Thank you for defending me, Ursus.
You and I know her experience was not a one-off. For example, the experience of the other youths in her boarding school was similar (though not all parents were as fear-stricken and gullible as hers). And I have personally spoken with at least a half dozen young people from various programs whose families were torn apart for a similar period of time and for a similar highway-robbery price tag.
As with so many of the cases, the parents were first persuaded to buy in to a short-term wilderness program--only a few weeks. Then that program referred her to a boarding school, which was only to be for a few months. Every few months we were told the program was working very well and she would be coming home soon--this spring, next fall, before her birthday, after this school year, very soon... In this manner, a few weeks' stay in a wilderness program grew into a 40-month marathon. No, she is not some horrible, defective person who would not work the program--she's a very perceptive girl who knew full well her ordeal was a sham.
My heart goes out to parents who are worried sick about the risk-taking behavior or poor academic performance of their teens. I understand the desire to stop the cycle of fear and find some peace, and I am deeply concerned and offended that programs take advantage of this vulnerability to stoke their fears and lift their wallets.
Auntie Em