History

Wellspring is a multi-service mental health agency, licensed by the State of Connecticut, accredited by JCAHO. Since its beginning in 1977, Wellspring has progressively expanded its services to provide residential sub-acute treatment for children ages 5-12, adolescent girls, and adults; extensive outpatient services; and a therapeutic state-approved special education school.

Wellspring’s excellent reputation for comprehensive treatment and quality care has accompanied its growth. Wellspring’s approach in all of its programs is founded on a belief in the uniqueness and dignity of the individual. We strive always to see, know, and reach the essential person in our care. What we seek in therapy and education is not external social adjustment alone, but to help the person access what is inherent in personality and giftedness – the “wellspring” of one’s own being – that is ultimately the basis for a stable and creative individual life. Diagnoses are understood as problems to solve, rather than conditions of existence to be labeled. Symptoms are addressed as patterns of psychological and emotional response, initially developed as ways to cope with pain and unmet needs. While symptoms can meet needs and protect the person from hurt, they are also unhealthy solutions that “work” with a terrible cost. Our dual task is to confront symptoms and to help the individual and family to develop healthy alternatives. Individuals and families are willing to make these changes only when they feel safe enough to be emotionally vulnerable and to risk new ways of relationship to self and others.

The physical environment of Wellspring, with its natural beauty and homelike atmosphere, supports Wellspring’s small intimate programs, while engaging its clients in professionally sophisticated multi-dimensional treatment. Each person and family is unique and different, and no single approach works the same for everyone. Therefore, we approach the person and the problem in as comprehensive and intensive a way as possible, using verbal, non-verbal, cognitive, expressive and experiential means. Because therapy is not life, but learning how to approach life with consciousness and responsibility, we strive to provide a therapeutic milieu of experiential programs and relationships that give depth and immediacy to the formal therapies. Our commitment in each and all of our programs is to meet each individual person and family in our care with honesty, intelligence, respect and love in a mutual endeavor.