Located in Georgia and North Carolina, Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness provides licensed and accredited wilderness therapy programming to adolescent girls, boys, and young adults of all genders. Blue Ridge’s clinical team specializes in working with students who come to the program with a variety of challenges and differences. As research continues to show that social media, video game, and screen addiction pose a growing threat to teen mental health, the Blue Ridge team strives to provide robust programming and therapeutic services focusing on these issues. 

Last year, Justin Messinger, LPC joined the team as a Primary Therapist for adolescent boys, bringing with him years of experience working with boys ages 13-18 who face challenges related to autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, interpersonal/social relationships, video game and tech addiction, academic failure or avoidance, trauma, and more. 

Justin works with boys who struggle with social communication, executive functioning, cognitive rigidity, and interpersonal relationships. These struggles often leave them feeling isolated, insignificant, stuck, and frustrated with a lack of connection or belonging. Recognizing the unique needs and differences of this student population, Justin provides field staff in his group with ongoing, specialized training to best support them in building generative relationships with students.

Blue Ridge Executive Director, Danielle Hava, LCSW shares, “Justin truly sees the best in his students. His unwavering dedication to focusing on students’ strengths is inspiring to our team. Because of this, he is able to help students’ peers, staff teams, and families to see them in a positive light, even on their worst days.”

The environment at Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness presents a special opportunity for students to live in an environment devoid of social media, video games, technology, and other elements present as obstacles to healthy living at home. The Blue Ridge clinical team is dedicated to providing students and their families with sophisticated mental health treatment consisting of early clinical assessments, individual and group therapy, and research-supported emotional regulation skills to help clients ages 13-28 thrive in lasting, meaningful ways.

About Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness

Since 2002, Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness has helped young people and their families to thrive. We strive to provide a superior, integrated wilderness experience to help all individuals and families define their values and overcome their struggles. Located in the North Georgia and Western North Carolina mountains, Blue Ridge’s licensed treatment program provides sophisticated clinical treatment in an immersive nomadic wilderness model.