EMDR at Spring Ridge Academy

Gary Hees, MA, LPC, Clinical Director

The therapists at Spring Ridge Academy have just completed their EMDR Level I and II training and will be awarded their Certificates of Completion shortly. The course of training included two 3-day workshops of which half was application/practice oriented. Each workshop is followed by a required six hours of consultation on live cases with an approved EMDR Institute practitioner. The therapists at SRA chose to do this with Carolyn Settle MA, LPC, who is the leading authority in the field of EMDR when used with children and adolescents. We have already had several examples of startling positive results in relatively short time frames.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic model that utilizes bi-lateral stimulation to allow the brain to reprocess events that were traumatic to the student.

The method has lots of clinical research behind it and is the Treatment of Choice by the Department of Defense for addressing PTSD in returning military personnel. We at SRA have found it to be not only effective for trauma resulting from verbal, physical and sexual assault, but also very useful in resolving the pent-up emotions carried by an adolescent from relational injury given or received in the family. In some cases we find that EMDR is also beneficial for the parents and we refer them to 2-3 EMDR therapists near their home. They choose the best fit for them and then they too reap the benefits of EMDR.

Eric Hipple, Former NFL Player, Talks Depression

Spring Ridge Academy was proud to support the Grant Halliburton's Foundation's, Beacon of Hope Luncheon on January 25 in Dallas, Texas. The Grant Halliburton Foundation raises awareness of adolescent mental health. With over 300 people in attendance, Former Detroit Lions Player, Eric Hipple, shared his remarkable journey battling depression as well as the tragic loss of his son to suicide. In his book, Real Men Do Cry, Eric Hipple shares details of his story and how he picked himself back up and dedicated his life by helping others understand the signs, symptoms and dangers of depression.

Eric Hipple is now the Outreach Coordinator for The University of Michigan Depression Center spreading the word about depression warning signs and suicide prevention. Hipple states, “Parents need to understand that suicide can happen. They are trying to decipher what to be worried about and what is normal behavior. The truth is that there is rarely a clear line. I tell them to start looking for risk factors that might set off a downward spiral.”

Intensive Workshops at SRA

Spring Ridge Academy is proud to announce the addition of Therapeutic Intensive Workshops. These workshops are designed by our therapeutic team to enhance the sophisticated therapeutic techniques already utilized at Spring Ridge Academy. Workshops will be facilitated by therapists and incorporate various modalities including: art, body movement, dance, psychodrama, experiential initiatives, and team building. These workshops are three days in duration and focus on five specific areas:

• Anxiety and Depression-This workshop focuses on relief of physiological and emotional symptoms common with anxiety and depression, as well as strategies reducing underlying causes of anxiety and depression.
• Chemical Dependency- This workshop focuses on educating students about the impact and effect of substance abuse, develops skills for relapse prevention, and increases understanding of underlying issues that make substance abuse an acceptable coping skill.
• Relationships and Sexuality- This workshop examines aspects of romantic and sexual relationships and has a focus on developing boundaries, self respect, values, and self esteem.
• Trauma- This intensive is aimed at reducing triggers and mitigating the emotional impact of traumatic events from the past.
• Body Image- This workshop enhances our students’ acceptance and appreciation of their body. It also explores the impact of negative media stereotypes and other unrealistic expectations of the “perfect body”.

We feel these workshops will allow students to immerse in a specific subject, and improve their development of coping strategies and resources. All five workshops will be given four times a year during academic breaks. Students will attend workshops on the various topics throughout their stay at Spring Ridge Academy.

Happy 15th Birthday, SRA!

This is a very exciting time at Spring Ridge Academy. On Thursday, January 5, we celebrate 15 years since Jeannie Courtney opened Spring Ridge Academy. Jeannie had a dream to build a college prep, therapeutic school for girls to create confidant young women. When she shared her idea of creating an all girls therapeutic boarding school - people told her it would "never work," but this only gave her more drive to move ahead - and she succeeded.

We are very proud of Jeannie and the entire team at SRA, as well as, the students who have made it a success.

For Jeannie’s dedication, she has been nominated for MASK’s Unity Award. The Unity Award recognizes mothers making a difference in the world and their communities. Please vote for Jeannie. And, remember to vote everyday until February 1.

Spring Ridge Academy thanks you and your families for your continued support.

We wish you a happy new year - and a happy birthday to SRA!

Happy New Year!

Spring Ridge Academy wishes you and your family a Healthy and Happy New Year!