Students enroll at Wellspring Academies for a relatively limited period of time. It is highly likely that your child’s enrollment at Wellspring is his or her best opportunity to embark on a new and healthier path.

Students also have a great time at Wellspring. But some – particularly younger students – struggle in the first few days with homesickness. In fact, the most common challenge we encounter at Wellspring is not difficulty with food, activity, weight loss or behavioral change, but rather homesickness.

In our experience, the best way to address homesickness is immersion in the program. Once students are enjoying exciting activities and making friends, homesickness abates very quickly. At the same time, the most challenging day for many Wellspring students is the first phone call; when students first communicate with parents, their thoughts turn to home, and what they are missing there.

Parents should also be aware that, for any child, being away from home increases anxiety. For adolescents who are struggling with their weight, being away from home means not only a temporary separation from family and friends, but also unavailability of many of the coping mechanisms they have used to get by.

As a result, the anxiety level may be a little higher, and when communicating with you via phone or letter, this can manifest itself as homesickness, which will naturally elicit concern.

If you receive a communication like this, please realize that most students who experience these issues are actually doing quite well at Wellspring and enjoying themselves. But this may not be conveyed in communications home.

Over the first few weeks and months of your child’s enrollment at Wellspring , you should expect to be in nearly constant contact with the Directors and also your child’s Behavioral Coach, so we can work as a team to address this important issue and help your child acclimate to and focus on the program.