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Zuma’s needs your help to change these FACTS!
Facts about At Risk Youth~
GRADUATING FROM THE STREETS TO THE PRISONS
A 1991 federal study of former foster care wards found that one-fourth had been homeless, 40% were on public assistance and half were unemployed. Connecticut officials estimate 75% of youths in the state’s criminal justice system were once in foster care.[13]
According to a survey by the National Association of Social Workers, 20 percent of children living in runaway shelters come directly from foster care. Children placed in out-of-home care, regardless of the reason, are at higher risk of developing alcohol and drug problems. The survey also found that 80 percent of prisoners in Illinois spent time in foster care as children.[14]
Karl Dennis, executive director of the Illinois based Kaleidoscope, the first child welfare agency in the country to provide unconditional care for children, says that in California, 80 percent of the adults in in the correctional facilities “are graduates of the state; the juvenile justice, the child welfare, the mental health and the special education systems.
The Behavior Analysis Setting At Zuma's
Animal – Human Bonding Works With At Risk Youth
Call Zuma’s Today Get Involved 303-346-7493
Donate ~ Volunteer ~ Mentor
Experiential Therapy is Better for Kids~
Experiential Therapy
Experiential Therapy
Current trends in the therapeutic treatment of adolescents
Adults benefit from their ability to “talk though” their issues and feelings. They have learned through time to verbalize complex and contradictory feelings and reactions. However, adolescents generally find it more difficult to eloquently verbalize such feelings: they are often overwhelmed and even confused by the seeming onslaught of complex feelings that come as they move toward adulthood. The lives of adults also create a more varied environment within which they experience their feelings. However, for teens, most conflicts involve differences between family members or issues over expectations of parents.
For adolescents, the approach of the therapist needs to reflect their current life experience. Therefore, “talk therapy” tends not to be as effective as therapy that involves activity or experience (such as experiential therapy, play therapy, and art therapy). These forms of therapy allow symbolic expression of internal conflicts. For example, in equine-assisted therapy (this is where the child interacts with horses as part of a therapeutic intervention), how the child interacts with his or her animal can give rich information to the therapist. Often times, the relationship that develops between the teen and the horse reflects their issues with relationships within the family. Sometimes the therapist will notice the teenager becomes the frustrated “parent” of the horse, and the therapist can use this experience to help the child understand the nature of the conflict between themselves and their parents.
Family therapy is essential when treating adolescents with behavioral or emotional problems. Improving communication between family members and helping both the parents and the teen understand how conflicts can be resolved through improved communication often result in significant improvements in the family relationship. If there is one element in a child’s life that improves their chances for success in school and life, it is strong family bonds with positive, constructive communication. It is important that parents not feel defensive if the therapist focuses on changes in how they communicate with their teenagers. The need for such a change is not an indictment of the parents’ abilities, it is simply a part of the therapeutic process that will help them better work with their adolescent and find solutions to behavioral issues.
The goal of therapy with adolescents is to help both the child and the parents understand why they act out with rebellious, willful behavior and how they can learn to express their needs and wants in a more productive way. When parents allow the process of re-forging the lines of communication, they dramatically improve their relationship with their teenager and create an environment where positive behavioral change is possible.
If you are interested in experiential therapies please contact Zuma’s Rescue Ranch.
If you would like to support at risk youth at Zuma’s Rescue Ranch please Donate.
Zuma’s Experiential Learning Program
Michael Hogland of Littleton Colorado first appeared at Zuma’s as a volunteer November 1st, 2009. The weather that day was snowy and freezing cold, but that did not keep Mike and his friends from attending Zuma’s volunteer training. That is true dedication! As a new member of the Zuma’s family, Mike jumped in head first coming out in the worst weather, traipsing through deep snow and slick mud to help care for the equine therapy partners.
This past Sunday November 8th, Mike became the first person to step up and sponsor a child for the upcoming Experiential Learning Program to begin at Zuma’s in January 2010. The program cost per child is $220.00 and Mike wrote Zuma’s a check for the full amount. With this donation, he will be making a difference in an at risk child’s life.
The program will focus on many obstacles faced by the children in our community dealing with emotional challenges. Please join Mike in sponsoring these children. We have scheduled 16 slots for children ranging in age from 7-17. Gather your friends your companies together to get these 16 kids sponsored. You will receive the age and gender of the child you sponsor along with progress reports from their parents and teachers.
We will also need 16 adults to commit to be mentors with the kids in the program for the 6 weeks. Recruit a friend to mentor with you and come be part of the change you want to see in our young people. The programs will run either Monday evening 5-7:30 or Saturday Mornings 10-12:30
Please join us in providing these experiential programs to help these at risk youth. Contact: Jodi Messeinch 303-346-7493 or jodi@zumasrescuernahc.com to sign up.
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
Mike Hogland passed away this week in his sleep. A rare treasure among volunteers. Mike will be missed by both the 2 and 4 legged Zuma family members.
Experiential Therapy: Placing the Soul in Action
While traditional talk therapy is a helpful way to bring unconscious needs, wants, fears and desires into the conscious mind, it is limited in its ability to teach the inner self and the conscious mind to communicate. By utilizing experiential therapy, this challenge is overcome by externalizing a person’s internal and subconscious conflicts and resolving them. “Experientially, clients are able to move out of their heads and into a fuller experience at which time they can experience problems and rehearse solutions in a new way expanding their sense of self and replacing compulsive behaviors with creativity and internal safety. Empirical studies show that experiential methods help clients achieve dramatic results in the areas of psychological symptom reduction.” states Human Connections Counseling’s Mark Felber.
Experiential therapy is unique in the sense that it combines the theories of traditional therapy with action, creating a unparalled and powerful avenue for healing. By re-enacting unresolved emotional experiences which trouble the individual, they are able to release and block what troubles them. “By re-experiencing the emotional climate of the family, anger, shame, hurt, rage, guilt, fear, etc., can finally be expressed, released, and healed, making room for feelings of love, hope, inner peace, and forgiveness.” (Felber).
