How do you handle confidentiality at Kaizen Academy?

We take every effort to ensure strict confidentiality of students and families we work with. Your information will never be released unless you have given written consent to do so.

Can my son come home to visit while he is in treatment?

Our teen RTC’s goal is to help heal the family system. This requires visits home when possible and appropriate, in order to apply new practices for the boy and the rest of his family. This depends on where each individual boy is at in the treatment process. We also encourage families to come and visit their child while he is in the beginning stages of healing.

Why does my son need a “specific” sexual treatment program?

Sexual issues are generally symptomatic of other non-sexual problems which may include anxiety, depression, stress, poor social skills, and sexual identity confusion.

At Kaizen Academy, our highly specialized treatment environment allows and supports students to be able to fully disclose, some for the first time in years, the extent of their behaviors without fear of shocking their therapists or being ostracized by their peers. They can discuss their problems without judgment, guilt, secrecy or shame at our Provo residential treatment center. This is not the case in other non-specific residential treatment programs, where students are often ostracized and frequently expelled once they disclose their sexual history. When a student does not feel safe, he will not divulge the extent of his behaviors nor will he participate fully any therapeutic interventions.

How does the family therapy take place at Kaizen Academy?

Family therapy will begin when your child completes his first week at Kaizen Academy.

Your child’s therapist will contact you to discuss format, people involved and content of calls as it varies with each family dynamic. There will be a scheduled session weekly to help and support the system to heal.

My son was in a previous program and was asked to leave because of his behaviors. How do I know Kaizen Academy will work?

Many of the families we work with have expressed frustration about previous treatment programs that have been unsuccessful in helping their son.

And it is concerning when your child has been asked to leave because of their behaviors and choices. Some programs help in certain areas, however, are unable or unwilling to work with his sexual issues. Kaizen Academy specializes in helping students with sexual behavioral problems.

We also help our students with non-sexual issues as well as: adoption / attachment challenges, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug issues, anger issues, depression, self harm, social issues, and other diagnoses.

Will my son learn other “bad” or inappropriate behaviors from the other boys in treatment?

Kaizen Academy provides a positive environment where strong boundaries are maintained.

Our residential treatment center’s culture promotes both accountability and safety. Students who are further along in their treatment and more advanced in their clinical work take a leading role in providing positive coaching and mentoring for newer students.

Kaizen Academy provides an honest and open door culture where students can discuss their issues without fear of judgment, rejection, or shame by their peers , staff or therapists.

Because of this positive environment, there is less likelihood of negative acting out. Students hold each other accountable for their behaviors and help each other stay focused on treatment progress.

Do these boys have other psychological problems?

Some do; many do not. Some have learning disabilities or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Some have Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or Conduct Disorder (CD). Other psychological diagnoses, including depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

These diagnoses would need to be considered in treatment planning.

What behaviors are considered “normal” in regards to teens and sex?

Few stages are as important for the proper development of a child as the sexual stages. It is our job as parents to be in tune with these amorphous emotions and nascent desires. The best thing parents can do to help ensure the proper development of their children is to remain attentive and informed.

There’s a spectrum of sexual development in children. In the middle of the spectrum lies the standard deviation: some children’s sexuality develops more rapidly, while others’ more slowly. Likewise, there are certain patterns of behavior that fall within that normal deviation. Outside of this “normal” behavior, however, there are certain red flags for which parents need to be on the lookout.

Sexually problematic behavior in children and adolescents is a telltale sign of improper or unbalanced development, which has the potential to grow into much bigger sexual problems as well as aggression, bullying, and violent tendencies.

Do boys tell the truth about what they did?

Some boys immediately admit their problematic sexual behavior when questioned by their parents or the parents of the victim. Other boys often refuse to admit the truth because they are afraid of the consequences and shame around their behaviors. We find that once placed in a supportive therapeutic environment like at our teen RTC, the boys feel a sense of safety and open up about past behaviors.

You can find additional parent resources at your convenience.