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An open discussion about the troubled parent industry

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Louis Bardo Bullock - Sandra Bullock gives son Jewish circumcision

Louis Bardo Bullock is the name of Sandra Bullock's newly adopted black son from New Orleans. And as the World swoons over photos of happy mom and son, interesting news from the People Magazine exclusive interview are coming out. One is that Bullock gave son Louis Bardo a Jewish circumcision ceremony with "full on Jewish brit."

The rite of of circumcision is called brit milah and performed on the eighth day of a boy's life, according to ReligiousFacts.com, which reports:

Circumcision is commanded in Genesis 17:10-14 as an outward sign of a man's participation in Israel's covenant with God, as well as a sign that the Jewish people will perpetuate through him. The commandment is incumbent upon both father and child - fathers must see that their sons are circumcised, and uncircumcised grown men are obligated to perform the rite...During the ceremony the child is held by a person designated as the sandek, who is usually a grandparent or family rabbi. An empty chair is set aside to symbolize the presence of the prophet Elijah, who rebuked those who had forsaken the ritual. He now presides over all circumcision ceremonies to ensure the continuation of the ritual...Before the procedure, the infant may be given a couple of drops of wine to ease the pain. The mohel recites benedictions of circumcision, then the father offers the blessing.

What's interesting is that Sandra Bullock, isn't Jewish. Moreover, the mohel came to Bullock's home to perform the ceremony. (No word on the wine used.)

Sandra Bullock calls the private circumcision "the greatest moment I have ever had in my life" in People Magazine. Considering all the pain she's gone through with Jesse James in the cheating scandal, Bullock deserves more great moments.

Congratulations to her.

Lon Woodbury  Loi Eberle  Larry Stednitz  Linda Zimmerman  Judi Bessette  Steve Migden
 
Woodbury Reports, Inc. was founded in November 1989, by Lon Woodbury, MA, IECA, CEP, as an Independent Educational Consulting firm to help parents of teens making poor decisions select a private, parent choice program that would help return the family to normalcy. Lon had worked as the admissions director at the CEDU program, Rocky Mountain Academy, in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and decided that he could better help parents find the most appropriate placement for their at-risk children if he was independent.

Woodbury Reports has helped hundreds of families over the years. We understand each child is different and has individual needs, strengths, and interests. Through interviews with parents, communication with professionals who know your child well, and then thoroughly researching viable options, we can help parents make the right choices that will help your child get back on the right path.

The mission of Woodbury Reports Inc. is to empower parents by providing the best quality advice possible in helping parents make good decisions regarding their struggling teen.

Woodbury consultants are experienced professionals who come from a variety of disciplines. This allows our consultants to review each placement from a variety of perspectives, thus providing a wide range of input before recommendations are made. Our team is led by Lon Woodbury, the founder of Woodbury Reports, which is the leading newsletter for the nation’s network of Parent Choice Schools and Programs, and Dr. Larry Stednitz, Ph.D., who has well over 40 years as a program administrator and educational consultant. The other members of the team are: Loi Eberle, a masters level educator with 10 years experience as a consultant, Linda Zimmerman who is a nationally recognized specialist in attachment disorders and adoption issues, Judi Bessette who holds a Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Steve Migden, Ph.D., a licensed and board certified psychologist who is an expert in both learning and emotional/behavioral problems. Dr. Stednitz serves as the team coordinator.

Essays
   

Posted: Aug 2, 2007
10:45  
 
TEN COMMON MISTAKES PARENTS MAKE - PART II


by: Lon Woodbury



It is said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. If so, the essay named above has been very flattered. Since its original publication in December 2000, www.strugglingteens.com, there have been three instances we know of where individuals published it word for word claiming their own copyright on it. One even claimed copyright from the 1990s, before that person ever even got into the educational referral business.

Then there was the rash of imitators. There were essays on nine common mistakes, or eleven common mistakes, and even twelve common mistakes. Many of them however, apparently lacking much creativity, used some of the same unique examples and much of the same wording. However, the changes were great enough to avoid copyright infringement charges.

In the meantime, for almost seven years, this essay on our site consistently receives hundreds of visitors a month, and we receive frequent thanks from parents struggling how to make sense of the wide variety of options when considering placement of their child in a residential situation for making very poor and often dangerous decisions. Obviously it has been accepted as one of the most important tools Woodbury Reports, Inc. has developed to help parents make sense out of this industry.

