Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness is an outdoor therapeutic program located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. Through early, comprehensive assessments, personalized therapeutic interventions, and extensive family programming, teens ages 12–18 are guided as they learn to navigate challenges such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and family conflict.
Regan Adair, LMSW, is the primary therapist for pre-teen and adolescent girls ages 12-14 at Blue Ridge. The girls in Regan’s group often face a wide range of challenges or differences, such as neurodivergence, academic struggles, early childhood trauma, and attachment or adoption challenges.
Regan describes her approach: "Often when working with teenagers, parents and providers become so focused on eliminating problem behaviors that we lose sight of an equally important goal: fostering a healthy exploration of passions and interests and developing a strong, stable sense of personal identity.” She offers creative outlets that encourage imagination and play to nurture this identity development and boost self-esteem.
“I believe in bringing exploration into the therapy space with tools like art, creative writing, and play,” she shares. “I invite my students to channel their energy into expanding their interests, dreams, and future goals. In doing so, creativity helps them build personal values and strengthens their sense of responsibility and control over their futures.”
Regan further emphasizes the importance of creativity: “Today’s teenage girls need opportunities to reconnect with themselves—fostering connection, confidence, and playfulness. While talk therapy is beneficial, incorporating experiential interventions allows students to engage their minds and bodies. Creative activities like writing, drawing, and sculpting support the work done in talk therapy, giving students the space to explore, dream, set goals, and imagine who they want to become while activating different parts of the brain.”
Her ultimate goal is that every student leaves wilderness therapy with the confidence to navigate life’s challenges and the assurance that they possess the inner resources to seek help when needed. She concludes, “It’s not about getting it right all the time—it’s about trying, staying curious, and learning more about yourself along the way.”
About Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness:
Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness offers clinically driven wilderness therapy programs encompassing advanced therapeutic skills, a highly flexible nomadic wilderness therapy model, licensed wilderness therapy assessment, and multiple treatment options for struggling teens ages 13-18 as well as young adults ages 18-29 in the Emerald Arrow program. Blue Ridge’s individualized approach, family support, and commitment to service translate to an unparalleled experience and better outcomes for adolescents and families. To learn more about Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness, visit www.blueridgewilderness.com or contact admissions@blueridgewilderness.com.