Our therapeutic boarding school provides students with the necessary counseling, mentoring, structure and time to internalize positive change. The residential treatment program usually lasts from six months to a year, allowing time for the teenagers who come here to experience stable behaviors and positive mindsets. This fosters personal growth, healthy self expression, inspires academic excellence, and teaches individual responsibility and service to others.

Parents participate in quarterly seminars and retreats in order to build mutually respectful and responsible relationships. The major goal of our therapeutic boarding school and residential program is to realize true healthy growth and assist in the creation of a positive future for each student and their family.

Students at WCA are under constant supervision with staff members guiding them throughout the day. Our therapeutic boarding school is in a beautiful rural setting in the rolling mountains of North Carlina, allowing students to explore nature and enjoy outdoor sports such as hiking, swimming, skiing, and camping.

Our professional counselors work with our students in individual and group sessions, as well as through experiential therapy, art, music, drama, dance or writing; all outlets for pent-up emotions.

Students who come to WCA may have substance abuse issues. If so, they benefit by getting out of their old environments and away from negative peer groups, and by living where alcohol or drugs are not available. While they are in our residential program, they work through levels and master techniques that help them deal with triggers and relapses once they get home.

Other students who come to us have diagnoses such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Asperger’s Syndrome, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety and depression. Our specialized therapists work intensively with such student in those areas where they need the most help. Depending on the individual, this might be mastering social skills, controlling mood swings, or finding new ways of coping with anxiety, anger, and other such feeling states. We also work with the child’s psychologist and dispense medications as needed.

Most students who enroll in our therapeutic boarding school, however, are here because they have behavioral issues or need anger management, or they have psychological and emotional problems around issues such as adoption, family conflict, divorce or negative peer pressure. Our therapists help these residents understand their conflicts, learn better ways to communicate and interact respectfully with others, and how to set positive goals for their lives.

Teens with behavior problems usually experience sudden academic failure, which is a red flag to their parents to get help. So, they come to us.  When we address the emotional problems, they perform better as students and can often get caught up and excel academically. We offer credit recovery programs where students can earn academic credits faster than in a traditional public school.

Our intake process involves psychological testing, interviews with both parents and teens, and reports from teachers and counselors in the home environment. Our therapists will work with family members on a regular basis as the child is on our campus. We also provide a strong after-care component to help the students keep improving once they leave our residential school.

Our therapeutic boarding school can be expensive, but the cost is nowhere near what some other programs charge.  Yes, it is costly to have the kind of professional staff we employ full-time on campus.  We have worked miracles for many families and welcome you to learn more by inquiring today.