Although when taking another look at this essay I see several changes and/or additions that could be made, I'll resist the temptation, and danger, of trying to improve what has proven successful. For space considerations I'll just summarize the ten points here, and refer the reader to the full original essay for more detail www.strugglingteens.com/parents/tencommonmistakest.html




"We want a place close to home." All parents want the best for their child, and it is far more important to find a place that best fits his/her needs than to emphasize the mere convenience of being close to home.


"We want something affordable." Except when a program has a large endowment or fund raising capabilities, low cost comes from cutting corners. Deciding on a place based on costs runs the risk of entrusting your child to a place with untrained minimum wage staff.


"We want our teen fixed." This view tends to come from looking at the child as an inanimate possession, and discards possible causal influences such as family dynamics, past trauma, or pathology. The child might have the problem, but the solution is likely to come from the whole family.


"That school helped our friend's child." This view seems to think of children with problems as all the same, and are as interchangeable as a mass production item. Each child is unique, their problems are unique, and the solution/intervention is going to be unique.


"A six month placement should do it." Children grow at their own rate, and necessary insights will happen in the child's own time. Setting up arbitrary time limits run the risk of setting up unrealistic expectations on the part of both the child and the parents which can sabotage the placement.


"We are looking for a military school or a boot camp." While a punishment oriented model might work for a child who is age appropriate emotionally, it will frequently backfire for a child with emotional/behavioral problems, and for these children can even be dangerous. This request all too often comes from parents who are angry at their child and want to punish them into submission, an unhealthy impulse.


"We can trust what professionals tell us." First, many people parading as professional in this business have no professional credentials whatsoever and should be avoided. Second, even legitimate professionals have a personal frame of reference or bias, and the parent should accept their advice only when it makes sense to the real authority on any child, his/her parents.


"We don't need to tell the school/professional everything our child has done." When a school or professional is blindsided by less than full disclosure by the parents, the child can be hurt by an inappropriate placement. It can result in something like trying to cure cancer through cold medicine.


"We will save some money by finding a school or program by ourselves without the help of an educational consultant." This is similar to answering charges from a criminal court without the benefit of an attorney who knows the rules, the law and the players. Just because there are some people who parade as educational consultants while accepting finders fees, or seem to be in it just for the money, doesn't mean that a legitimate educational consultant with credentials like membership in a professional organization or a good reputation among quality schools can't save you much grief and money.


"We don't need to get the other parent involved." A child needs to develop whatever relationship he/she can with both parents. That is one of the strongest motivations a child with problems has to heal. Trying to cut one parent out of the placement intervention in most cases just deprives the child and reduces the chances of success.

If you place a child's needs as a priority, balancing it with the parents' needs, common sense will show that all these mistakes are obvious.

Parent Center

Here's the truth: You alone can't save your child from their addiction.  Addicts need the support of experienced medical professionals, therapists and counselors to begin recovery. Gatehouse Academy will unlock your child's potential through:

•Recovery: 12-step drug rehab and alcohol recovery;
•Education: High school and college academics;
•Therapy: Therapy and psychiatric support;
•Motivation: Life skills training;
•Discipline: Recreation includes yoga, karate, and more;

We give residents the tools to cope with life's struggles without substances, empowering them to save themselves.

Todd's Story

http://www.gatehouseacademy.com/videos/Todd-Interview

Todd, a graduate of Gatehouse Academy, knows firsthand that 30 day treatment programs aren’t always enough. Addicted to alcohol by his early teens, Todd's young adulthood was spent in and out of treatment centers in an endless pattern of relapse and recovery. But Todd found hope.

Your child is addicted to drugs and alcohol. We can help you get them back.  The fate of your child is dependent upon the help he receives. Gatehouse Academy is a long term young adult drug rehab and alcohol treatment center for individuals between the ages of 17 to 25 in urgent need of treatment. Our teen drug rehab offers your child a second chance at life by helping him manage his addiction. Our revolutionary treatment program is designed to provide structure and safety, so that he gains the skills and support he needs to live a successful, fulfilling and productive life. Recovery doesn't happen in 30 days -- it's a lifelong process.

http://www.wildernessquest.com/testimonials/

Testimonials from Students, Parents & Professionals

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 "...words are so inadequate when it comes to expressing my gratitude. How do you thank someone for giving you back your most valuable treasury - your child? Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Carolyn, Parent --
Los Angeles, CA

"I thank you for opening my eyes to see beauty for the first time since I was a child."

