The Therapeutic Experience

All of the girls at New Leaf Academy share common therapeutic challenges that they must address in order to succeed through adolescence and into young adulthood. Almost all of our students have been involved in individual and family counseling and were not able to demonstrate consistent progress through these interventions. Why does New Leaf succeed therapeutically when other interventions have failed?

• A developmentally appropriate approach: We create an environment that is void of the distractions and challenges that an emotionally immature girl is not capable of navigating. We allow her to be a "little girl" while she is working on the social, cognitive and emotional developmental milestones that she has been unable to accomplish.


• An individual approach: Each New Leaf girl is treated as an individual with challenges and abilities that are uniquely hers. While all New Leaf students work through the Star Step program as part of their maturation and growth, each girl also has her own treatment plan that is designed to help with specific behavioral, social and emotional issues with which she is struggling.


• A relational approach: Our middle school age girls are not always able to use individual therapy to gain insight. At this developmental stage, they grow through interaction and relationship, where they learn through experience and immediate feedback based on how they function with others. We teach the girls the skills they need to connect with others in a healthy manner and use our peer culture, group counseling sessions twice a week, and consistent, nurturing staff interaction to help the girls practice their skills.


• A concentrated approach: At New Leaf Academy, the student is immersed in a culture that helps her master developmental milestones and progress emotionally. This type of concentration and culture is hard to create through outpatient interventions.

New Leaf girls meet with their individual counselors regularly throughout the week. Traditional individual therapy may be done when a girl is capable of gaining insight into her behavior and has demonstrated the ability to manage her emotions. We use Eye Movement Desensitization and Restructuring (EMDR), cognitive behavioral therapy and art therapy to work with girls individually.

Here are some of the common diagnoses that New Leaf Academy works with. Click on the diagnosis to read some of the therapeutic and academic strategies we use.

Bipolar Disorder
Asperger's Syndrome
Non-Verbal Learning Disorder
Anxiety Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder