Make the Most of It
If you or your loved one are in treatment for the holiday season, you can only make the most of it. Contact the treatment center, ask what they have planned to celebrate, and if you can be a part of it. What can you do to make it as much of a holiday celebration as possible?
What to Give
I didn’t realize it at that time, but my mother had carefully picked the gifts of socks. One size fits all. You don’t grow out of your socks, even if you have an eating disorder and are restoring weight.
Keep It at Home
Clothes, I don’t care what kind, don’t give them unless there is a specific request. People in treatment for eating disorders experience body shifts when they abstain from binging, purging, and food restriction. This is a very difficult experience, and clothes are only a reminder of it.
Avoid Guilt Trips
If you’re the one in treatment, you may feel guilty for not being with your family at Christmas. You may feel badly your family has to celebrate in a treatment center. Please don’t. Would you feel the same if you had cancer or broken a bone and were in the hospital? You are healing and getting the help you need.
Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!
Have you or your loved one experienced the holidays while in treatment? What did you focus on to allow yourself to experience thankfulness while in treatment?
What is Girlstown Guiding Harbor?
Girlstown is the oldest and most well-known program that Guiding Harbor offers, successfully serving over 500 adolescent females since inception. The Girlstown program is an open Residential Program that offers therapeutic residential care for girls ranging from12 to 17 years of age referred for emotional and/or behavioral problems ...
Where is Girlstown located?
Girlstown was founded in 1958 and is located in Belleville, Michigan. Girlstown is a fully staffed open residential facility. There is a maximum capacity of 14 girls with Residential Treatment Workers implementing programming.
Be Prepared For Issues To Become Worse Over Holidays
Many adults struggle with their mental health over the holiday season, so it only makes sense that teens with mental health issues will often struggle over the holidays.
Set Ground Rules, Expectations, And Consequences
Before the whole family is plunged into reunions, holiday parties, and other celebrations, be sure that you lay out ground rules, expectations, and consequences for your troubled teen.
Give Your Teen Safe Outlets
Even at troubled teen behavior modification programs, there is a certain amount of loosening up for the holidays. So, while you provide your troubled teen with structure this holiday season, be sure to build in some safe outlets for your teen to relax and unwind.
Our Mission
Have Haven is dedicated to improving the lives of each individual that comes into our care by meeting the physical, emotional, and therapeutic needs of each child.
Services
In the foster care program Have Haven places foster children in verified and well-trained foster homes and provides all necessary case management and support services. We also assist with foster care for anyone that can be kinship foster parent.
Foster a Child
Thousands of children from infants through the age of 17 are in need of foster care. Apply now to become a foster parent with Have Haven and make a difference in a child’s life.
Kinship Foster Family
You can become a kinship foster family to any family member, such as grandchildren, nieces, friend’s child that will allow the child to still be connected to family members and/or ones they consider as family.
WHAT WE HAVE ACHIVED
At Have Haven, we have helped thousands of children over the years. We are proud of the success and positive impact our program has made on the lives of the children we have served. Children often maintain contact with our organization to inform us of their progress in life and share how appreciative they are for our help.