This Teen Challenge Girls Academy is a non-profit Christian boarding school located near Columbus, Georgia, providing an affordable safe haven for young women in Pelham, Alabama and from around the country; teens who have sought to fill a void in their hearts through anger, self-harm or negative peer influences.

After trying every option in their search to help their daughter, families in Pelham, Alabama turn to the Teen Challenge Columbus Girls Academy. They have usually tried counseling, medication, relocation, mental health approaches, and social service interventions, all without success. Some have been told by counselors that it would be best for their girl to get away from the negative influences in her life and away from home for awhile. So, they make the call for the help of a Christian boarding school for troubled teens, like the Teen Challenge Columbus Girls Academy.

The typical girl who is enrolled from Pelham, Alabama at the Teen Challenge Girls Academy was that she was once bright and talented; however, as a result of self-destructive choices, her future has been compromised. Where there was once excelling grades, there are failing grades. Where there were once athletic, artistic or musical abilities, there is disdain for what she held dear. The young woman who once looked to her parents for direction, love, approval and acceptance, now depends on her peers to fulfill those needs; she is willing to follow them down a dark path in life.

While shifts usually happen in the attitudes of young women going through early adolescence, some precipitating factors can leave a void in a girl’s life and lead to extremely self-destructive and angry behaviors. These factors include:

• Death of a parent or loved one
• Early abuse (known or hidden)
• Blended family
• A difficult or especially critical parent
• Bullying from others/Loss of friends
• Loss of economic status or a move to a new home or school
• Medical issues with a loved one
• Rape or intimidation
• Gang membership
• Excessive interest in pornography
• Negative peer group

As a result of such factors, young women from Pelham, Alabama who register for our the Teen Challenge program generally demonstrate issues and behaviors including:

• Low self-esteem
• Rebellion/Anger/Defiance
• Self Injurious Behaviors or Thoughts
• Deceitfulness/Cheating/Theft
• Manipulation of family and parents
• Promiscuity
• Self-Hatred

Usually, prior to selecting CGA, families in Pelham, Alabama have sought help from psychiatry and the prescription of medication. While such medications can help reduce the symptoms of deeper issues, we have achieved high success in weening girls off of them once and for all. All but the most severe mental issues are generally triggered by underlying emotional issues, which must be dealt with having a clear mind. Psychotropic drugs are eliminated over time with the care of our physician and the family’s psychiatrist.

Most girls who come to CGA in Columbus, Georgia, from Pelham, Alabama have been previously diagnosed with psychological disorders such as:

• Attention Difficulties
• Difficulty with Distractions in a Classroom Setting
• Being oppositional and defiant
• Mood disturbances
• Issues from adoption
• Sadness or Over Exuberance

Progression of a typical Teen Challenge student from Pelham, Alabama:

When a young woman comes to Columbus Girls Academy it is typical for her to exhibit blame-shifting, avoidance of responsibility, and sometimes complete denial of wrongdoing. Soon after enrollment, the girl begins to experience some regret for the consequences of her prior actions. Essentially, she is sad for being caught in her actions, but she has yet to begin a turning away from that behavior. This may be very similar to the roller coaster that the family has been living with at home — promises to change, moments of peace, that cycle back to repeat and crisis. Regret does not change individuals, repentance does.

Usually, adolescents have been spared or delayed the heartache of the full-blown consequences for their bad decisions; sometimes by well-intending authorities in their life. So, as a result, teenagers are not always confident of the need for change in their lives. However, the parent is certain of the need for intervention, because their teenager is obviously headed for lifelong trouble if such actions persist. The Teen Challenge Columbus Girls Academy is an intervention program, hopefully intervening in troubled teenagers’ lives before they become an adult habitually living in a dysfunctional lifestyle.

We can be reached at (334)855-3695 or inquire using the online inquiry form to register girls from Pelham, Alabama year-round.

Christian boarding school near Columbus, Georgia, a Teen Challenge program for teenage girls in Pelham, Alabama and from around the country who are troubled by life-controlling issues. Call us now to learn more about Teen Challenge.

The Columbus Girls Academy Teen Challenge program isn’t in Pelham, Alabama, but it accepts young women from Pelham, Alabama.