Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness

10/13/2026

Nashville, here we come! 🌿

We’re excited to have members of the Blue Ridge team heading to Nashville, TN, for the Partners in Treatment Conference, October 28–30.

Our Admissions Director, Jon Young, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Lorena Bradley, and Primary Therapists Logan Baker, LPC, and Ellianna McLaughlin, APC, are looking forward to spending a few days connecting and learning with others who are passionate about supporting young people and families. We’re grateful for opportunities like these to strengthen relationships and bring fresh perspectives back to the work we do at Blue Ridge!

10/05/2026

“Blue Ridge has incredible therapists and field staff who work directly with the kids 24/7. They build safe, healthy relationships that help kids feel supported and secure, giving them the space to begin understanding themselves and their motivations.

The support we received throughout treatment was amazing. Everyone was responsive to our questions, needs, and whatever situations came up. Logan and the field staff were incredible, and I truly believe they are a big reason our son made the positive progress he did while at Blue Ridge.

I also really appreciated the Parent Pathway and the resources provided to us. They helped me better understand our family dynamics and my own role within them. I’m grateful that Blue Ridge supported not only our son’s growth, but ours as a family as well.”

09/28/2026

Join our team!

Professional development. Relationship & connection. Therapeutic coaching. Outdoor skills. Blue Ridge Instructors are role models for a healthier way of life.

09/28/2026

Fall is starting to settle into the mountains! 🍂

After a night at base to reset, Ellianna’s group spent the morning watercoloring on the porch for their creative intensive before heading back into the field. Cool air, changing leaves, and a little time to slow down and create together made for a pretty good start to the week!

09/24/2026

A view we’re looking forward to… 🥹🍁

There’s something special about this time of year in the North Georgia mountains. Cooler mornings, changing leaves, clearer views from the trail, and a little more reason to gather around the fire.

We’re lucky to call this corner of North Georgia home, and even luckier to watch our students experience the seasons here alongside us.

Bring on fall!

09/21/2026

A few weeks into the school year, patterns can start to become clearer.

For some teens, getting back into the rhythm of school brings more than the usual stress. Mornings get harder. Assignments start piling up. Anxiety increases. A missed day turns into a few missed days. Conversations about school become a source of tension at home.

What looks like a teen who “just doesn’t want to go” can be a sign that something deeper is getting in the way.

At Blue Ridge, we work with teens to slow things down and understand what’s underneath the avoidance. Away from the daily pressures and distractions of home and school, there is space to build confidence, practice doing hard things, develop healthier ways to cope, and reconnect with a sense of capability.

When school avoidance starts becoming a pattern, early intervention can make a difference.

Read more about academic avoidance and the back-to-school transition at the link in our bio.

09/17/2026

“Choosing to send our son to Blue Ridge was the most difficult decision we ever made as parents. We had tried different counselors, psychiatrists, and medication changes, but he wasn’t responding. We knew we needed to do something different.

We chose Blue Ridge because our son needed a space away from the pressures of the outside world, where he could be challenged, supported, and fully immersed in something different. Our son needed respite, and so did we.

While he spent 16 weeks at Blue Ridge, we were doing our own work as parents. We learned how to communicate differently, temper our reactions, and speak and listen with more respect and love. We carried those skills with us long after he left.

Today, he is 21, healthy and stable, and has returned to Blue Ridge as a field staff member. We could not be prouder of him or more thankful for the role Blue Ridge played at the beginning of his journey.“

Visit blueridgewilderness.com to learn more 💙

09/15/2026

Adolescent girls deserve treatment that understands the world they’re growing up in.

At Blue Ridge, time in nature creates distance from the routines, expectations, relationships, and distractions that can make it difficult to slow down and pay attention to what’s happening internally.

For adolescent girls, that space can be especially meaningful. Treatment becomes an opportunity to practice expressing needs, tolerating difficult emotions, building confidence, navigating relationships, and discovering interests that belong to them.

Sometimes, growth happens in quieter moments too. A guitar, a waterfall, and some room to hear yourself think 💙

09/15/2026

Six years later, a former Blue Ridge student and his mother reflect on the decision that changed their family.

They share what it was like to make the difficult decision to pursue treatment, what they learned through their own individual work, and how time, space, and support ultimately helped reshape their relationship.

We’re grateful to this family for looking back and sharing their experience so openly.

Read their story below. 💚

https://blueridgewilderness.com/blog/six-years-later-a-former-blue-ridge-student-and-his-mother-reflect-on-the-decision-that-changed-their-family

09/14/2026

Ellianna’s group spent last night at base enjoying some time to relax and recharge. This morning, they got creative with a Bob Ross painting tutorial led by our Student Care Coordinator, Heather! 🎨🌲 The group painted an island scene complete with plenty of happy little trees. A big thank you to Heather for bringing some creativity and fun to their morning!

After painting, Group 2 headed back into the field and is making their way to Rabun Bald for their next adventure.