Virginia Therapeutic Boarding School for Girls

Evangelhouse is a Virginia area therapeutic boarding for girls. We enroll girls from Virginia and all over the southeast  We serve girls from Virginia with unique needs that seek a Christian environment. Virginia families appreciate our close proximity, close-knit Christian environment, and highly trained therapeutic staff whose focus is on the therapeutic needs of girls only. Because we are removed from your child’s immediate home environment and peer group, your daughter can focus on the issues that lead you to find our program, not on what’s going on in her home community.

History of Our Therapeutic Boarding School for Virginia Girls

The Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding school was established in 1995 to serve Christian families with a quality residential treatment option for troubled teen girls.  In its quest to do so, Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding for girls pioneered a treatment model that blends licensed behavioral healthcare with the structure of a traditional Christian boarding school.  Since then, it has evolved to become the premier non-denominational Christian option in the marketplace of high-quality teen residential treatment centers.

We provide a relationship-driven peer culture. Our small setting and inclusive social structures cultivate 360-degree feedback from peers, parents, and professional staff. Such feedback hones students’ self-awareness and provides enlightenment on how their behavior choices affect themselves and others.

The connection between their actions and resulting outcomes are emphasized to develop enhanced social skills and emotional growth.

Click here to learn more.

Academic Component

At Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding for girls in Virginia, licensed teachers with advanced degrees administer a nationally accredited curriculum through the Louisiana Department of Education. Our unique and thorough therapeutic evaluation process guides education planning for each student. Student-to-teacher ratios accommodate learning difficulties presented by complex mood and behavior disorders. An integrative classroom day incorporates biblical teaching, group counseling, and academic work. We offer three educational tracts within our boarding school academic program. The individual attention we provide can support students who are advanced academically alongside those who may struggle.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 5% of high school students in the United States drop out each year. We know this affects a student’s future employment, earnings, potential health and so much more. We also know that students who have mental health issues at school are more likely to have poor school adjustment, fewer friends, more family discord, and future potential problems like drug and alcohol use, dropping out, and more. Recent studies also reveal that the mental health of teens gets worse as academic problems grow.

Today is the day to take action to set your daughter’s academic path in the right direction. We can help get her back on track quickly and support her as she blossoms into the bright, high-achieving student she is destined to be. 

At Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding for girls, an integrative classroom day incorporates biblical teaching, group counseling, and academic work. We offer three educational tracts within our boarding school academic program. The individual attention we provide can support students who are advanced academically alongside those who may struggle. Our goal for academics is to quickly adjust to your daughter’s learning level which often improves as stressors and behavioral problems subside. 

Statistics on Virginia Girls That Need a Therapeutic Boarding School

•   30 percent of high school students in Virginia reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row.
•   13 percent of high school students in Virginia reported having had one major depressive episode
•   16 percent of high school students in Virginia seriously considered attempting suicide
•   12 percent of high school students in Virginia said that they have attempted suicide one or more times.
•   In Virginia, approximately 50% of girls age 14 and older with a mental illness drop out of high school.
•   One out of five girls ages 12 to 17 had experienced major depression within the last year.
•   8.9 percent of teen girls experiment with drugs every month.
•   16.4 percent of teen girls abuse alcohol.
•    9.5 percent of teen girls engage in binge drinking.

Virginia’s Mental Health Laws

Information about Virginia law governing behavioral health and developmental services can be found in Section 37.2 of the Code of Virginia. Section 37.2 includes statutes governing the emergency custody, temporary detention and involuntary commitment to treatment of individuals in mental health crisis.

Therapeutic Boarding School for Girls: Helping Teens from Virginia

At Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding for girls in Virginia, we have seen many issues over the years plague young girls in grades 6-12. Today’s issues are more profound than ever. It used to be that just picking a career, or finding a marital partner was the most a girl had to worry about. 

Today’s modern fast-paced world is much different. Girls go online to socialize and connect. They are in social competitions for likes on social media, and they are pressured to take photos showing their best sides in the public for followers. Online bullying and other cyber pressures are unique to this generation of girls. 

Below are 5 issues that are different today for girls:

“Fitting in”

From buying the right clothes to hanging out with the right people, fitting in today is harder than ever. Part of this is due to how publicly the typical teen lives thanks to the internet. Often, the pressure to fit in is too much. This is when the outside help of a therapeutic boarding school like Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding for girls is warranted.

Motivation

Teenagers have gotten more secluded in their virtual worlds. No longer are teens motivated by getting their own car or a job. It’s often difficult to find motivation for a young teen that does not involve something related to a screen. At Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding for girls, we help girls find that inner spark and re-discover who they are. 

Disrespect

Teens are surrounded by disrespect today. They see it in the movies they watch and the online games they play. It’s pervasive in modern music as well. Even female “role models” in modern pop music sing songs that are often disrespectful to themselves. At Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding for girls, we help young ladies build self-respect through our positive peer culture.

Depression and Anxiety

Interacting mainly online has been linked to depression and anxiety. We look at photos of others online and it’s just human nature to compare. Being cooped up at home and cut off from the rest of the world only adds to the sensation.

Teens are suffering from depression and anxiety perhaps more than ever before. Many teens’ online “friends” will post only the best photos on vacation after taking multiple shots. This leaves followers feeling inadequate and that they are somehow missing out.

At Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding for girls in Virginia, we treat depression, anxiety, and a host of other issues. Individual, family, and group therapy interventions are structured within the Evangelhouse Lifeleaf™ system. This state-of-the-art system challenges students to work beyond symptom improvement. This unique integrative approach leads students to maturity, insight, and self-awareness. The blend of Christian values and professional clinical psychotherapy includes:

• Professional assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning
• Weekly individual therapy
• Weekly group therapy
• Parent and family therapy
• Weekly therapeutic emphasis groups
• Weekly DBT Therapy skills group
• The unique Evangelhouse stages of change system
• Experiential family therapy retreats
• EMDR Trauma Therapy is available as needed

If you have any questions about the program please call us at 1-800-924-4012 or visit our contact page.

Leading Therapeutic Boarding School for Girls from Virginia

Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding school for girls enrolls girls from Virginia cities like Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Arlington, Richmond, Newport News, Alexandria, Hampton, Roanoke, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Lynchburg and all across the US. We even have girls enrolled from multiple other countries including the UK, Canada, Mexico, and beyond. Families love our convenient location, no-cost airport pickups, and having their daughter away from a negative peer group so she can focus on solving her issues.

Call us at (800) 924-4012 or review our Admissions Page for more information. You can read about our criteria for admissions here.

Evangelhouse Academy Vs. Traditional Boarding Schools 

Therapeutic boarding schools like Evangelhouse share many similarities with typical boarding schools. However, as an added benefit, girls at Evangelhouse receive:

1.  Regular counseling with a qualified therapist for group and individual therapy sessions.
2. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) sessions
3. Equine Therapy
4. Strong bonds: Girls living together at Evangelhouse form lifetime friendships. This is crucial for social development in girls. Our focus on building a positive peer culture is key to ensuring all girls at Evangelhouse create strong peer bonds based on positivity and mutual respect. 
5. A home-like setting with fewer students and more staff than a standard dorm
6.  Lower student-teacher ratio than in a traditional boarding school
7. A wide range of sports activities and community service opportunities for character building.

While some traditional boarding schools do offer therapeutic services with enrollment, the focus is always on the academic portion and therapy is more than likely an afterthought. Additionally, in traditional boarding schools, teachers do not meet with therapists and the school typically would not host regular treatment team meetings. 

At Evangelhouse Christian Academy, every staff member is aware of the issues each student is going through. Teachers, coaches, counselors, and program staff alike all know how to respond to each student based on their therapeutic goals. We focus on addressing the behavioral and emotional needs of adolescent teen girls foremost, and a significant focus is also put on the academic portion of the program. Unfortunately, a standard educational environment like a typical boarding school cannot handle the issues typically presented in a student that requires a therapeutic boarding school. 

Another difference between traditional boarding schools and a therapeutic boarding school like Evangelhouse Christian Academy is the attention we give to the cognitive learning issues our students may have. Students come into the program that is typically undergoing stress or family conflict. Even if a child is doing well in school, in most cases that child’s academic performance will take off to even higher levels once their stressors are properly addressed. This is why having academics as part of a mental health program can be valuable. 

In a traditional learning environment, teachers would not be prepared to accelerate a child’s academic work so quickly as their mental health issues improve. At Evangelhouse Christian Academy, your daughter will benefit from having a host of professionals on her side as she makes progress. Our teachers and licensed therapists will ensure that your daughter is on track academically. We will ensure she develops healthy long-lasting relationships. 

The Evangelhouse Therapeutic Boarding School Classroom

At Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding school for girls, we believe that academics and community involvement are the cornerstones of student progress. Students can expect comparable-age smaller, traditional classroom settings for instruction that aim to provide good academic support within a close niche community. Additionally, college prep classes further promote student achievement.

Oftentimes, parents first recognize the influence of their troubled teen’s behavior reflected on their declining report card grades. Behaviors such as skipping classes, disorganization, reprehensible conduct at school, and inappropriate social media usage are just some behaviors that tend to negatively affect academic performance. A variety of emotional issues may be present in a teenage girl that can lead to lower achievement in school, and the staff at Evangelhouse specializes in helping girls overcome these situations. 

When a troubled teen experiences a serious academic setback, it is important to redirect their behavior. At Evangelhouse, our program enables students to re-establish academic goals, and engage in a plan of action that accelerates learning to make up missed credits and graduation requirements. Most importantly, each student will receive individualized instruction that is tailor-made for their academic needs. The notable difference at Evangelhouse when compared to traditional school settings is that students with learning problems such as dyslexia or ADHD/ADD among others will receive individualized instruction that addresses their needs.  In this setting, it is possible to adjust the pace of instruction and instructors build strong working relationships with their students.

Additional mental health issues that weigh into your daughter’s academic performance may include and not be limited to the following: energy levels, attentiveness, reliability, mental capacity, and optimism. There exists substantial research to support the fact that depression contributes to declining grade point averages and anxiety. Studies have also connected an increase in depression among the teenage population to an increase in dropout rates among high school students. 

When your daughter attends Evangelhouse therapeutic boarding school for girls, symptoms of depression are alleviated. As symptoms of depression decrease, your daughter’s academic performance will improve. Our program at Evangelhouse is supported by studies that have shown a direct correlation between emotional issues and academic performance. With highly specialized staff, your daughter will receive the help she needs to resolve emotional issues.