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Welcome to Our Boys Ranch – See Our Short Video
A Boys Ranch for Struggling Teen and Pre-Teen Boys
(Ages 12-16) that Shapes Them into Godly Young Men
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”– Proverbs 27:17 NIV
Whetstone Boys Ranch is a residential program that has served struggling boys and their families since 2011. Boys live, learn, work, and grow as they experience life-changing individual, group, and family therapy, a rich and rewarding academic curriculum, exciting outdoor adventures, and useful hands-on tasks. We believe in sharpening the character of young men so that they can become true servant-leaders in their families and communities.
The purpose of the boys ranch centers on the reconciliation of boys (ages 12-16) and their families. We specialize in treating anger, depression, addiction to pornography and online games, entry-level substance abuse, low self-esteem, and trauma induced based behaviors. Our loving, systems-based approach, our comprehensive and immersive method of treatment, and our very low boy-to-staff ratio (3:1) all serve to set us apart.
A Therapeutic Ranch for Troubled Boys
Whetstone offers families an opportunity to intervene now, before these behavioral issues get worse. Boys, along with their parents, receive therapy unique to their needs, identified through a detailed screening process.
Individual therapy involves regular sessions with a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Therapeutic techniques range from the cognitive to the behavioral, and each boy develops an individualized/goal-based treatment plan. Many of our boys are treated with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) – an effective psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the emotional distress that results from traumatic life-experiences, helping them to activate their natural healing processes. Visit EMDR.com to learn more.
Helping boys who struggle to form healthy emotional relationships.
Helping boys who are unable to remain focused on their school work due to having ADHD.
Helping boys who display signs of rebellion, anger, or argumentative behavior from Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).
Helping boys who simply need separation from online addictions and harmful, negative peer relationships.
From Whetstone Boys Ranch Executive Director
“I tell new boys on the first day they arrive at Whetstone Boys Ranch that being enrolled at Whetstone is an opportunity, not a punishment. Young boys have a tendency to think that because of their actions their parents are punishing them by sending them to Whetstone. The truth is that parents are providing their son with a great life opportunity. An opportunity to be further equipped to become the man that God is calling them to be.”
– Jeremy Thompson
"A Time to Sharpen" - A Whetstone Podcast
A bi-weekly podcast that examines how working with teenagers can make us better versions of ourselves: better teachers, better counselors, better parents…better people. Join two of Whetstone Boys Ranch co-founders, Axel Liimatta and Brandon Maxwell, as they discuss what twenty years of serving struggling teenagers and their families has taught them about how to address the most challenging of behaviors. You'll find answers without dogma, encouragement without false hope, and sharpening without shame."Even the Wind" - A Whetstone Book
Even the Wind tells the inspirational true story of a community struggling to survive and overcome disaster. In the days, weeks, and months that follow, trauma takes its toll. But along with suffering and struggle comes transformation. A house is rebuilt. A home is restored. And all those tested by the storm—staff, boys, and families—learn lessons in relationship and resilience, which only a tempest can teach.
