New Lifestyles

Some conditions benefit from more intensified group experiences. New Lifestyles provides specialty treatment majors for the following difficulties.

Affect Regulation Major

The Affect Regulation Major seeks to assist participants in the development of improved emotional regulation, appropriate emotional expression, impulse control, and interpersonal skills. Individuals who exhibit traits of Borderline Personality Disorder frequently benefit from inclusion in this major. However, students who generally struggle with affect regulation, impulsivity, and black-and-white thinking may also learn useful skills from participation.

This major features daily therapeutic groups which utilize Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) techniques and interpersonal skills training. Other techniques and methods are drawn from a variety of therapeutic schools to support the goals of the Affect Regulation Track. Program staff, regularly trained in recognition of the skills taught in this major, provide encouragement and reinforcement of appropriate practice by participants in the home and social settings.

Anxiety Management Major

The Anxiety Management Major is designed to help relieve the symptoms of Axis I anxiety related disorders. Clients may be selected for participation in the major if it is determined that an Axis I Anxiety Disorder represents a high priority for treatment. The major may be utilized to treat the symptoms of Agoraphobia, Agoraphobia Without History of Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Phobia and Specific Phobia.  Acute Stress Disorder, Anxiety Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder are not included in the major, although symptoms may be addressed in individual therapy at New Lifestyles.

Anxiety management groups are conducted multiple times each week and include educational, process, mindfulness, skill building and experiential components. While the group format is an appropriate vehicle for certain types of exposures, many clients will need to schedule exposure therapies outside group hours. The clinical paradigm for this major is primarily cognitive-behavioral, although other techniques may be integrated into treatment as well. Learning to manage and cope with symptoms of anxiety can significantly improve quality of life. Learning to face one’s fears and reduce the fear of fear can lead to even greater benefits in improved functioning, resilience and self-esteem.

Executive Functioning Major

The Executive Functioning Major is designed to strengthen students' skills across a variety of domains which include motivation, planning and organization, attention, and social skills. Students with Autism spectrum diagnoses (e.g., Pervasive Development Disorder NOS, Nonverbal Learning Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder often exhibit significant impairments in executive functioning. Clinically facilitated sessions for the Executive Functioning Major are conducted daily. 

Specific goals of the Executive Functioning Major include the development of more effective strategies for completing work or managing tasks. The coursework also addresses the social-interaction, social-communication, and social-emotional concerns of our students. Much of the work in this major is conducted as a practical skill development opportunity. The students learn organizational frameworks that help them in areas such as time management, problem solving, and social success. The skills learned are applied to their "real life" situation, and closely monitored for progress.

Recovery Major

The Recovery Major supports students in maintaining sobriety and building relapse-prevention and sober living skills. Individuals involved with the Recovery Major attend New Lifestyles substance abuse recovery groups as well as Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous meetings in the community several times per week. Random breathalyzer and drug screens are included to maintain students' accountability for their actions and to confirm their sobriety while in the program.