SOME DAYS HAVE BEEN GOOD SOME DAYS HAVE BEEN GOOD SOME DAYS BEEN ROUGH SOME DAYS BEEN ROUGH WHAT GETS YOU THRU?

>> TALKING TO MY FAMILY, TALKING TO MY THERAPIST AND USING MY SOCIAL SKILLS.

♪♪ I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO GAIN ♪ MY HEART IS TORN TO PIECES ♪ ♪ >> THE IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS FOR CHILDREN AT THE VILLAGES IS THAT THEY'VE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA.

>> WHEN I WAS -- OH, MY GOSH, ARE YOU OK?

DO YOU NEED HELP?

IT'S AWKWARD.

WHEN YOU'RE HERE, YOU ARE WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH MOST OF THE SAME THING.

YOU'RE NOT A DIFFERENT PERSON, YOUR STORY IS NOT NEW TO ANYONE AND IT'S LIKE NOT OH, MY GOD, I FEEL SO SORRY FOR YOU, AND YOU KNOW THEY'RE NOT LYING WHETHER HE THEY SAY THAT.

>> EVERY CHILD WHO IS ADMITTED HERE COMES IN IT CRISIS AND THE CHILD TO SURVIVE THAT EVENT HAS COME UP WITH THEIR OWN SET OF SAFETY MECHANISMS AND THEIR FLIGHT OR FIGHT HAS LED THEM -- SO I MIGHT GET OUT OF A SITUATION BY HITTING YOU.

OR BY CUSSING AT YOU OR ACTING OUT IN SOME WAY.

WE'RE THERE TO HELP THE CHILD FIND A BETTER WAY TO RESPOND TO THOSE SITUATIONS.

TO TEACH NEW ACCEPTABLE WAYS THAT A CHILD CAN, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING, BUT DO IT IN A WAY THAT'S SAFE AND THEY CAN BE IN A COMMUNITY SETTING.

>> SO THE GREAT THING ABOUT HORSES IS THAT THEY ARE FIGHT OR FLIGHT ANIMALS.

THEY'RE PREY ANIMALS AND KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE.

THEY'LL EITHER RUN OR FIGHT.

AND OUR KIDS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THAT, WHERE THEY'VE BEEN IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'VE HAD TO LEARN HOW TO SURVIVE AND OUR HORSES GIVE THEM REAL-TIME FEEDBACK ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE.

AND IF YOU'RE IN A REALLY BAD MOOD OR HAVING A FRUSTRATING DAY, THE HORSE WILL GIVE YOU THAT KIND OF ATTITUDE BACK, IF YOU TAKE A SECOND AND CENTER YOURSELF, THE HORSE WILL RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.

>> I BELIEVE HE'S WALKING, YOU GO GIRL.

HE BONDED WITH HIM BECAUSE HE SAID HE'S JUST LIKE ME, DOESN'T LIKE TO BE TOUCHED MUCH.

THEY CONNECTED AND IT'S BEEN ONE OF THOSE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS.

>> WHAT DO WE DO AFTER THAT?

RIGHT.

AND SO AT THE TREATMENT IS -- IT'S A TREATMENT CENTER BUT IT'S FULL OF NATURE AND WE LIKE TO USE OUR FARM AND OUR ENVIRONMENT AS A WAY OF HEALING THE CHILDREN.

MY CAMPUS IS ON 270 ACRES OF FARMLAND AND I'VE HAD MANY PARENTS AND KIDS SAY IT LOOKS LIKE A CAMP.

>> WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT THE VILLAGE, I GO SWIMMING AND GOOD ON OUTINGS.

>> GO SWIMMING AND HORSES AND RIDING MY BIKE.

>> THE CHILDREN EACH GET A BIKE WHEN THEY COME TO CHILDHELP AND THEY CAN TAKE THEM HOME WITH THEM.

>> THE HORSE BARN.

THERE'S ANOTHER BARN OVER THERE.

THE ANIMAL CARE CENTER WITH THE SHEEP AND GOATS AND CHICKENS.

>> WE STARTED WITH ALL PREY ANIMALS, BECAUSE PREY ANIMALS ARE VERY ATTUNED TO YOUR BODY LANGUAGE.

THAT'S -- A LOT OF THE OUR CHILDREN IS NOT KNOWING HOW THEG PERCEIVED.

THEY ARE -- YOU KNOW, JUST VERY IMPULSIVE SO THE ANIMALS HELP THEM TO FOCUS THEIR IMPULSIVITY AND CONTROL IT AND WE HAVE 270 ACRES AND ABOUT NINE MILES OF HIKING TRAIL.

