Author Topic: Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?  (Read 5015 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline marcwordsmith

  • Posts: 106
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.marcwordsmith.com
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« on: February 06, 2007, 12:40:56 PM »
Hey, does anybody out there know anything about Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs in Oregon? Their website looks nice, but I'm wondering if anyone knows the scoop about them. My godson's parents are thinking of sending him there. They're asking ME for advice! But I don't know. I know that "tough love" has gotten a lot more clever in its advertising since the days of The Seed, and a friendly looking web site guarantees nothing. Any inside info would be mucho appreciated. Thanks in advance.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline marcwordsmith

  • Posts: 106
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.marcwordsmith.com
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2007, 01:28:56 PM »
Never mind . . . kids have died there. I think I have all the info I need to make my recommendation.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline GregFL

  • Posts: 2841
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2007, 03:33:59 PM »
I wouldn't be able to recommend any of these tought love/synanon style confrontation treatment centers.  The whole premise of 'treatment' is based in urban legends, false premises, and a very mean spirited "we gotta change them or they will die" type modality.

I call bullshit on the entire teen help industry.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline marcwordsmith

  • Posts: 106
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.marcwordsmith.com
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2007, 03:41:05 PM »
Thanks, Greg. Yeah, I know. It's just that some of these places claim to be gentle and loving and sweet. It's hard to know if any of them really are. Now my godson's dad wants me to look at the web site of "Sagewalk." I am trying to convince him that sending his son away for any type of intensive "wilderness therapy" experience is likely to be a hardass abusive experience that will only hurt his kid, not help.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2007, 03:53:10 PM »
How about sending him to a bonafide wilderness program that doesn't have any "therapy" involved, e.g., Outward Bound or similar?  First of all, these people know what they are doing out there as far as survival, inherent dangers of hypothermia and how to recognize it, etc. and they are not going to be taking any stupid chances regardless of anybody's "attitude."  Second of all, the pluses of being out there in the elements and doing it on your own steam that convey a sense of accomplishment in the kid are not disguised as being anything different than what they are.  They may even have some programs where parent + kid go together?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline marcwordsmith

  • Posts: 106
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.marcwordsmith.com
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2007, 04:00:58 PM »
That sounds good to me, Guest. Actually, right now, I'm lobbying that they send him to do an internship on a permaculture farm, which he's interested in. I say, Just give the kid something real to do. Let the pot smoking business take care of itself.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2007, 04:32:27 PM »
That sounds great!  Something worthwhile that he can learn something from, that he puts effort into because he enjoys it.  He can not fail to get something good out of it.  Focus should be away from "therapy" places, and more on making him very busy doing something constructive.

When I was in high school, a friend did an internship at a goat farm.  She loved it.  I think she found it on her own, but some Health Food coops or Agriculture Extension Stations may have more info and a more structured format to apply, etc.  Check the your local State University system for Extension Stations.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Antigen

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 12992
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://wwf.Fornits.com/
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2007, 06:06:13 PM »
To the best of my recollection, Catherine Freer is the LGAT program that Barabara Walters started after she went through the wash one time. There was some discussion about it in these forums a long while ago, but I don't remember what came of it. Leme take a quick look.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
~ Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

Offline Antigen

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 12992
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://wwf.Fornits.com/
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2007, 06:08:46 PM »
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
~ Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2007, 07:21:25 PM »
Quote from: ""Cassandra""
To the best of my recollection, Catherine Freer is the LGAT program that Barabara Walters started after she went through the wash one time. There was some discussion about it in these forums a long while ago, but I don't remember what came of it. Leme take a quick look.

Are you perhaps talking about New Horizons?
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=20573
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Antigen

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 12992
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://wwf.Fornits.com/
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #10 on: February 07, 2007, 01:38:27 AM »
Hm, can't find it now but I thought there was some connecton w/ Cathrine Freer. Here's somebody you might be able to talk to about it.

http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?p=31508
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
~ Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

Offline Oz girl

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1459
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Has anyone heard of Catherine Freer?
« Reply #11 on: February 07, 2007, 04:45:59 AM »
A kid called Corey Baines died at this place when a tree limb fell on him. I think there were 2 other deaths as well. These guys promote themselves as industry leaders (even the govt of tasmania advertises them)
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
n case you\'re worried about what\'s going to become of the younger generation, it\'s going to grow up and start worrying about the younger generation.-Roger Allen