A Mother's Journey: From Fear to Hope at Oxbow Academy

By Stephen C. Schultz

The only way to describe this mother upon arrival was pure exhaustion. I gave her a huge hug as she walked in, and she seemed to sink against me. Her glassy eyes took in the facility—the photos on the walls, the boys' rooms. Within about fifteen minutes of her arrival, we were packing up her son and sending him to the mountain.

You see, she had just arrived with her son from Manhattan, New York City. The future was full of unknowns, and the fear for her son was palpable. He had ventured into some very dark places on the web. There had been a visit from the FBI and the confiscation of home electronics. Her son struggled with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and had limited awareness of what he had actually gotten himself into. Fortunately, his mother began searching for treatment options and found Oxbow Academy. Authorities in New York recognized the need for treatment rather than incarceration and allowed her to enroll him at Oxbow Academy, with regular communication and updates on his progress.

It was pure coincidence that they arrived the day after the entire student body had gone up to the mountains for their annual weeklong campout. Mom was able to relax a bit and breathe a little easier on our ride up to the camp. Once there, she met more staff members and spoke with students enrolled at Oxbow.

On the way back down the mountain, this mother was still tired but visibly relieved that her son would experience a healing process at Oxbow. There was a moment of silence, and I glanced over at her sitting in the passenger seat. She looked at me and simply said, "Thank you," as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Comments

The Young Boy and the Rattlesnake

By Stephen C. Schultz (Editors note: This is a story used in a Wilderness Treatment Program. Many come to this program having struggled with depression, anxiety and substance use.) Many years ago there was a young Native American who lived in the very land you are residing in. He decided to seek wisdom by journeying to the top of Indian Peak. As he approached the base of the mountain he came across a rattlesnake that slithered beside him. The snake coiled as if to strike and the young boy moved back quickly in fear of being struck by the snake’s deadly venom. At that instant the snake spoke to the boy saying, “Don’t be afraid of me, I mean you no harm. I come to you to ask a favor. I see that you are about to traverse to the top of Indian Peak and was hoping that you may be willing to place me in your satchel so that I don’t have to make the long journey alone.” The young boy surprised by the snake’s request quickly responded by turning down the offer, stating, ...

Perfectly Wicked - A new take on an old fairy tale!

Guest Blogger Amanda Schultz Age 15 There she was…hair as black as night, lips as red as blood, skin as white as snow. Standing by the window, washing dishes, whistling while she worked. Snow White. I shudder with disgust every time I hear her name. What kind of a name is that anyway? “Snow White”. Gahhh, it’s a name that practically begs to be made fun of. Yet, there she goes, frolicking around like she owns the Enchanted Forest. No. I’m the Queen. I’m in charge. My magic mirror was mistaken. I’m the Fairest of them all, not that sorry excuse for a princess. One bite from my poison apple and that air-head will be so ugly not even her mother could love her. And I will be the Fairest once again! I suppose that I should rewind a little bit. It wasn’t always a competition between Snow White and me. In fact, back in the day, we had a nice little system going on. I would rule the kingdom and practice my magic, while Snow did the dishes and tended the garden. She stayed out of my w...

An Open Letter to Parents Researching RedCliff Ascent

By Stephen C. Schultz "We will forever be known by the tracks we leave." Having been raised in Oregon, I spent the majority of my free time during my childhood and teenage years steelhead fishing the coastal waters, climbing the Middle Sister in the Cascade Mountain Range, drifting the McKenzie River, and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I have mentioned to friends, family, and colleagues on many occasions: “From a therapeutic standpoint, there is no better place to have a student’s issues manifested quickly than in a wilderness setting.” The question then becomes, “Why do therapeutic issues rise to the surface in an Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare program like RedCliff Ascent ?” Throughout the years of teenage development, most teens spend a lot of time with friends. These friends think the same, dress the same, act the same, listen to the same music, and sometimes get into the same types of trouble. Some teens also develop patterns of communication and manipulation whi...

The Interpreted Rock

Search This Blog