Self-Esteem at Camp Pocono Trails

Self-esteem and healthy thought patterns are integral to feeling good and taking care of yourself. As the leading health and wellness camp, Camp Pocono Trails will help bring out your best and give you a complete lifestyle change.

Qualified behavioral coaches work with campers at Camp Pocono Trails. But this is not just a “lay on the couch and complain” type of therapy. Campers learn useful skills they can apply to their everyday life in a fun environment. Campers learn about “self-talk” which is what we say about ourselves and what we tell ourselves every day by playing fun games and group activities.

More than anything, campers attending our self-esteem groups at camp learn how to keep a positive outlook on life. We discuss how having a negative outlook sets us up for failure, while having a positive outlook, along with purposeful action, can result in managing how we look and how we feel.

Common topics during the self-esteem group include online bullying, the effects of social media and gaming on self-esteem, self-talk, personal boundaries and more.

Our self-esteem focus at camp helps participants build coping skills they can use back at home. Each week, campers will learn a different strategy to enable them to return to their daily life better prepared to tackle the obstacles in school and at home. We often let our doubts, fears, and insecurities build and fester for so long that the person we were destined to become is trapped and buried beneath it all. The external transformations of our campers are truly remarkable, but the internal change – the joy, the confidence, the glow, the belief that you can go, do, see, and be whoever you want to be – is truly the greatest gift.

Our performing and visual arts programs are specifically designed to inspire creativity, stretch imaginations, expand artistic potential and build self-esteem. Our arts programs are very important to Camp Pocono Trails.

Campers have fun in a supportive environment as they learn to speak and perform confidently for their peers. Our campers have the opportunity to participate in drama classes, talent shows, full scale musicals and dramatic presentations. In recent years, our campers have performed Aladdin, High School Musical, and The Lion King… all to great applause. As campers gain confidence, enthusiasm grows for these activities, and these activities further grow that confidence.

Our Visual Arts Program includes arts & crafts, painting and drawing, t-shirt art, woodworking, costume design and theater staging, all taught by talented qualified instructors. Campers create for individual expression and also have the opportunity to collaborate as a team on exciting projects. We strive to spark campers’ imaginations while they think, create, discover, problem solve and build confidence.

Whether campers are here for weight loss, self-esteem building, wellness, or changing online habits– almost everyone can benefit from building self-esteem. Learning how to love and care for yourself is common ground all campers can start with, regardless of your health goals.

In our structured environment, we ensure every camper has corrective experiences geared towards building self-esteem. If a camper finds themselves in an activity they are not particularly good at, never fear as the next activity is just ahead. With over 101 activities on our 350 acre resort like campus, every camper finds some activity they can identify with. From fishing to golf or tennis, we have a huge range of activities for everyone. Our ropes “challenge course,” climbing wall and zip lines are made to challenge campers and encourage them to face their fears and overcome them.

CBT is an evidence-based help method in which campers will actively work to understand and uncover unhealthy patterns of thought and how they may be causing self-destructive behaviors and beliefs. In addressing these patterns, constructive ways of thinking are developed that will produce healthier behaviors and beliefs. The core principles of CBT are identifying negative or false beliefs and testing or restructuring them.

One example of a negative thought pattern addressed in CBT is what we call, “Locus of Control.” This is essentially how the camper sees the power of influence over their life.

For example, campers with “external locus on control” see external factors as having the most power over them. They may say things like, “Well of course I did that, my sister made me angry.” Or “Yes I got a bad grade in that class, my teacher hates me!”

In this case, we would help the camper develop an “internal locus of control” which puts the power to change back with the camper. Campers with an internal locus of control leave saying “I’m in control of how I feel, no one can upset me today” or “I can do better in school, I just need to study more.”

Campers here for weight loss might develop their own self-talk regarding the management of weight. For example, they may decide to adopt the mantra, “This food is not for me” when tempted by fast food. Campers here for learning how to manage screen time may learn to say internally, “My life goals are more important than any video game or phone app.”

In CBT, we learn how to identify maladaptive modes of thinking and how to replace these modes with healthy strategies. Often, as with the example above, this relates to self-talk and our perceptions of the world.

The CBT program at Camp Pocono Trails is designed for campers aged 13 and up through young adults who are looking to add behavioral and planning skills to their toolbox in order to increase their chance of success after camp. Campers can enroll in the program regardless of how long their length of stay at camp, but must enroll for their full length of stay.

Molly and The Beacon Program will also be providing all campers and their parents an aftercare informational packet to help make the post-camp transition as successful as possible.

Start planning for Summer Camp! View our camp dates and rates. Or call us at 1-800-365-0556.