February 28, 2022
Meet Hunter! A Turn-About Ranch Graduate!
At Turn-About Ranch, we pride ourselves on how many teens we’ve been able to help. We’ve had many teens graduate from our program, helping them become effective individuals, positively impacting both their lives and their families. Below, you’ll hear Hunter’s story and what he’s learned from Turn-About Ranch.
Hunter’s Story: A Turn-About Ranch Graduate
How Was the Turn-About Ranch Experience for You?
“It actually gave me a lot of time to reflect on why I was here.”
When teens come to Turn-About Ranch, it doesn’t take long for them to understand why they’re here. When they first go to Camp Roundy, the first location on the ranch where they’ll stay, students are given plenty of space and time to think. This is where we start to see self-reflection from our students. It’s a step in the right direction and once they accept why they’re with us, we can start to help them better themselves.
What Were Your Relationships Like with the Staff?
“They always held me true to myself. They were very respectful, as was I for the most part. They always made it easy to work with them, and I greatly appreciate that from them.”
At Turn-About Ranch, our employees are guided by the following principles: Family, Growth, Teamwork, and Service. Our staff is the true heart and soul of our facility. They come to work every day with the same goal of guiding young people along the path toward a healthy and productive future. Together, we truly care about every single teen who steps foot on our ranch.
How Do You Feel That Turn-About Ranch Prepared You for the Real World?
No matter what, we’ve always stayed committed to our mission: To help develop our students into effective individuals and positively impact their lives and the lives of their families. Knowing that our graduates are out in the real world living productive lives, tells us that we are doing the right thing.
“I would probably say that Turn-About helped me improve the relationship with my family. They showed me that I had a side of me that I never knew I had.”
How Do You Feel Turn-About Ranch Has Affected Your Family?
From Hunter’s Dad: “I believe Turn-About has become a part of our family. The wonderful therapist that contacted us and had weekly conversations with us has helped my wife and I work through our issues related to our son being here.”
We understand the critical role that therapy plays when it comes to helping troubled teens. Not only do we do individual therapy sessions but we also do family therapy sessions. Research shows one of the biggest predictors of a teen’s success after completing a program is the extent to which their families are involved in the treatment process before discharge. We believe family involvement is a huge factor in our student’s success.
From Hunter’s Mom: “[Turn-About Ranch] has brought us closer together. The therapy sessions we had and the feedback from the staff have really made our relationship with our son a lot stronger.”
How Does Our Therapy Differ from Other Services?
“I think that since you’re actually here with the staff, it’s almost 24/7 with all the staff and you’re with your therapists a lot more often so they can actually see what’s going on so they can help you a lot more.”
Therapy is crucial when helping teens change their negative behaviors. However, many teens struggle with typical outpatient therapy as some struggle with being truthful with how they really feel with someone they have yet to establish a consistent relationship or bond with Our approach helps teens recognize that therapists are not the enemy and the therapeutic process can help achieve positive lasting change.
If You Could Go Back to Day One, What Advice Would You Give Yourself?
“I would just say specifically that you need to just accept it. You know you made the choices that got you here and your parents just want to help you. They’re not trying to hurt you or anything and you just need to appreciate that, even though it’s hard.”
“To the parents, I would say that your kids are always going to be safe here. You have nothing to worry about.”
It’s never easy for parents to send their kids to Turn-About Ranch. Typically, parents who send their teens to us have a fear that their teens are going to hate them. However, this usually isn’t the case. After some time with us, our students’ perspectives start to change and they often end up thanking their parents for caring for them so much.
Hunter’s Dad: “I would tell a parent sending their child to Turn-About that it is a relief to drop them off in someplace so safe and caring. Hearing from the therapist within the first 24-hours really brings that first sense of relief and the first end of chaos that you may have been struggling with.”
What Does it Mean to Be a Lifetime Member of the Turn-About Ranch Family?
“To me it means I’m always welcome to come back and visit. It means that they love me to no end and they’ll always be there for me. I greatly appreciate that.”
We never love saying goodbye to our students. However, we know that when they do leave that they’re going to be effective individuals who care and understand how their actions impact those around them. When a student leaves us, we know we’ve done our job.
How Turn-About Ranch Can Help
Hunter’s Dad: “They really have become a part of our family.”
Here at Turn-About Ranch, we are committed to helping you and your teen. We have created a facility where our students can grow and develop into effective individuals. If you believe that we are a good fit for your troubled teen, contact us and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.