was she scared and nervous at first? Yes. But, she overcame her insecurities with the help of sensitive and capable counselors and a very supportive Peer Group. She ended up gaining a lot of confidence through the experience. I do see the other side of that, however. Given a counselor who does not know what they are doing, it could be a damaging experience. That is why it is so important for schools like this to employ effective, licensed counselors.
--- End quote ---
I'm not buying it. I get very suspicious of program speak. Did she overcome her insecurities, or was she forced to do this? Could she have declined participation without any repercussions?
And, who is to say this really worked or just appeared to help? I have been through a few of these types of exercises, and thought they were helpful at the time, but after (weeks, months, years) reflection were pretty useless and downright silly.
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---
"I'm not buying it. I get very suspicious of program speak. Did she overcome her insecurities, or was she forced to do this? Could she have declined participation without any repercussions?
And, who is to say this really worked or just appeared to help? I have been through a few of these types of exercises, and thought they were helpful at the time, but after (weeks, months, years) reflection were pretty useless and downright silly."
--- End quote ---
The same can be said for any kind of therapy. How much it is internalized and affects someone for the positive is largely up to the individual. My point is that this individual was certainly not damaged through this experience and it made her look at herself differently for a while. Whether or not she chose to continue looking at herself in a more positive way years later is her decision and will certainly be affected by other life experiences and decisions she makes. Again, I do see how an exercise like this, or any other therapeutic exercise, can be harmful when facilitated by an inexperienced and unskilled therapist.
Fixed quote tag...[ This Message was edited by: Deborah on 2006-06-10 20:48 ]
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