Former adolescent patient, now college student, reflects how Rogers gave him the skills to succeed

05/21/21 11:10:am

Every person on a patient’s multidisciplinary team plays an important role in helping them gain critical life skills and rise above their mental health challenges.

Recently, a former patient of Rogers Behavioral Health’s OCD and Anxiety adolescent residential care in Oconomowoc shared gratitude for his treatment team. He was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at the age of 11 and struggled with anxiety and depression.

“I honestly cannot thank my treatment team enough for all the tools they taught me to succeed in life,” he says. “I personally think my therapist made the biggest contribution to my recovery from anxiety, depression, and negativity. My behavioral specialist and doctor were also helpful, and the residential counselors really did a terrific job at providing us with support when needed.”

While the former patient appreciates the therapeutic help he received while on campus, he says activities he participated in off campus were extremely valuable.

“I really enjoyed and benefited from the weekend outings to places like the movies, bookstore, and ice cream shop along with the experiential therapy trips which included camping, kayaking, and fishing. One of the experiential therapists taught me how to ride a bike, which is something I could never do before going there,” he says.

The former patient’s experiential therapist remembers it well.

“It was extremely rewarding to watch his progress throughout his time in our program,” says Rick Sieber, MS, ET, experiential therapist. “His hard work and willingness to trust our team allowed him to build confidence and reach so much potential. His dedication with being consistent and taking the next step forward really served him well. This determination was apparent in his process of learning to ride a bike. He set a goal of being able to go on a bike ride with his peers before leaving our program. This led to him spending several weeks persevering through challenges, setbacks, and frustrations, and, as we expected, it ended with a bike ride with his peers. Yet another example of how capable he is.”

Today the former patient attends college in addition to working a part-time job.

“Patience is a virtue,” the former patient says. "Rogers can truly change a life for the better if a person will trust the process. I thank Rogers and the treatment team at the adolescent center for giving me the skills to help function in daily life. Staying there helped shape me into who I am today.”