Turning Lemons into Lemonade

On October 15, 2011 my wife, Rachel, and I lost our baby who was 5 months along in the 9 month process before being born. Our baby, Johnny, was going to be our fourth and final son. We were busy planning, getting ready, and feeling very excited for the birth of our fourth son. Our other three boys were very excited, especially our youngest because now he would have a little brother.

On October 15, 2011 Rachel and I went in for a scheduled ultrasound. The ultrasound specialist quickly discovered that Johnny was not breathing and had passed away. He sympathetically shared with us that our baby was not alive any longer. Rachel and I were stunned and shocked. This scenario was not something we were expecting or had even considered.

Introducing Ivy

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the newest member of the Logan River Academy team, Ivy.  Ivy is a Labradoodle, a mix between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle, and we adopted her from a nearby family that could no longer care for her.  Ivy has made an immediate impact on the students that we work with, and her ability connect with them has been amazing to see.  Ivy will typically spend her days in the clinical area, and at times in the school hall.  With Ivy’s breed in particular come the positive traits of being friendly and outgoing, as well as hypoallergenic.  

I personally have always felt a strong connection to dogs, and as I grew up, I knew that I could also find comfort in spending time with my childhood dogs.  It was a natural way for me to calm down and be soothed, without really knowing why or how.  We now know that people benefit from interacting with dogs.  Simply petting a dog can decrease levels of stress hormones, regulate breathing, and lower blood pressure. Research also has shown that petting releases oxytocin, a hormone associated with bonding and affection, in both the dog and the human. (Geographic)  This was evidenced this morning as I had Ivy in my Anger Management group.  One student in particular appeared to be withdrawn, sullen, and down.  Ivy made her way to him multiple times and each time, he sat up, pet Ivy, and his countenance became much brighter.   

If your child enjoys dogs, feel free to take the time to ask about Ivy and their interactions with her.  We feel that she will greatly benefit our students, and add a friendly and therapeutic component to our school. 

Sean Maynard, CMHC

Works Cited

Geographic, N. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121221-comfort-dogs-newtown-tragedy-animal-therapy/

Visit Logan River Academy's website today!

What Mindfulness Really Means

A lot of the phase work that we give our students in the girls’ program, Maple Rise, is centered on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). This was developed to help people who have a really hard time regulating emotions (also known as emotional dysregulation) because they are so complex. Quite often, people with this type of emotional difficulty end up hurting themselves, physically or at the very least, they do things that actually make their lives worse—like turning to drugs or alcohol, shoplifting, gambling, etc. They tend to lead chaotic lives because their emotions are so out of control, which can lead to problems in their relationships. The DBT concepts and skills that we teach are designed to help students lead healthier, less-confusing lives.

​Crafting a Meaningful Life

In all our humanness, I think we occasionally find ourselves asking, "Does my life have meaning?". Sometimes routine can pull us into ruts where we feel entirely unremarkable and struggle to find meaning in what we do. If you ever begin asking the same question, may I suggest an inspiring role mode? 

Maya Angelou was born during the start of the Great Depression. Her childhood was far from glamorous or easy and she faced countless tragedies, but she managed to ultimately have a life of victory and accomplishment. Among many other things, she was a writer, actress, and civil rights activist. Read more about her example of creativity, generosity, and resilience here. 

Photo via.

Here are a few words of wisdom from the inspiring Maya Angelou:

In all my work, I try to say, 'You may be given a load of sour lemons, why not try to make a dozen lemon meringue pies?'

My life has been long, and believing that life loves the liver of it, I have dared to try many things, sometimes trembling, but daring still.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

I'm convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they're stones that don't matter. As long as you're breathing, it's never too late to do some good.

Kayla Geddes

Much good is being done at Logan River Academy. 

The 10 Worst Discipline Mistakes

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend my 10-year-old nephew's baseball game.  It was a typical summer, Saturday afternoon setting--the sounds of a baseball park, kids and families, juice boxes, sun umbrellas, kids playing in the water, and an endless supply of grapes, potato chips, and baby carrots.  Unfortunately, as soon as the game began, the fun and calm of that setting was quickly ruined as the coach of the other team immediately began yelling and screaming at his own players for the mistakes they were making.

In case you didn't catch it earlier, these were 10-year-old kids.  They make mistakes.  They are not major league ready baseball players.  I thought the whole point of Little League was to teach basic skills, help kids to grow and develop, and let them have an enjoyable time.  This coach obviously had a different view.

His antics got me thinking about the mistakes that we often make as adults in raising and rearing the children around us.  Whether it is as a parent, a coach, a grandparent, a mentor, a teacher, or whatever else, it is important to periodically do a self-evaluation.  At times, we have to "recalibrate" as parents in order to get out of the parenting traps that we periodically fall into.  The handout below is a helpful tool I have used over the years to remind myself of the traps and bad habits I often fall into with my own children.  Hopefully you find some value in it as well! (Here's a link to the same article.)

Mont Criddle, LMFT

Read reviews about Logan River Academy.

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.

Adventure Learning Trip: Crimson and Riverside Trails

Our next challenge for the Hiking Club was to complete the Crimson Trail and the Riverside Nature Trail; these two trails work in unison as a loop. The Crimson Trail rises steeply from Third Dam as you ascend Spring Hollow, then follows an 800-1000’ tall line of cliffs up the canyon for a mile and a half, then drops abruptly down to the Guinvah-Malibu campground along the Logan River. Once you commit to hiking the trail that skirts the cliffs, you are committed to finishing the trail as there are no shortcuts to complete the loop. The views of Logan Canyon and the Logan River below are fantastic as well as the perspective of the Wind Caves across the canyon at roughly the same elevation in the same geologic-era Limestone cliff band. The beginning and ending sections of trail are quite steep and make for a great workout. The weather was quite pleasant for the trip with partly cloudy skies and temperature in the mid-60’s. The four hour hike included a stop at the bottom of the steep descent for a nice wade in the cold waters of the Logan River.

Lots more pictures after the jump