PHYSICAL
At Cascade Lodge, we believe some of the first building blocks for success with OCD and anxiety related disorders is working from the outside in. The external struggles that your teen has been showing may have been the last to externalize, however, without managing them at the start, the other internal work runs the risk of being impermanent. For this reason we begin with the physical barriers OCD and anxiety has taken hold of. Where these and all other goals start is as personalized as your teen, however, a good overview is assessment of how ADLS (activities of daily life) have been impacted. Personal hygiene, sleep routines, eating, clothing, daily movement, etc. are all things addressed in this engagement element. This is also where we place special emphasis on dietary or nutrition related concerns by having every student work one on one with our licensed dietician.
MENTAL
We understand how difficult of a mental battle each of our students are undergoing on a daily basis. In an effort to better understand them individually, we thoroughly assess each student's mental engagement. This includes their cognitive abilities, school setbacks, intrusive thoughts, obsessions, compulsions, etc. We are aware of how pivotal understanding where each student is mentally to not only help them feel understood upon admission but also to create a roadmap of success with long term goals. At Cascade Lodge we use state of the art technology to target and prime the brain through neurofeedback and overall neuro-wellness practices for increased effectiveness of ERP and other therapeutic practices.
EMOTIONAL
It is common that by the time of admission to Cascade House, emotional intelligence and healthy response to emotions has been hijacked in the brain by the OCD or another anxiety related diagnosis. Cascade Lodge team works hard with the students and their families to discover what emotional responses are due to the overwhelming nature of OCD, recognizing other important emotions and the impact of ignoring them has had, and how to respond to their emotions in a different and healthier way. Our goal with this engagement element is to instill confidence in self around emotional awareness and expression.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Psychological testing, Biopsychosocial assessment, progress monitoring and Master Treatment planning are all critical elements of the Psychological element. At Cascade Lodge we believe in the importance of correct assessment and implementation of effective interventions through group, individual, and family therapy.
SOCIAL
Socialization with a peer group is one of the most important aspects of the adolescent developmental period. OCD and anxiety related disorders are an internal mentally exhausting battle that has the tendency to create a sense of extreme isolation. Once the Cascade Lodge team are able to start making progress and exposures and headway with the other elements of engagement, we will work in healthy socialization in order for each student to build confidence in self and their abilities to do things such as: build stronger relationships with family members, make and keep friendships, talk to new people, be adaptable of new environments, and/or any other treatment goals deemed appropriate by them and their treatment team.
SPIRITUAL
Individuals who struggle with OCD and anxiety related disorders tend to wrap their personalities or sense of self around these disorders because of how all encompassing they are. After we have worked through many of the barriers getting in the way of who each student is, we begin integrating back into each individual's life things that might have been taken away from their personalities or felt too overwhelming for them to pursue. This can include their values, hobbies, passions, or anything else that gives them purpose. We also believe by this stage in their treatment, students will be creating and implementing more self directed exposures and have motivation for their long term goals.
