Tag: Sorensons Ranch School

Sorensons Ranch Schools behavior modification program offers students many opportunities to engage in basic fun, entertaining, and educational activities as they learn to change and manage their behaviors. All of these activities have a purpose in assisting teenagers in managing their behaviors. Managing their behavior is a skill they can learn with help from dedicated therapists and staff.

Sorensons Ranch School facilitates a skills group entitled Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) developed by Marsha Linehan. The DBT group focuses on teaching skills to assist with developing Core Mindfulness, Interpersonal Relationships, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance. The majority of students at Sorensons Ranch School have difficulty in at least one of these areas; therefore, learning the DBT skills can be an important part of their therapy.

Distress Tolerance Skills are skills for tolerating painful events and emotions when you cannot make things better right away. Distress Tolerance Skills were developed to assist individuals who have a difficult time managing their emotions in handling situations that they cannot fix quickly, including: death of a loved one, intruding thoughts of a trauma, getting along with others, and tolerating a situation in which they are not getting their way. Many of the students at Sorensons Ranch school have difficulty managing their emotions, and are impulsive and defiant. The DBT Distress Tolerance skills are designed to help students manage life changing events and daily stress.

The Distress Tolerance skills focus on teaching students crisis survival strategies through learning distracting skills, which include joining in activities and contributing to others through service. Sorensons Ranch School provides daily activities for students to use these Distress Tolerance skills. A few of the activities include educational fieldtrips, campouts, cookouts, fishing, boating, fun games such as capture the flag, organized sports, and service projects on campus and in the community. These activities are designed to teach social skills, help them learn to have fun while sober, and offer the opportunity to leave ones worries and problems behind for the moment, until they can be appropriately worked through.

What might look like just a fun, time-consuming activity for your student is really a well thought-out and planned activity that has a purpose in teaching your student lifelong skills to manage their behaviors and emotions. If you would like to learn more about the DBT Distress Tolerance Skills be sure to ask your teenagers therapist.

Linehan, M. (1993). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderlines Personality Disorder. N.Y.: The Guilford Press.

The Sorenson’s Ranch School ethos has been proven to be highly effective – over the years many of our past troubled teens have returned to visit the ranch. They fondly remember their happy experience on camp as it formed a positive foundation that helps them to face with confidence any difficult situations in their adult life.

For more information visit us on the web at Sorensons Ranch School or call the admissions office at 1-800-455-4590.

One of the fun things that average teenage girls like to do is have sleepovers. They enjoy getting together at someones house and doing girl things. They sing, dance, play games, eat fun food, and are able to relax enough to come out of their shells and be themselves. This is one of those ordinary activities during a girls formative years that a troubled girl misses out on. A night of wholesome fun with other teens her age is rare for a teen who is experiencing behavioral difficulties.

At Sorensons Ranch School girls are given the opportunity to be involved in wholesome activities. Every four to six weeks on a Friday night, we do a sleepover activity. Level Three, Four, and Five girls are invited to attend. We spend the evening cooking, dancing, doing crafts, facials, and watching movies. We choose a food theme, such as breakfast for dinner. The girls cook their own meals with their favorite ingredients. They can get very creative with their dishes.

We listen to music while we cook. They really enjoy dancing. There is a lot of laughter and fun as they teach each other dance steps. Sometimes we do karaoke, which can be very entertaining.

At the last sleepover we made bags from bandanas. The girls were creative in mixing patterns of bandanas. Its fun to see their creativity. Many troubled teens with self-esteem issues do not realize how creative they really are. Sorensons Ranch School provides various opportunities for our teens to discovery their inner talents.
We sometimes have facials from homemade ingredients. They mix egg, honey, and olive oil. Its interesting to see the reaction of putting such a concoction on their faces. They are always amazed at the results.

We bring in blankets and pillows, spread them on the floor, and settle in for a night of movies. Were allowed to stay up as long as we want on that night. The girls really enjoy our sleepovers, and it shows them there are alternative ways to have fun. They learn cooperation, patience, and tolerance of each other in working together to create a fun night. They gain confidence in trying new things. They have a desire to achieve higher levels because no one wants to miss out on the fun.

This is just one example of the fun activities available for students at Sorensons Ranch School. As we move into the summer season, campouts will be a regular part of student life. Girls will be able to do many of the fun activities that they do during their sleepovers, but in an outdoor setting. Singing around a campfire is always fun. Troubled teens from urban settings are always amazed at how fun and enjoyable outdoor experiences are. Combining sleepovers with the outdoors, which is what a campout is, creates experiences that they will remember the rest of their lives.

For more information contact the admissions office at 1-800-455-4590 or visit our website at Sorensons Ranch School