Troubled Teens | Heartlight School for Troubled Teens

When a teenager displays rebellious behavior and becomes unmanageable, parents look frantically for solutions. If your child exhibits some of the signs of needing counseling and temporary removal from the home, then by all means consider a program like Heartlight. As a rule, unless a boarding school indicates that their program is specifically for troubled teens, then the school may not be suited for troubled teens. In fact, such kids tend to quickly get kicked out of schools or they receive harsh treatment for misbehavior. Heartlight is specifically designed to work with and solve troubled teen issues. And among only a handful of Christian-focused programs, Heartlight is one of the most effective and least costly choices (see the Cost Comparison).

Heartlight is not designed to be a long-term program. Our program usually lasts 9-12 months, and that depends on how quickly the troubled teen comes to the realization that they need to go all the way through the levels of the program before their parents will bring them home again.

Heartlight's professional counseling staff work with each troubled teen in individual and group counseling sessions each week and house staff work with them 24/7. Counselors also update the parents on the student's progress by phone once a week. Parents are constantly kept in the loop by various staff responsible for the resident's care.

The Heartlight formula is loving and relational, not forced or focused on breaking the teen's spirit. It is designed to bring light to a troubled teen's heart and reveal and deal with their struggles, not to crush their heart like some harsher programs can do. As the program has been perfected over time, the average stay at Heartlight (time required to make a real change in our troubled teen residents) has dropped from 18 months to as little as 9 months.

We welcome you to request more information, including the Spirit of Heartlight DVD, which introduces you to the program in the words of parents of previous Heartlight residents. They are our best endorsers. Many of our alumni parents say that Heartlight literally saved their troubled teen from sure self-destruction, or at the very least saved their family from pulling apart at the seams.

TO THE PARENTS OF TROUBLED TEENS...

We've had more than 3,000 troubled teens come live with us at Heartlight through the years, all of whom have struggled immensely. We've shed many tears with their parents, who, at the time, didn't see the path to make it through the struggle.

These parents were so tired of being called every name in the book, challenged on every thought they've ever had, and absolutely depleted because of all the hardship caused in their home by their troubled teen. Many had lost hope and didn't think they were going to make it.

But with our help, they did make it, and so can you. Your investment in a program like Heartlight will one day pay off. And the payoff will be great.

Heartlight offers a way to break the tension for your family. We provide 24/7 mentoring, counsel and guidance for your child and encouragement and training for you as well. You'll get a needed break. And your child will get a break from bad influences and gain a new, healthy perspective on life.

In a few months, you'll see a renewed interest and respect by your teen for your family and your rules, and a desire to make something of their life, not a penchant to throw it down the drain as they had been doing.

Please give us a call today. We'd love to hear your story and see if Heartlight will be the right fit for your troubled teen. If not, then we can also help you find another program that's right for your child.

Mark and Jan Gregston
Executive Directors