Stacey, Student --
Idaho Falls, ID

"I'm happier than ever just to be alive. Thanks for saving my soul."

Nicolas, Student --
Boston, MA

"Life with Amy has certainly changed. She acts with confidence and isn't afraid to speak up. We get along so well, She seems genuinely happy and comfortable with our family."

Lynda, Parent --
Denver, CO

"I was impressed by the family exchange of feelings and understanding that was able to occur in such a short time. It was obvious that the students returned from their wilderness experience thoroughly understanding the "circle" and "agreement" methodology. In no time you taught this to their parents and siblings and from then on, all communication was on a level playing field. It was heartening to observe the growth in family love and understanding."

Ceel Kenny, Educational Consultant

"I left with new confidence in myself that I never had before. Thanks to this program, I have my family, my self-respect, and best of all, I have myself back. I honestly think that this program saved my life and gave me something back that I don't think the lockdown facility could have; the skills to live a better, healthier life."

Kristine, Student

"Before this trip I couldn't give two hoots about my parents. Now I love and respect them. I never realized how much love and care my Mom had for me."

Jeff, Student - Redmond, WA

"Larry Wells is a gifted instructor...he helps students confront the stress of new challenges and demands. More than this, he encourages them to squarely face up to what they learn about themselves and derive the fullest measure of self-discovery from the wilderness experience. I have seen how much he has done for and with young people, and I would be happy to see any of my children spend time in the wilderness with Larry's program."

Mitchell S. Rosenthal, M.D., President, Phoenix House Foundation, Inc. -- New York

"Thank you for taking time with me when I was hurting so very much. I thought our lives together were over. It's true that it is often "darkest before dawn." I now enjoy life with my son."

Reidel, Parent - Kansas City, KS

"Hugo and I will never regret sending Joe to Wilderness Quest and we will always treasure the time we spent together with you as a family. I know you at least planted some seeds with my son and what you did for us as his parents is immeasurable."

Jan, Parent - San Francisco, CA

"I tell parents and kids that my family is better, stronger, and more loving because we are now more honest. My son is alive, safe, and drug and alcohol free, happier and more self-confident because of his time with you. He takes time to consider consequences and makes decisions for the long term rather than for immediate gratification. You do good things for kids and their families. Your compassion and dedication to the whole child is what makes a difference."

Kate Goins, Educator and Mother

"Bruce and I are so very glad to have Kristine home and doing so well. Both of us know it would not have been possible without Wilderness Quest. We are thoroughly convinced had Kristine not attended WQ we would have lost her to drugs again. In Wilderness Quest, she was accountable for her actions, worked the 12-step program and learned how to deal with being an addict. Through the WQ program, we see a daughter that has learned to think of how her actions affect those persons around her as well as herself. It hasn't been peachy keen every single day, but we are learning to appreciate each other, to trust ourselves and to trust each other."

Jane Blevins, Mother

"You have made me appreciate that in a strange way, the hardship we have experienced in the past few years has been a blessing in disguise."

Arlene, Parent - Redding, CA

"I can't believe how much Wilderness Quest changed my life. I find myself applying communication and physical skills that we learned down there to everyday life. My family holds circles and when we do, it's amazing how effective they are!"

Brandi Poulsen, Student

http://www.northstarcenter.com/lifeskills.html

NorthStar Center

Life Skills


A developmental challenge for all young adults is to match their desire for independence with their skill for living on their own. NorthStar works with young adults to increase their skills to pave the way for the transition into adulthood. We help young adults learn to:  

Budget their money;

Plan meals;

Prepare meals within a budget;

Prioritize tasks;

Ask for help when they need it;

Advocate for themselves;

Resolve conflict in a healthy manner;

Improve personal hygiene and self-care choices;

Clean house and do laundry.

Sober Fun!

