Located in the Blue Ridge mountains of Georgia and North Carolina, Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness is a licensed and accredited wilderness therapy program offering early adolescents, teens, and young adults opportunities to connect and align with their values, build confidence, and develop healthy relationships. Fortified by research-based practices and the expertise of experienced clinicians, Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness provides clients and their families with unique and individualized treatment developed to result in lasting, sustainable change. 

Blue Ridge’s young adult program, Emerald Arrow, combines in-depth clinical insight, comprehensive assessment, and creativity-driven experiences to empower students to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their families, and their personal goals. Young adults in Emerald Arrow face challenges relating to persisting mental health issues such as substance abuse, anxiety, depression, loneliness, PTSD, or difficulties at work or college. Often, students who enroll in Emerald Arrow are seeking nature-based adventures and holistic treatment methods to help them overcome obstacles that have been precipitated by the increasing pressures and responsibilities of adulthood, causing them to feel hopeless, lost, or stuck. 

Emerald Arrow Clinical Director and Primary Therapist, Anne Wilzbacher, LCMHC, is trained in and utilizes the evidence-based practice of Brainspotting, a therapeutic method that harnesses the gaze to process and heal deep-seated emotional and psychological issues. Anne explains, “Brainspotting accesses self-healing abilities to establish new neural connections and release the psychological, physical, and emotional obstacles that hold the individual back.”

With a growing body of research supporting its efficacy, Brainspotting has been recognized as a modality for individuals looking to confront and overcome persistent obstacles. Anne continues, “Brainspotting is great because it allows students to address the previously treatment-resistant emotional, psychological, and somatic challenges that have hindered their progress in other settings.”

As one of many techniques employed in Emerald Arrow which harnesses the power of the brain-body connection to achieve lasting therapeutic progress, Brainspotting aligns well with the program’s fundamental goals and structure.

“One of the reasons I’ve grown to love Brainspotting is its unwavering belief in the inherent intelligence of our bodies and brains,” says Anne. “This therapy embraces the idea that our natural inclination is to heal and process any elements that have become sources of stagnation or trauma.”

Integrated within a holistic, strengths-based outdoor treatment model, Brainspotting is applied in the wilderness therapy setting at Emerald Arrow to boost students’ ability to maintain therapeutic progress post-treatment. Anne concludes, “Because we conscientiously integrate Brainspotting with our program which is already so fundamentally centered around mindfulness and comprehensive transition preparation, I am confident that our graduates have the highest chance of maintaining the significant therapeutic progress they achieve during their time at Emerald Arrow.” 

About Blue Ridge Wilderness

Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness is a licensed and accredited outdoor child-caring program that provides mental health treatment from licensed therapists and skilled outdoors professionals. Removed from the distractions of daily home life, students (ages 12-18, and 18-29 in the Emerald Arrow young adult program) experience the abundance of the nature-based setting of the North Georgia Chattahoochee National Forest. Blue Ridge Wilderness and Emerald Arrow provide clinically-focused assessment and evidence-based therapeutic approaches that teach students communication skills, emotional regulation, healthy habits, and other skills needed to be aware of and act on their values. To learn more about Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness, visit blueridgewilderness.com or speak with an admissions counselor by calling (888) 914-1050.