Building Trust
At Sunrise RTC we try to instill positive values within our students on a daily basis. One of these values is trust. There are many ways to establish trust… (continue reading)
Being Mindful
Mindfulness “Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment” -Peace Is Every Step (Thich Nhat Hanh) The principle of mindfulness is one that we teach and encourage the girls at Sunrise to use in their daily lives. It is actually one [...]
Teens and the Internet: How Concerned Should You Be?
First, the good news. The internet is an effective and helpful tool for practical applications such as research, work and social communication, academics, shopping, commerce, and networking. In most work and academic settings, the effective and appropriate use of the internet is a critical skill. Mastery of internet applications can have positive results for young [...]
Destigmatizing Treatment for Mental/ Emotional Health
After recently visiting and listening to the speakers at the grand open house of the new Menninger’s Psychiatric Hospital in Houston, I feel more passionate about the importance of reshaping stigmatizing, judgmental, blaming, and shaming attitudes associated with mental and emotional health and the treatment therein. I was so impressed by the Frank Lloyd Wright [...]
Flour War
We finished up a great Family Weekend a week and a half ago. One of the highlights for me was our Saturday activity which we call the Flour War. The Flour War is a game of capture the flag in which each team is given a bag of flour and some baggies to make “flour [...]
An Introduction
“History is a kind of introduction to more interesting people than we can possibly meet in our restricted lives; let us not neglect the opportunity.” -Dexter Perkins I have always believed that the most fascinating aspect of history is studying the lives of those who have affected it or been affected by it in [...]
We Never Give Up
We need to challenge and remind our children to hold onto their dreams even when they may seem impossible to attain. There is a story of a homeless woman who battled addictions and had very little going for her. The last straw came when someone stole her only pair of shoes and she was forced [...]
Love Is Letting Go Of Fear
‘Love Is Letting Go of Fear’, a book by Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., goes hand in hand with our DBT skill of staying in the moment. Being in the here and now allows for each of us to take control of our lives. We have the most power in this moment, not in yesterday or [...]
Meeting Them Where They Are in Education
I recently had a father ask, “Just what do you mean when you say meet the girls where they are? What does that look like in school”? My answer, “Each girl has an individualized education plan determined by the number of credits they have when they arrive, progress toward graduation, and content knowledge.” This answered [...]
The Courage to Set a Boundary
How does one define a personal boundary? In order to be able to set appropriate boundaries for yourself and others, it is important to first understand what a personal boundary is. To me, a personal boundary is a guideline that an individual has in place with certain rules or limits that are acceptable for themselves [...]
The Tortoise and the Hare
I don’t think that you are ever too old to outlive a classic fable. ”Slow and steady wins the race” may be the motto of the Tortoise and the Hare, but there is much more to the story. Here are some things that I have learned from this short story. 1. The Hare is a [...]
Spirituality
I recently finished reading the book, Girls on the Edge by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D. The book discusses four factors that are driving forces for crisis in teenage girls. One of the chapters talks about spiritual growth and how adolescence is a time for questioning the spiritual foundations in their lives. For many girls, these [...]
Born to Run
I am a huge believer that in order for individuals to experience positive mental health, they have to emphasize fitness and physical health as well. The two ideas go hand in hand and complement each other. In an effort to promote healthy living, Sunrise uses distance running as an integral part of the recreation and [...]
Cutting: The paradox of pain
Cutting or self-harming is nonfatal, intentional self-injurious behavior resulting in actual tissue damage, illness, or risk of death. Typically, the teen intention is not to die; however, teens that engage in self-harming behaviors are at a higher risk of suicide. These acts of self-mutilation are not a typical adolescent trend. Acts of Self-harming n Cutting with [...]
Patience
Nothing says the start of spring like a bouncing young puppy? Cute and fluffy they pounce and play without a care in the world. What a wonderful loving little creature. They give you love and all the puppy breath kisses you can handle. What a wonderful thing to bring into our lives. This is exactly [...]
Addictions
At Sunrise we treat many different diagnoses, symptoms, and help girls and families deal with many difficult issues. One of the issues we deal with regularly is addictions. Mostly that tends to focus on substance abuse issues, however it can be relationships, eating disorders, cutting, and even sexual addictions. Before coming to work at Sunrise [...]
Strong Fathers and Strong Daughters
I have been thinking more and more how I can influence my daughter in a positive direction. It is never too earlier or too late to have a positive, lasting impact on our daughters. When my wife was expecting our second child we were secretly wishing for a second son. It is scary to raise [...]
Traditions
During the holidays there was a commercial on television that could pretty much move me to tears every time I saw it. It showed a man in army garb sitting in his barrack opening up a package from his family. In the package was a book with a recording of his children reading it to [...]
Building Relationships through Communication
Aww February, the month that we celebrate Love – or should I say relationships. Relationships play such an important role in everyone’s lives. The phases that we go through in our relationships just prove that no one is perfect in building and keeping them. Relationships grow and change with time. It’s important that we cope [...]
Alumni
I recently was talking with an alumni from Sunrise and asked her to put some of her thoughts on paper. She described her experience at Sunrise and I thought I would share this with you. Below are some of her thoughts and advice to what her experience has been during and after treatment. I appreciate [...]
Graduation Reflections
It was an early Monday morning at Sunrise Academy. At 8:30 we were all attending the graduation of one of our long time students. The situation is always a happy one when the time arrives for our students to go back to their parents and their lives at home. As is tradition for our students [...]
The Power of Validation
A conversation that we have often in our work at Sunrise is that of the importance of validation. The concept of validation is simple yet often overlooked in our relationships. I am sure everyone has experienced a time (or lots of times) that we left a conversation feeling totally unheard. I know for me, those [...]
Adolescent Bipolar Disorder
Adolescent Bipolar Disorder Typically, Bipolar disorder is characterized by a combination of alternating depressed moods and mania. It is quite common for healthy teens to display mood swings and irritability. So how do you know if your teen has diagnosable symptoms of Bipolar disorder? It is vital for a licensed mental health clinician to determine [...]
Perserverance
I love to see the change in our students over the course of their stay at Sunrise. Several of our students will be graduating soon. As I think about the changes they have made in their life, I marvel at all they have been through. There is a greater sense of self, accomplishment, maturity, and [...]
Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life
“Today is the first day of the rest of your life” Author Unknown What does this quote mean to me? When I was a little girl my mom had this plaque on the wall with this quote on it. My dad had made it himself with a cheap wood burning kit but it looked surprisingly [...]
World Religions
So many of our students at Sunrise are working on figuring out who they truly are. They are looking for positive ideas, safe hobbies and clearer perspectives with which they can identify. The students here come from a large variety of belief systems and religious backgrounds. While some are unsure what they believe and others are very sure, in World History we study the religions of the world in the hopes that while gaining a larger perspective they can also find their own bits of truth to develop into their belief system or help them improve their way of living.
