The Interpreted Rock

 By Stephen C. Schultz The heat hit me like I was catching a medicine ball in a local gym. There was a breeze, technically. But it felt less like relief and more like standing in front of an air fryer set to late June in Dallas. When I stepped out of the car, the temperature read 95 degrees, and the humidity might as well have been a voice saying, “You are not in Utah anymore.” Coming from the Intermountain West at roughly 6000 feet above sea level, I am used to conversations about shortness of breath tied to elevation. Dallas has its own version of that conversation, except here every breath feels like you are still at the bottom of a swimming pool. Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely appreciate Dallas. There is rich history here and a kind of energy that fits the size of the city. I just was not fully prepared for the climate adjustment. I was in town attending the 2026 ATN Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools Conference . One of the first people I met was Karen Mayer Cunningham . Karen...

 By Stephen C. Schultz As Father's Day comes around each year, I find myself reflecting on the legacy of my father, R. Conrad Schultz. Looking back over his life, one word comes to mind— FATHER . Not simply because he was my father, but because the word itself describes the qualities that defined him. F—Faithful My father's life is anchored in faith. He love's the Lord, trusts His promises, and remains steadfast through seasons of joy and adversity. Faith is not something he merely professes; it is something he lives. A—Authentic There was no difference between the public man and the private man. Whether serving in Church leadership, practicing law, or sitting around the dinner table with family, he was genuine. He valued truth, honesty, and sincerity, and those who knew him best knew exactly where he stood. T—Teacher Dad taught constantly, often without realizing it. Through stories, scriptures, humor, fishing trips, and simple conversations, he taught principles rather th...

By Stephen C. Schultz It was a warm summer day when the call came to my phone. On the other end was the mother of an adopted son. Just days earlier, she had uncovered some deeply concerning and risky problematic sexual behavior. Her voice carried a mix of shock, fear, frustration, disbelief, and embarrassment. She found herself using words and discussing topics she probably never imagined she would speak aloud as a parent. Unfortunately, this is not an unusual call. In fact, these are the conversations I have almost every day. They come from families all across the country. Parents who have been thrust into a reality they never anticipated. Families whose lives have suddenly become filled with questions, uncertainty, and concern for both their child and the people around them. The details may vary, but the emotions are remarkably consistent. "What happened?" "How did we miss this?" "Is my son dangerous?" "Can he get better?" "What do we do n...

 By Stephen C. Schultz There is a transition every parent eventually faces that few people talk about honestly. The slow and often painful movement from advocating for your child…to teaching them how to advocate for themselves. At first, it begins naturally. As parents, we speak for our children because they cannot yet speak for themselves. We schedule appointments. We explain emotions they do not yet understand. We intervene at school. We help navigate friendships, conflict, academics, doctors, therapists, coaches, and consequences. This is not weakness. This is parenting. And for parents raising disadvantaged teens or young adults, especially those struggling with mental health challenges, neurodivergence, trauma, chronic illness, or physical health concerns, that role often becomes even more intense. Sometimes advocacy is not optional. It becomes survival. Parents learn medications, treatment plans, educational accommodations, emotional triggers, behavioral patterns, specialist ...

 By Stephen C. Schultz For many families, summer feels like something we spend the entire year reaching toward. No early alarms. No school stress. More freedom. More time together. But for families with teens navigating problematic sexual behavior (PSB), summer can also quietly become one of the most difficult seasons of the year. Because with summer often comes something teenagers rarely know how to manage well on their own. Unstructured time. Late nights. Less supervision. Disrupted routines. Increased screen access. Family vacations. Siblings home all day. Friends coming and going. Boredom. Isolation. Emotional avoidance disguised as “relaxing.” And underneath it all, many teens are carrying far more anxiety, shame, impulsivity, loneliness, and dysregulation than they know how to express in a healthy way. What can look like a carefree summer from the outside can internally feel chaotic for a teen already struggling with boundaries, secrecy, compulsive behavior, or emotional regu...

By Stephen C. Schultz The conversation was light, and the chuckles came easy. My daughter stood at the kitchen island, telling me about Michael Jackson , the new movie, the renewed interest, and how his music seems to be finding its way back into the world again. It was simple and good. Just a father and his daughter sharing something familiar. I turned back to my screen to finish typing a few work notes when a sudden crash broke the moment. A sharp thud at the end of the island. I looked up and she was gone from view. I was out of my chair in a second, rounding the corner to find her on the ground in the middle of a seizure. She had narrowly missed hitting her head on the wall as she fell. I knelt beside her, steadying her, rubbing her arm, letting her know I was there. Nothing complicated, just presence. Slowly, she came out of it, disoriented but returning. I helped her to her feet. There’s always a moment that follows, frustration, a kind of edge that comes with having “one more...

By Stephen C. Schultz In my previous article— Measuring What Matters: Oxbow’s Edge in Treatment Outcomes —I focused on the importance of tracking outcomes. The idea was simple: if we’re not measuring progress, we’re limited in our understanding. But lately, I’ve been thinking about something deeper. Because the reality is, families don’t come to us asking about data. They come to us in the middle of a crisis and family turbulence. A Conversation I Won’t Forget I was speaking with a parent recently who was crying. Her speech was fast and pressured. The questions came rapid-fire, one after another. There was urgency in her voice, but also frustration. At moments, it came across as somewhat confrontational. I listened. I gave her space. After a few minutes, I asked if I could share something about myself. She paused and said, simply, “Sure.” I told her that I’ve been with Oxbow Academy since the beginning. That I’m the father of four grown children. And that my hope was, that we could jus...