Caring Confrontation A Healing Educational Model Approach

Caring Confrontation is a healing educational model approach that relates to students and other adults in a direct and honest way that builds self-respect and a sense of belonging in a school community.

“Caring Confrontation is what John Dewey Academy staff sees as direct and honest communication between staff and students as a way to build up their strengths, rather than the popular notion of confrontation being some kind of in-your-face tearing down,” said Ken Steiner Ph.D., Head of School, and Lisa Sinsheimer MD, Parent Liaison and Admissions Coordinator,  with John Dewey Academy, a Therapeutic Boarding School in Great Barrington Massachusetts, on Lon Woodbury’s Internet Talk Radio Show “Parent Choices for Struggling Teens” on September 19^thon http://www.latalkradio.com.

“This manner of communication with the students avoids authoritarian control”, said Steiner and Sinsheimer, “and is based on Choice Theory and teaching the students that choosing self respect is better than immediate gratification, and that belonging to a community through caring for others  is much of what makes life worthwhile.”

“What we have developed is a common sense educational model that confronts the students’ avoidance and escape strategies,” Steiner and Sinsheimer pointed out, “while avoiding common professional models such as the medical model or behavior modification. 

Parents sometimes come to the school fearing their child is too fragile for honest confrontation,” concluded Steiner and Sinsheimer, “but when they realize this approach is caring and designed to build the positive qualities of their child up rather than being adversarial, they are comfortable stepping back from trying to over-protect their child and allow the healing to occur.”

Listen to the full radio show on Caring Confrontation at http://www.latalkradio.com/Players/Lon-091911.shtml.

Lon Woodbury, MA, IECA, CEP, is the owner/founder of Woodbury Reports Inc. and www.strugglingteens.com.  He has worked with families and struggling teens since 1984, and is the Host of Parent Choices for Struggling Teens www.latalkradio.com/Lon.php on LATalkRadio Mondays at 12:00 Noon, Pacific Time.

Parent Choices for Struggling Teens is an internet talk radio show hosted by Lon Woodbury on www.LATalkRadio.com every Monday noon PST. Each show has a guest(s) who is working on cutting edge methods and ideas to help struggling young people and their families. The archive of all the shows can be found at www.latalkradio.com/Lon.php.

Woodbury Reportswas founded in November 1989, by Lon Woodbury, MA, IECA, CEP, as an Independent Educational Consulting firm to help parents of teens making poor decisions select a private, parent choice program that would help return the family to normalcy.  Through interviews with parents, communication with professionals who know your child well, and then thoroughly researching viable options, we can help parents make the right choices that will help your child get back on the right path.  For more information about Woodbury Reports Inc., call 208-267-5550, or email to [email protected], or visit the web site www.strugglingteens.com.