Being in the "Change" Business

I have had the privilege of working with adolescents as a therapist for the past 15 plus years. I have spent more than 12 of those at Logan River Academy. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with many adolescents. My favorite part of my job is forming relationships with these young people and watching them grow, mature, and achieve. I often receive phone calls or emails from past students updating me on how they are doing, as well as occasional visits. Some of these former students excel while others might struggle. Either way, I love to hear from my former students. This is the main reason I come to work every day and the main reason I do what I do. I love to see people make positive changes in their lives and learn how to be happy.

Last week we had a surprise visit from two former students. What a pleasant surprise it was for me. I had the privilege of seeing their huge smiles and giving each of them a big hug. They seemed to love seeing their past staff, our principal, therapists, and their old friends who are still here. It may sound cheesy, but these two students seemed to have a glow. They were happy, upbeat, and proud to be able to show us the positive changes they have maintained and added upon. What a great experience it was to see and talk to them.

One thing we often say to families is to “trust the process,” which is often difficult to believe when your child is struggling or repeating dysfunctional patterns. After walking this journey with many families over the years, I have come to realize that most of our students change for the better, and many of them make fairly dramatic changes for the better. When we trust the process and are patient, good things usually happen. I believe in the word ‘change.’ I believe we all have the power to change every day for the better. I love being in the ‘change’ business.

A main change agent we truly believe in is the power of relationships. We believe that our students are more likely to want to change if they feel cared about and feel a positive relationship with us. We believe in the importance of all of our team being able to form these types of relationships with our students. We try to take a similar approach as we want our parents to take. We establish high expectations, hold our students accountable, respectfully confront when necessary, all while showing care and concern for our students. We strive to strike the balance of caring/nurturing with accountability/boundaries. We believe this is the best formula for this process.

We feel blessed to have the privilege of helping you and your children through this journey. We take the trust you give us very seriously.

I look forward to spending another 15 years helping families to reach their goals. I will continue to cherish the positive rewards that come from this experience, much like we experienced last week when two former students paid us a surprise visit.

Matt Erickson, LCSW

Learn how Logan River Academy is making positive changes.