THERE'S SOME STRESS REDUCTION BENEFITS OF BEING IN NATURE, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT AND THERE'S RESTORATION BENEFITS FROM BEING IN NATURE AND SCHOOL SETTINGS WHEN YOU'RE HAVING TO FOCUS SO MUCH AND YOU CAN GO INTO NATURE AND IT RESTORES THAT ABILITY TO FOCUS AGAIN.

I TRIED WHEN WE WERE HIKING, LITTLE STOPS AND COUNT TO 50 SECONDS AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, USING YOUR SENSE, WHAT YOU CAN SEE OR HEAR OR SMELL OR TOUCH AROUND YOU.

KIND OF BUILD ON WHAT IT IS TO BE STILL.

FIRST OF ALL.

AND MINDFUL.

AND ALSO TAKE IN MORE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THEM.

>> WHOO!

>> WHEN YOU PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW THROUGH DIFFERENT ACTIVITY, THEN IT STARTS TO COME THROUGH THE TREATMENT PART OF IT TOO.

STARTING TO -- THE CONTINUITY THAT WE PROVIDE AT CHILDHELP.

THEY CAN BEGIN TO TRUST STAFF AND ADULTS.

WE HAVE PLAYGROUNDS EVERYWHERE.

BASKETBALL COURTS AND SWIMMING POOLS.

AND THE IDEA IS THAT YOUR COMING FOR TREATMENT BUT WE ALSO WANT THE KIDS TO BE KIDS.

A LOT OF THEM HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT IN A LONG TIME.

>> 24-HOUR NURSING CARE AND THE WIDEST ARRAY OF THERAPIES OF ANY PLACE I'VE SEEN, TO INCLUDE ART THERAPY AND MUSIC THERAPY AND PLAY THERAPY AND EQUINE ASSISTED ANIMAL THERAPY IN A BEAUTIFUL SERENE ON SETTING.

>> THIS IS A VERY NURTURING HOME-LIKE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE KIDS.

THE CHILDREN LIVE IN COTTAGES AND HAVE A LIVING ROOM, BEDROOMS AND KITCHEN AREA AND DINING AREA AND BIG BOARDS UP ON THE WALL SO THEY CAN SEE THE ROUTINE OF THE DAY WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPING TRUST WITH THE CHILDREN.

>> ONE.

THINGS IS TO ACCESS WHAT IS OUR GOAL TODAY, AND MY GOAL TODAY IS NOT TO GET UPSET OR GET MAD.

AND THEY TAUGHT ME COPING SKILLS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HELPED ME WAS THE THERAPY SESSIONS.

THINK BEFORE I SPEAK AND JUST -- THE THINGS THAT TAUGHT ME, HELPED ME TO CALM DOWN REALLY WORKS.

>> AND WHAT THINGS HELP?

>> I DON'T GET IN THAT MUCH TROUBLE.

I DON'T REALLY TALK BACK AS.

AS I USED TO.

I DON'T TALK BACK AS MUCH AS I USED TO AND DON'T REALLY FIGHT AS MUCH.

>> WHEN -- IT MADE ME FEEL MORE HAPPY AND GAVE ME HOPE AND THEN MADE ME FEEL BETTER.

[INAUDIBLE] >> YEAH.

>> TALKING TO ME AND GIVING ME ADVICE AND KIND OF FEEL THERE'S SOMEONE WHO CAN UNDERSTAND ME.

AND I CAN COUNT ON.

>> THAT EMOTIONAL CONNECTION IS LITERALLY THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL THAT WE HAVE.

>> I WAS FIGHTING -- >> CAN YOU TELL ME ONE OR TWO OF THOSE COPING SKILLS?

DEEP BREATHING.

AND LISTENING TO MUSIC.

>> I REMEMBER ONE OF YOUR VERY FIRST DAYS HERE, YOU HAD A HARD TIME.

IT'S AMAZING TO ME TO WATCH YOU WITH THE SKILLS.

>> MANY TIMES THE CHILDREN ARE GOING TO REPLAY THE ACTIONS THEY'VE SEEN IN THEIR OWN MOM AND WE INTERRUPT THAT -- TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND FIND A DIFFERENT WAY SO THAT IT STOPS HERE.

WE ARE LITERALLY CHANGING THE WORLD.

A CHILD TODAY IN A COUPLE.

GENERATIONS IS 30 PEOPLE, OR 50 PEOPLE.

>> WHAT DO YOU KNOW FOR?

>> I WANT A HORSE BARN AND ALSO WANT TO BE AN ACTRESS.

>> COLLEGE OR -- >> I WANT TO BECOME A COMPUTER ENGINEER.

>> Amy: SINCE OUR VISIT LAST SUMMER, ALL FOUR OF THE TEENS WE SPOKE WITH HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LEAVE THE VILLAGE.

WE WISH THEM WELL IN THEIR JOURNEY.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CHILDHELP, VISIT CHILDHELPVIRGINIA.ORG.