The Interpreted Rock

By Stephen C. Schultz  Her steps were slow and steady. The red rocks beneath her feet and the azure blue sky overhead created a remarkably beautiful scene. She felt a sense of peacefulness and a calm demeanor she had never experienced before. This was an adventure she wouldn’t have appreciated were it not for her family recommending she seek help one more time. It's hard to believe it has only been three weeks.  Usually, she didn't like wide-open spaces. She craved the flurry of crowded parties, the nightlife of hanging out with friends, and the excitement that social media afforded her. She was like a cat chasing its tail, always searching for the next thrilling experience but never finding it. She found herself in increasingly compromising situations, taking unnecessary risks. The feelings of embarrassment had long since subsided, and she numbly accepted each new day.  Her family was concerned. There were regular fights and hurt feelings. They painfully witnessed the tw...

By Stephen C. Schultz The sun glanced off the window and reflected at a strange angle to the floor and up the wall. As I looked outside, it was obvious that spring had arrived. There were bright green leaves having recently unfolded on the shrubs outside. Tulips and Hyacinths stretched upward, bending occasionally in the cool canyon breeze. The boxed lunch from a local deli that included a ham sandwich on rye bread with potato chips, a cookie and a pickle stared back at me. There was the regular lunch time discussion with the laughter that rises up and then fades just as quickly. The room consisted of a large mahogany conference table with twelve plush captain’s chairs. The chairs were full of colleagues, all of us eating lunch after a morning training session. We were the sales and marketing team from two private psychiatric hospitals. We had gathered at this particular location because Melody was in town training us on the latest skills associated with Professio...

By Stephen C. Schultz Research Link – A Comparison Group Study (Time limited link) Highlights This comparison group study looked at the impact of Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare longitudinally on youth participants as reported by their parents. Findings showed that youth participant’s one-year post participation in OBH treatments were functioning significantly better than youth who remained in their communities. Regression analysis showed the only significant predictor of change was participation in the treatment group. Dr. Steven DeMille ~Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Model program offers long term positive results to teens and families~ In 2007, Dr. Steven DeMille found himself working as a field guide in the back country of extreme Southwestern Utah. He was in charge of the activities of daily living for a group of nine students who were enrolled at RedCliff Ascent . Steve, as well as two or three other staff members who were r...

By Stephen C. Schultz The tears were running down her cheeks and dropping to the floor like small raindrops. There wasn’t the sudden heavy sobbing that accompanies truly despondent news, but there was some silent shallow breathing and the recognizable blurry vision that comes from the eyes slowly welling up with tears. I stepped around the counter in the kitchen and asked my 16 year old daughter what was wrong. She was obviously in some distress. Like most teens, she simply stated; “Nothing” So, I pursued it a little more; “Come on hon…what’s the matter? Obviously, something is bothering you.” She responded; “Nothing…really. It’s stupid.” She eventually opened up and confided in me. It was some pretty normal teenage drama that most parents have seen and experienced many times throughout their lives, but to the teens it is new. I asked a few questions that included the old journalist mantra of “Who?, What?, Where?, When? and Why?” During her...

 By Stephen C. Schultz The Nor’easter was rolling in, with reports predicting springtime snow! The high-pitched whine of our compact rental car filled the air as the engine strained at high RPMs, struggling to stay ahead of the storm. The roads were slick, and snowflakes struck the windshield in chaotic patterns as fierce gusts hit us broadside. Springtime in the Northeast United States can be unpredictable—one day, flowers and trees bloom in full splendor, and the next, icy winds and snowstorms return with a vengeance. Beside me in the car sat Todd Spaulding, LCSW, CSAT, and former Clinical Director at Oxbow Academy. We were en route to Massachusetts, where we planned to meet with the clinical and academic teams at Chamberlain International School that morning. Our trip’s purpose was clear: to visit Chamberlain International School and provide a staff training and workshop. We also visited with two additional schools on managing Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB) in residential...

By Stephen C. Schultz Transactional Analysis- Ego States Understanding this model will be a valuable piece of information for you as you work with colleagues, parent your children, communicate with your husband or wife and interact with others in your community. These principles will assist you in gaining insight into your own style of behavior and communication. Remember that awareness is the first key to opening the doors of maturation, refinement and growth. In the 1960s a psychological theory became available known as Transactional Analysis. The chief proponent of this new theory was Eric Berne, M.D., an Austrian psychiatrist. Transactional Analysis developed significantly beyond Berne's early theories through the work of others and has continued in its development and practice even to today. Berne recognized that the human personality is made up of three ego states. Each ego state is an entire system of thoughts, feelings and behaviors from which we interact with o...

By Stephen C. Schultz The air was clear with a slight coolness starting to close in for the season. The light blue Astro Van clunked over the curbing and up into the driveway. With a subtle click and the swoosh of the car seat protective pad shooting up over her head in a single motion, Amanda was out of the seat and opening the door. The van had not even come to a complete stop and she stumbled forward a step before regaining her balance. She leaped from the van to the driveway, landing on both feet at the same time. She had her hands on her hips, looked from side to side and declared to the world in a loud booming voice that can only be mustered by a four year old; "I have to run!" She then took off in a flash and started her mission of running around the outside of the house. It wasn't a single trip with a detour to the kitchen for the latest treat. No, this was a "Five Times Around The House" effort...non-stop! Oh...to have that childhood ene...