What are The Wave's Seven Core Elements of Treatment?

The Waves's Seven Core Elements of Treatment are Clinical, Medical, Education, Global Citizenship, Outside-Inside, Experiences, and Destination Future.

What are some specific therapeutic interventions used at The Wave?

The Wave utilizes a range of therapeutic interventions, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT), Expressive Arts Therapy, Somatic Therapy, and Family Therapy.

How does Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) contribute to the therapy at The Wave?

EMDR is one of the therapeutic interventions used at The Wave. It is a psychotherapy approach that helps individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences.

hat is the role of Family Therapy at The Wave?

Family Therapy is an integral part of the therapy offered at The Wave. It involves involving the family in the treatment process and addressing family dynamics to support the recovery and well-being of the individual.

How does The Wave incorporate lived-experience leaders (LELs) into their therapy approach?

The Wave includes lived-experience leaders (LELs) as part of their clinical team. These individuals, who have personal experience with mental health challenges, provide unique insights and support based on their own recovery journey.

What type of medical and psychiatric support is available at The Wave?

The Wave provides full medical and psychiatric teams onsite 24 hours a day. They offer general medical and psychiatric care, detox and stabilisation, higher levels of care for eating disorder treatment, psychosis management, medication and prescriptions, psychiatric intensive care, ECG and heart monitoring, functional medicine, and expertise in immunology and food allergies.

What is the role of the medical team at The Wave?

The medical team at The Wave provides general medical care, detoxification, stabilization, ECG and heart monitoring, functional medicine, and expertise in immunology and food allergies. They work in collaboration with the psychiatric team to support the overall well-being of the individuals in treatment.

How does The Wave address higher-level care needs for eating disorder treatment?

The Wave offers higher levels of care for individuals with eating disorders, providing specialized support and treatment tailored to their unique needs. This ensures a comprehensive approach to eating disorder care.

What educational options are available at The Wave?

The Wave Therapeutic Boarding School, Group Education and Individual Learning – from GCSE to A Level and Tertiary Studies – provides therapeutic education options for international families.

What is The Wave Trust, and what is its purpose?

The Wave Trust is an NGO registered in Malaysia. Its purpose is to provide ethical and responsible assistance to communities in need. The trust sponsors young people, schools, and communities in need, and supports them by providing necessary resources.

What types of activities and excursions are incorporated into The Wave programs?

The Wave incorporates a wide range of activities and excursions that promote cultural appreciation, team building, collaboration with peers, and enjoyment. These activities can vary but may include outdoor adventures, cultural outings, creative endeavors, and team-based challenges.

Core Elements of Treatment - thewaveclinic.com

The Wave's Core Elements

Our Seven Core Elements of Treatment

Our seven core elements of treatment are the foundations of our treatment approach.

Combining clinical care, experiential learning, education and global citizenship, we build resilient and fulfilling futures that nurture well-being.

No. 1

Clinical

The Wave offers exemplary, specialist clinical care, envisioned and delivered by a team of psychotherapists, psychiatrists, trauma professionals, family therapists, lived-experience leaders (LELs), and recovery coaches.

We provide individual, group and family sessions, interweaving talk therapies with creative therapies and mind-body approaches.

Our programs include a diverse selection of evidence-based modalities, including:

Dialectical-behavioural therapy (DBT) and radically open dialectical-behavioural therapy (RO-DBT)
The Maudsley model of anorexia nervosa treatment for adolescents and young adults (MANTRa)
Mentalisation-based therapy (MBT)
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
Internal family systems therapy (IFS)
Somatic experiencing
Structural and systemic family therapy
Expressive arts therapy

No. 2

Medical

We have full medical and psychiatric teams on-site, 24-hours a day. Every team member is qualified and recognised in their field of expertise, and licensed by the Ministry of Health. Our medical care provision includes:

General medical and psychiatric care
Detox and stabilisation
Higher-level eating disorder care
Psychosis management
Medication and prescriptions
Psychiatric intensive care
ECG and heart monitoring
Functional medicine
Immunology and food allergies

No. 3

Education

We understand how important it is for young people to continue their education as they receive mental health support. Through our personal learning programs, we work with each young person in their educational position to continue with their curriculum and find new pathways.

