Progress of our students is based on a collaborative & collective effort of the Mental Health Counselor, Directors, Staff, and Family members. The most influential of all these are the parents. The "Degree of Parental Involvement and Application" is the hinge that the student and graduate succeed on. Counseling is provided by degreed and Masters degreed level Therapists. Treatment is unique to the students needs at New Life Academy. To achieve the next therapy level students and families must complete therapy assignments before moving forward. Emotional Intelligence growth varies with each student. Therefore, duration of enrollment at our school is based on progress rather than time. While the enrollment agreement is set for a minimum of 15 months, students should remain and keep on in this healthy environment until they are fully ready to return home and succeed. Therapy is used as a tool to construct a cultivating environment in which student and families can restore a meaningful nurturing future together.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy is provided by the primary therapist, and generally consists of approx. 90-120 minutes of therapy per week, which may take place in one session or be split into two sessions. Working together toward the progress as a family unit and the goals that each family has for their relationships with each other is what family therapy specifically focuses on. In-House sessions are at least every 8 weeks during our on-campus Parent-Day Weekend for parents who live out of state and approximately 2 - 4 weeks for parent who live in Florida. Family therapy can also takes place over the phone or soon through video conferencing generally consisting of approx. one 60-90 minute session per week. Family therapy goals and objectives are reached with the therapist working with the students and parents and individual therapy is working with the student to help achieve those goals, objectives, and boundaries while in the program.

Group Session

Topics & Issues are addressed according to what our student population is facing through group sessions. Group sessions are comprised of the student body, which all have the same primary therapist. To further gain comfort and confidence, students are placed in a setting to hear other students' life stories and see that they are struggling with issues that are very similar to the ones they are working on. Students will learn the importance of sharing within a safe and supportive culture and that their story can help and heal those that are with them. The student will learn to not think of themselves, but to think who they can help by opening up and letting other hurting teen girls see that they are not alone and that there is hope. 

Holistic & Biblical Approach

Each girl's individualized treatment focus is considered from a holistic approach: mind (education & the word of God), body (Nutrition & Exercise), and spirit (Accepting Christ & Showing Good Fruits/Living a Biblical Standard). A balance is created and the opportunity for a successful and joyful life is greatly enhanced when this approach is taken.

Girls Only - No Boys!

There are distinct rewards to a "Girls Only" program. We found that with boys absent from the center, there are no distractions. There are no walls to be put up, no facade or masquerades to impress the other sex. They learn to support each other and to build relationships with other girls their age which they haven't done until this time. Having a bad hair day or a pimple is no longer a main issue, they learn to deal with it and see that other sisters in the program accept them. They become family and begin to see all their imperfections, moods, and quarks that other people don't see because they live with each other and they're ok with that. They realize that their new sisters can act as a support system and that the girls are very similar to each other. That they were born with a purpose, that they all want to belong to something greater than themselves, that they no longer want to take their families or life for granted and that their past does not dictate your future! They understand they are not alone.

Putting into Practice

Interactions with boys are held to a minimum and usually during church services and events off campus with the student leaders of that youth group, who are held to a higher standard than the regular student that goes to service. These students are the youth that have a passion for God, serve at the church and have an accountability partner assigned to them that they must report to on a weekly basis.  To separate these girls completely from boys would not allow us to put into practice the Godly standard we teach of what is appropriate cross-gender behavior and what is not within the safe environment of a church setting and youth outings.