Boredom is one of the biggest triggers to relapse into destructive behaviors. Young adults need stimulating activities and the encouragement to explore interests. At NorthStar, we take advantage of the many opportunities our beautiful setting affords to challenge students to get involved. We encourage students to revisit old interests and hobbies such as arts, cooking, reading, music, writing, and drama. We entice them to experience non-traditional activities such as ultimate Frisbee, snowshoeing or fly-fishing. We use our food preparation time to have students explore new recipes, food presentation and new foods, and teach healthy cooking habits through our food handler certification program.



A wide variety of activities are offered through the Activities Committee weekly. Our students really enjoy spending their time mountain and rock climbing, fishing, and mountain biking.

The activities not only give students some down time from their busy schedules but also teach them how to enjoy themselves in a positive and safe environment. Students learn how to have fun again without using drugs or alcohol or engaging in destructive and unhealthy behavior.

Four Circles Recovery Center
Your Journey to Sustained Recovery

Four Circles Recovery Center is an innovative wilderness-based treatment program for young adults ages 18-28 who are struggling with addiction, substance abuse, and co-occurring emotional or behavioral issues. Blending the best of all avenues of substance abuse treatment, Four Circles harnesses the power of the wilderness to change lives, while integrating proven, time-tested traditional approaches like individual and group counseling, the 12-step philosophy, and a range of cutting-edge clinical services. This winning combination of treatment services has proven time and again to yield lasting change and a strong foundation for sustained recovery.


The Four Circles experience begins with a program orientation – a time when we can begin to stabilize, assess, and provide the essential structure for the start of your journey to sustained recovery. Once this foundation has been established, you will prepare to embark on a series of wilderness expeditions.

During your wilderness expeditions you will hike through the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, and live in a place where the sky is your ceiling and the four walls are North, South, East, and West. Here, you'll begin the internal journey to your authentic self, and will discover powerful tools and strategies for long-term success along the way.

In between wilderness expeditions, you will participate in our base camp program, which gives you the opportunity to shower, wash your clothes, participate in outside N.A./A.A. meetings, participate in family counseling by phone, attend appointments, and participate in discharge and after-care planning.

Toward the end of your stay at Four Circles Recovery Center, you will have the unique opportunity to participate in a one-week, healing rite of passage ceremony. During this time you will be guided through a sweat lodge and other ceremonies including a "solo" experience, all geared toward preparing you to step out of the past and into your future as an adult.

At the end of your journey, you will transition back to the treatment center to focus on detailed and extensive aftercare planning. At this point, you will develop a relapse prevention plan and create a support system that will help you sustain the progress you have made.

We use a variety of clinical approaches, which allows us to meet your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs while helping you build a strong foundation for recovery. Our approach includes individualized treatment planning, individual and group therapy, AA/NA meetings, art therapy, martial arts practice, life skills training, psycho-educational skills training, family therapy, 12 step meetings, meditation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, experiential education, motivational enhancement therapy, career/vocational/psychological testing, gender specific treatment, and solution-focused therapy.

Four Circles therapists are licensed master’s or doctoral level clinicians who have extensive training and experience dealing with addiction and co-occurring emotional and behavioral issues. Our committed professionals recognize that substance abuse is often accompanied by both dual-diagnosis issues and underlying emotional challenges that must be addressed to ensure lasting recovery.

The wilderness environment serves as a dramatic backdrop for your recovery program. The reality and natural consequences of nature give you immediate feedback. By stepping out of your comfort zone and handling the challenges of the outdoors, you can confront limited beliefs and long-standing emotional patterns in a real and active way.

The wilderness environment also serves as a metaphor for the challenges of the world around you, and helps you transfer the knowledge you gain during your journey back into your own home environment. Participating in the natural world gives you a sense of belonging, and an opportunity to experience authentic, intimate relationships that meet on the grounds of shared pain, shared joy, and the journey of recovery. Your self-limiting beliefs are challenged by the guided accomplishments of mastering the physical and relational skills of living outdoors with a small group of fellow journeyers.

Join us, and take the first steps of your journey toward a healthier and happier future with Four Circles.

