What happens when teens leave behind comfort, routine, and screen time to immerse themselves in a new culture focused on service, connection, and perspective?
In this episode of the Turning Winds Podcast, host Kevin Zundl speaks with Kimberly Sparks, LCPC, a licensed clinical professional counselor with more than 24 years of experience working with adolescents. Together, they explore the transformative power of Turning Winds’ international service trips. Their latest journey to Belize offers a firsthand look at how real-world experiences help teens shift from seeing themselves as part of the problem to becoming part of the solution.
They talk through how activities like building water towers, engaging with local communities, and stepping outside comfort zones create space for emotional growth, self-worth, and lasting change.
Topics include:
- Why experiential learning supports deeper therapeutic breakthroughs
- How international travel helps teens build genuine confidence
- The importance of service and connection in a teen’s healing journey
- How relational environments create more sustainable change than clinical ones alone
Whether you are a parent exploring treatment or a provider curious about impactful programming, this episode offers a compelling look into what makes the Turning Winds approach so effective.
Recommended Podcasts
From Power Struggles to Partnership: A Parenting Mindset Shift · How families move from conflict toward connection and shared purpose.
Healing from Trauma as a Teen in Residential Treatment · Discover what emotional safety and trust really look like in teen treatment.
What Really Happens When Teens Get Treatment and Return Home · Insight into the transition from structured care back to family and daily life.
Recommended Reading
Leadership Training at Turning Winds · How structured growth, service and mentoring help teens lead themselves and others.
How Turning Winds Builds Up Teen Resilience · Examining how consistency, relationship and real-world purpose foster lasting change.
At Turning Winds Therapy Goes Deeper · A closer look at the integrated clinical and experiential model that supports change.
Keywords: experiential learning, therapeutic service trips, teen mental health, Turning Winds, Belize, emotional growth, adolescent therapy, healing through service, teen treatment program, connection-based care
For more teen parenting tips and treatment information | turningwinds.com | 800-845-1380.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com