We collaborate with secondary and higher education partners, supporting young people to gain GCSEs, A-levels, IBs, foundation degrees, and other qualifications. We also offer a variety of vocational qualifications, including equine studies, trauma release exercises (TRE®), and yoga teacher training.

We believe in inclusive education where teenagers and young adults can pursue their passions without feeling excluded or left behind.

“I just wanted to say thank you so much for all your support and for creating this amazing place that truly does change lives. There isn’t a place like it (I searched long and hard online!). It’s not just people’s work here, it’s their life and that’s what makes The Wave so special. Thanks to The Wave I now have a chance at doing things I never thought possible.”

No. 4

Global Citizenship

Global citizenship is about young people becoming more aware of the wider world, and their place within it. While staying at The Wave, young people learn to take responsibility for themselves, the community and the environment, through social awareness, teaching, environmental projects, and active participation in local community projects.

All our young people become members of The Wave Trust, a Malaysian-registered NGO that provides ethical and responsible assistance to communities in need.

Our global citizenship programs are also a chance to:

Develop life skills, including organisational skills, responsibility and accountability
Practice ‘keeping others in mind’
Reframe education when school has been a challenging experience in the past
Learn how to lead and inspire
Pursue areas of personal interest

No. 5

Outside-Inside

As a trauma-focused treatment program, we understand that trauma affects the mind and the body and that both must be involved in the healing process for young people and their families.

We give our young people many opportunities to gain new tools, learn valuable skills and build external and internal resources – in a nurturing, positive environment. These include developing resilience, learning to balance high levels of emotional response (emotional regulation) and mindfulness.

Together, we build a bank of tools and skills that not only improve relationships and an understanding of the self (and others) but also significantly improve our young people’s chances for success post-treatment.

No. 6

Experiences

We believe that interpersonal relationships are central to mental health recovery and well-being. Friendships, family and community connections offer support, resilience and a sense of purpose and meaning.

At The Wave, we build and develop relationships in practice, through collective experiences and adventures. Young people have the chance to explore new passions, overcome challenges and work together with one another within a supportive community.

Families can rescript dynamics and find new ways of relating by creating vibrant memories together.

Some of our collective experiences include:

Jungle school and survival skills
Wild-water adventures
Arts masterclasses
Martial arts
Collective gardening, cooking and dining

No. 7

Destination Future

The Wave’s programs are future-oriented, looking forward towards a stable, resilient and fulfilling life.

Together, we create dreams and visions for the future, supporting young people to make these dreams a reality. This might mean returning to formal education, finding new pathways in vocational learning or gaining experience to help build careers.

Leaving treatment can be challenging. At the Wave, we prepare for the transition back home from the very start of treatment, coordinating with professionals, schools and communities in the region to provide a range of specialist support.

Together, we will begin your recovery journey

We are here to help

Have any questions or want to get started with the admissions process? Contact our friendly care team – they’ll be happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have and will walk you through how to prepare for your child’s stay at The Wave.

The Wave has provided me with the ability to feel calm with the secure feeling that they are a team of professionals who know exact what my daughter needs. It has not been easy and continues to be a challenging journey. The consistent communication through WhatsApp, phone calls, in-person and virtual family therapy sessions and weekly report have made being halfway across the world feel as if I am as part of my daughter’s treatment as I possibly can.

I had a great experience when I was on The Wave. It was one of the best experiences in my life. I enjoy all the sessions conducted by the team. I never had a chance to speak in group, specially with friends from other countries before.

It opens my eyes and gives me a new knowledge and experience to be a better person.

Thank you all for helping our gorgeous girl find her wonderful self again, for taking such good care of her and all the support and guidance, we are eternally grateful.