It’s no secret that our environment affects our mood. Think about a cold gray day in the middle of December that keeps you inside. This possibly brings up some pretty drab and claustrophobic feelings. Now think about a warm spring day, without a cloud in the sky as the cherry blossoms begin to bloom. Did that image bring up different feelings? It certainly does for us at Clearview Girls Academy. We take our environment seriously. That is why we choose Montana for our recovery center.
We are proud of our location here in Heron, Montana. This location has everything we need for our outdoor activities and our “nature-based” recovery options. Montana’s natural beauty is a sight to behold, and we use every bit of it to our students’ advantage.
Why Montana?
People often ask us, “Why Montana?” Of course, after having been immersed in its beauty for over 25 years, our answer is, “Why not!” However, we understand that this is a very reasonable question asked by attentive and vigilant parents.
Many of our students come to us having been subjected to very toxic social situations that they often find hard to escape from. This can be negatively influential school social circles or external communities of harmful influence. We also have students who have been inundated with traumatic situations that they need to be removed from.
Finding a Positive Place
This is just one of the reasons we felt our recovery center should be exceptionally remote. We want to best remove our students from the situations and environments that may have been causing them emotional harm and mental strain.
Of course, we don’t simply want to focus on extraction from a hostile environment. We mainly want to focus on the immersion into a positive one. We have found no better place than the “Big Sky Country” of Montana.
The Wonders of Montana
Looking out the window of our recovery center, you will see a horizon line like no other. Instead of the smog-covered skylines of Los Angeles or Manhattan, you will see the unmatched beauty of the mountains of Montana.
We consider our recovery center a refuge where our students can come and find themselves again. Unlike many other treatment facilities, we do not feel that therapy is something that exists in a clinical box. We feel that therapy extends beyond the walls of a therapist’s office and out into the world God has bestowed upon us.
Our sanctuary here in Heron, Montana offers us mountains upon which to climb and meditate (such as Schweitzer Mountain). It provides us with lakes by which to improve our physical bodies alongside our minds (Lake Pend Oreille). Its vast pasture also offers us the ability to provide equine therapy, which elevates our student’s recovery.
Montana’s Effect on Mental Health
Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we believe in taking an individualized approach to all of our students’ recovery. That approach includes focusing on emotional well-being, behavioral development, physical healing, and spiritual growth.
Regarding emotional well-being, Montana offers our students an environment that can take them outside of themselves. Yes, of course, we offer some of the latest innovations in psychotherapy and neuroscientific offerings. We also offer holistic and nature-based options for recovery.
A Meditative Backdrop
The healing power of practicing yoga, breathwork, and meditation in the foreground of a pine-covered mountain landscape should not be minimized. These simple practices can offer a sense of wellness that even the most sophisticated therapies sometimes cannot.
Abundant Outdoor Activities
When it comes to behavioral development, we utilize our rugged environment to get our students to participate in communal athletic activities. This may include group hikes up Schweitzer Mountain or boating on Lake Pend Oreille. When our students learn to work together, they also learn their value and how they can contribute to society.
We also offer equine therapy, which helps our students learn responsibility and discover the bond that can be made to something larger than themselves. Montana offers us the space to facilitate these relationships in a healthy and open environment.
Many of our students come to us physically drained. It is not their fault. When struggling with mental health and/or addiction, the last thing on your daughter’s mind is her physical well-being. Here in Montana, we can offer her the ability to heal her body alongside her emotions and mind.
A Spiritual Refuge
Perhaps the most fundamental offering that Montana graces us with is a connection to God. Looking out over its vast landscape, it is hard to deny that something greater than ourselves exists.
While we never attempt to indoctrinate our students, we believe wholly in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and we see Christ in our surroundings every day. While we never push our beliefs upon our students, we have found that Montana helps our students not only find themselves but also a type of spiritual power greater than themselves.
We are in Montana because it helps us best light the path so our students can claim the life they have always deserved.
Many people may wonder why a recovery facility would choose Montana as its base of operations. After all, there aren’t a lot of people in Montana, and “Aren’t all of the good therapists in New York and L.A.?” Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we know that these questions are unfounded, and we are especially pleased to be located right here in Heron, Montana. We did not choose our location out of happenstance or coincidence. We chose Montana because it has the backdrop that provides everything we need to help our students recover. It offers outdoor activities, mountain landscapes, and fresh air that help our students reconnect with themselves and thrive. For more information, call Clearview Girls Academy at (888) 796-5484.