Aspen Education Group Launches Nation’s First Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Overweight and Obese
03/8/04
Contact Lisa Freeman, Kevin/Ross Public Relations
818-597-8453

New “Healthy Living Academies” Division to Address Epidemic Increase in Childhood and Teen Obesity

(Cerritos, CA – March 8, 2004) Aspen Education Group today announced the launch of a new division to address the epidemic of obesity that is afflicting America’s children, teens and young adults. In keeping with Aspen’s decades-long focus on therapeutic education, Healthy Living Academies will establish and operate the nation’s first therapeutic boarding schools for overweight and obese youths, and beginning this summer will also operate shorter therapeutic camps and outdoor programs.

Healthy Living Academies’ boarding schools are a novel comprehensive and extended clinical program for treating overweight and obese children and teens. One or more semesters at a Healthy Living Academy will maximize the long-term behavioral changes required to produce substantial and permanent weight loss. The shorter camps and outdoor programs will introduce youths to life strategies designed to achieve long-term behavioral change, and will incorporate extensive after-care support.

“Over the past 20 years, obesity among children and adolescents has skyrocketed from 6% to over 15%, making it the most serious health issue facing our children” said Ryan Craig, a former member of the Aspen Board of Directors and newly appointed president of Healthy Living Academies. “By employing a multi-disciplinary clinical model in a boarding school environment, we can offer a life-changing solution to thousands of overweight and obese teenagers who are facing near- or long-term health issues that can significantly compromise quality of life.”
more

“Based on our two decades of success in changing youth behaviors at Aspen’s specialized boarding schools, we believe the new settings we are creating offer a breakthrough model for addressing the obesity epidemic,” said Elliot Sainer, chief executive officer of Aspen Education Group. “Boarding schools provide the kind of supportive environment and extended, intensive behavioral therapy that many children need to be successful in overcoming obesity. Our Healthy Living Academies will give children this advantage, plus an educational program that allows students to accelerate academically as they change their lives.”

Healthy Living Academies’ first two programs are summer camps, opening in June 2004. Camp Wellspring (http://www.campwellspring.com), located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, will accept women ages 16 – 23. Wellspring Adventure Camp (http://www.wellspringadventurecamp.com), located in the mountains of North Carolina, will admit boys and girls ages 10-15 years old. Both camps feature fun summer activities, while providing training and techniques to achieve long-range behavioral change and weight loss. Family workshops and after-care programs are designed to help campers maintain their weight goals for life. Wellspring campers can reserve placement for the first Healthy Living Academy, expected to open during the 2004-05 school year.

Heading up Healthy Living Academies’ clinical program is Daniel S. Kirschenbaum, Ph.D. Dr. Kirschenbaum, a professor at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, has developed a number of successful weight loss programs for hospitals across the country. He is a past president of the Division of Exercise and Sport Psychology of the American Psychological Association and has authored over 100 scientific articles and eight books, including Treatment of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity and The 9 Truths About Weight Loss. The latter was unanimously endorsed by the Board of Directors of the American Council on Exercise as “the best book ever written for the public on how to lose weight and keep it off.”

“Healthy Living Academies will provide a controlled environment in which a child can learn and implement new habits and decision-making skills,” said Dr. Kirschenbaum. more

“These academies also will help establish an effective clinical model that can be applied to non-residential settings, like public schools, to benefit all children.”

Healthy Living Academies has also assembled an Advisory Board consisting of leading experts in pediatric obesity. These Board members include: Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Psychology at Yale University and Director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders; Georgia Kostas, M.P.H., R.D., Director of Nutrition at the Cooper Clinic, Dallas, and author of The Cooper Clinic Solution to the Diet Revolution; Melinda Sothern, Ph.D. of Louisiana State University Health Sciences and Pennington Centers, and author of Trim Kids, The Proven 12-Week Plan That Has Helped Thousands of Children Achieve a Healthier Weight; and Dennis Styne, MD, Rumsey Chair of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of California Davis, a pediatric endocrinologist who specializes in pediatric obesity and its complications.

Aspen Education Group is the nation’s leader in providing educational opportunities that improve the quality of life for troubled children, teens and young adults and their families. AEG offers a wide diversity of programs, settings and solutions that match youths’ needs with the right learning environment. Through Aspen’s 41 programs in 13 states, parents can choose from long-term residential treatment to community-based outpatient services, with a variety of therapeutic interventions that include boarding schools, special education day schools, outdoor therapy and wilderness programs. AEG was named among the top 100 education companies in 2003 by Eduventures, a leading independent research firm dedicated to learning markets.