The admission criteria for Wellspring Academies is not that the student needs to be excited about coming to campus, but rather that the student is willing to give it a try – i.e., literally gets on the plane or in the car and comes to Wellspring to give the program a chance.

Many, if not the majority of Wellspring students, come to campus with some level of reluctance or resistance. This is normal and needs to be expected. Your child has been struggling with her weight for a long time, perhaps as long as she can remember. She has tried many diets and programs and not succeeded. These failures make it unrealistic to expect that she will be excited about trying something new, regardless of the program’s credentials.

Think of it this way: your child is trapped in a cycle of weight gain and resorting to food as a coping mechanism for dealing with the resulting feelings. She can’t see her way out, and she would prefer to stay at home with the coping mechanisms she has become accustomed to.

In these situations, it’s the role of the parent to make the right decision for the child’s health. We advise parents to sit down with their child and tell them:
Honey, I care about you so much. Nothing is more important to me than your health, and that’s why we’ve made the decision to send you to Wellspring.

No one is saying you’re going to stay a month or more. But you’re going to give it a try. It’s a remarkable opportunity for you – the opportunity to be back at a healthy weight next year or the year after. And it’s one we’re going to give to you.

In nearly 100% of these cases, once the student arrives on campus to a new, exciting environment, with students from around the world, and is in an emotionally-safe environment for the first time in memory, where she’s not being judged based on her weight, the resistance or reluctance lessens. Then, once the student begins enjoying activities, making friends and losing weight, it disappears.

This is not to say that your child won’t be homesick or frustrated on occasion, or even frequently. Homesickness is very common, particularly when your child hears your voice and thinks of who and what she’s missing at home. Frustration is very common because what we’re asking students to do is hard, and they don’t have access to many of the coping mechanisms they’re used to having at home. But as long as you remain in constant communication with your child’s behavioral coach, we are always able to work through these issues together.