Wolf Creek Academy

Wolf Creek Academy is a therapeutic boarding school for girls and boys with behavioral or emotional problems that are leading them down the wrong path in life.

At Wolf Creek Academy, boys and girls from 13-17 undergo unparalleled individual therapy (on separate campuses) where our expert team deeply investigates the root causes of their behavioral and motivational challenges. Our holistic approach extends beyond individual sessions to include transformative group counseling. We also integrate adventure therapy, connecting outdoor experiences with personal growth insights to ensure each teen applies these concepts effectively in their daily life. This could be the change your teen needs to begin engaging with the world as a healthy, confident, complete young adult. Our program is a great opportunity to make an impact on your teen for a lifetime. Contact us today to explore how we empower teens to thrive with our comprehensive therapeutic programs.

WCA’s two campuses are located in Western North Carolina’s beautiful mountains, which helps facilitate its adventure-based therapy focus. WCA specializes in working with adopted or difficult teens, or those struggling with anger, depression, social media addiction, substance use, ODD, or ADHD. They also work with students on prescribed medication under their physicians’ direction.

Wolf Creek Academy helps its students find their God-given purpose and identity to become a better version of their previous selves. We do this by focusing on building relationships, calling out behavioral issues as they happen, and working on them. We create an individualized therapeutic plan and work on it daily in an environment of love. We purposely utilize adventure, unique experiences, and healthy fun to enhance the therapeutic environment and build self-confidence and a sense of identity that will help them find success now and for a lifetime!

It also offers an accredited school program, including college preparatory education. WCA’s therapy is designed for teenage boys and girls with a history of behavior difficulties, strained family relationships, or other emotional problems. Their focus is to help turn lives around for struggling teens and their families.

WCA has worked with struggling teenagers age 13 to 17 for 30 years. They have highly trained professional counselors who specialize in behavior therapy, including anger management, suicide prevention, social development, improving depression or mood swings, substance abuse issues, self-harm, opposition, and respect of authority.

The program provides a safe home environment for normal adolescents who have lost sight of a clear and positive future. They are all students who are quite capable of becoming mature and dependable young adults if given the proper direction. WCA’s program, many will be able to reach their highest potential when provided the tools and education to do so. Many of our students are gifted and need to be allowed to be challenged. The majority of the students will continue their college education upon completion of Wolf Creek Academy’s program. Students are asked to comply with normal household rules and do their own laundry and daily chores to benefit the household. Each child is helped with meeting their own hygienic needs.

Daily PE activities at WCA include football, volleyball, kickball, soccer, basketball, softball, or hiking as a regular part of our school program. Physical activities vary seasonally from white water rafting, trail hiking, and snow skiing/snowboarding. Weekly social activities vary from bowling, going to the movies, hiking, church, museums, and more.

Education and counsel for the whole family are a must and are included in the treatment plan to transform the struggling teen successfully. Wolf Creek therapeutic boarding schools offer professional teen counseling and academics.

Teen Counseling to Solve Behavioral Issues

Wolf Creek offers to counsel adolescents and teens struggling with various behavioral issues or rebellion. Some of those issues may include:

• Teen Anger
• Lack of Motivation
• Depression
• Failing Grades
• Running away
• Substance Abuse
• Eating Disorders
• Anti-social behavior
• Academics and learning disabilities

Each child will receive weekly counseling with a licensed, certified counselor or, more frequently as determined necessary. Parents will be kept well-informed on their child’s progress through phone calls or emails from the child’s assigned counselor. Education and counsel for the whole family are a must and are included in the treatment plan to transform the struggling teen successfully. Wolf Creek therapeutic boarding schools offer professional teen counseling and academics.

Academic Overview

The school’s purpose is to support the mission of Wolf Creek Academy. Wolf Creek’s belief is – “A Hope and a Future for Every Child.” Their mission is to provide quality education to each student and help students master curriculum knowledge via the Accelerated Christian Education system. The education department supports the mission of WCA through classroom functions, diagnostic testing, prescribed curriculum, staff training, and participation in the three (3) tiered systems of evaluation, care, and treatment. Students are given opportunities to learn accountability and responsibility through specific classroom procedures.

Students attend class daily in a classroom setting. The Teacher and Teacher Assistants in the classroom assist students from the sixth grade up to twelfth grade. The quiet environment offers one-on-one attention and tutoring as required. Recognizing that each child is unique with individual learning needs, students are encouraged daily to accomplish their goals and continuously progress using techniques designed specifically for them. Oftentimes, a public school setting is full of distractions that cause frustration for the student and negatively impact their ability to advance. WCA has a therapeutic and nurturing environment that is a safeguard for success. They offer various electives such as foreign language, speech, art, and physical education. Students thrive while having the opportunity to advance at their own pace, most often at an accelerated pace which boosts self-respect, repairs self-confidence, and promotes security for a successful future.

Small-Group Sessions

Each day begins with daily group sessions addressing anger management issues and respect of authority, self-respect, substance abuse, or other issues relative to today’s youth. The counselors conduct these groups.

Small group counseling sessions provide a safe environment whereby students may interact, vent, and learn from one another appropriate ways of managing their respective behavioral difficulties. Most can relate with other teens and easily become transparent, thus allowing their inner-self to be exposed and eventually promote healing in various areas of their lives. This non-threatening atmosphere will encourage emotional growth and will allow each student the opportunity to become understanding and accepting of their own identity.

Our Philosophy

Wolf Creek Academy strives to help turn lives around for thousands of struggling youth. We are a faith-based ministry designed to instill integrity, accountability, responsibility, and character while allowing them to achieve a quality education regardless of their social status, race, or religion.

Our Values

• Active Involvement of Parents in the rehabilitation of youth programs based on results, not time.
• The connection between parents, teens, and program.
• Home Visits to test the student’s readiness to return home.
• Home Contract that identifies boundaries to assist in long-term success. 

We do not believe that children have to be broken down….but we believe that they should be built up, loved, and nurtured with appropriate consequences of losing privileges for bad behavior and rewards for good behavior.

Why Choose Wolf Creek?