Ozark Trails Academy Treats Students Struggling with Power & Control Issues

Parents looking for effective therapy methods to help a struggling teen boy or girl can learn about how we treat Power and Control issues at our therapeutic boarding school in Missouri. 

Ozark Trails understands that parents want to send a child to a safe, monitored environment where their teen boy or girl receives personal care, and individual therapies that help heal emotional and mental disorders–whether brought on by trauma, foster care, adoption or family genetics. 

And while the young teen enrolls at our therapeutic boarding school for counseling, treatment, and improving academic/life skills, Ozark Trails Academy also helps students struggling with power and control issues improve their mental and physical health. 

What are Power and Control Issues?

“Children who struggle with power and control issues manifest this struggle in a variety of ways.  Here are just a few:” 1

Ignoring a direct instruction or command

Completing tasks half-way

Using the “silent treatment”

Pushing a limit (for example: child is told to stop throwing the ball in the house, throws it one more time and then stops)

Refusing to eat what is placed before him or her

Lashing out with anger when reprimanded

Refusing to apologize

“A child with power and control issues only feels worthwhile when he is dominating those around him.  He achieves this domination by getting adults to do what he wants or by only doing what he wants to do.  He is likely experiencing deep-seated insecurities which are masked by these power plays.” 1

Another therapist shares, “In my experience, this behavior came about for one or more of these reasons: “ 2

1) Kids with underdeveloped lower centers of the brain often experience a lot of failure when others are leading. That’s because those in control usually have no awareness of how to build into the structure (i.e. make subtle modifications) so that such kids can then easily comply and experience success.

So to avoid that dreaded sense of failure, some kids compensate by seizing control of the situation.  They’ll insist on doing it “their way.” But their way also works best for their brain, and now makes it impossible to fail by not doing a task as others expect.

2) Kids take control because others (inadvertently) reinforce this distorted sense of power by giving a lot of attention to the negative behavior. Here, the child’s brain may actually register holding the whole family hostage (by refusing to do whatever, and thereby delaying everyone) as giving him a distorted sense of importance. It’s even better if family members become upset. Now he’s even controlling how they act!  He’s center-stage as he proves that, again and again, he can turn a whole house upside down. And every time he’s allowed to do that, he further entrenches a brain map that reinforces he’s the boss.

3) Kids take control when they don’t trust those in charge to lead. If that’s so, then a key question to ponder is . .  . how did those kids lose that trust in the first place?

Some variables that affect trust are: 1) As parents, we second-guess many of our decision; 2) We’re inconsistent with how we respond; 3) We focus more on the negative, without honoring the present gifts our child has to share; 4) We don’t regularly build into the structure to make it easy to comply.”2

Ozark Trails Gives Teens Healthy Ways to Heal

That’s why Ozark Trails treats teen students struggling with Power and Control behavior issues. Therapists address your child’s mental and behavioral issues, and create an individual treatment plan to follow at school, including therapy. We also provide nutritious meals, healthy exercise and adventure activities. We want each student to experience effective counseling and treatment, as well as improve daily life at school, and back home with family.

A Place of Hope, Healing and Purpose for Troubled Teens.

Ozark Trails is an affordable residential treatment center that provides outstanding clinical therapy, incredible academic learning, and amazing outdoor responsibility and adventure for teen girls and boys, ages 12-17. Our program is family focused, and students receive individual treatment care by licensed clinical therapists.

Ozark Trails Academy rests on 750 acres near Willow Springs, MO.

Daily life and therapy here includes horses, chickens, farming, rafting, spelunking, rock climbing, hiking, wilderness learning, and so much more. With an unlimited access to spring rivers, caves, hiking, equine, and biking trails, we have the perfect balance of nature, inclusive of a large, comfortable facility to let our teen boys and girls feel safe in a home environment.

Again, if your teen boy or girl needs help dealing with Power and Control issues, please call us at (417) 278-6868 now. We want to help him or her find new positive ways to manage life’s obstacles and traumas, and discover a true change of heart.

Sources:

https://www.cornerstonesforparents.com/controlling-behavior

http://www.thecortexparent.com/kids-with-control-issues/