Trails Carolina, a wilderness therapy program for pre-teens and adolescents ages 10-17, is excited to announce the addition of Family Therapists Erin Cantalini, MA, LPC, and Cass McCormick, LMFTA to their clinical team this month.

“We are excited to continue to expand our family programming team to help meet the needs of our families,” says Jeremy Whitworth, Co-Executive Director of Trails Carolina. “Both Erin and Cass have dedicated their careers to helping parents and teens build stronger family dynamics and we are thrilled to have them join the team.” 

Erin Cantalini, MA, LPC is a family therapist who has worked with young people in a variety of therapeutic settings including wilderness therapy and residential programs. Most recently, she served as a co-clinical director at a therapeutic boarding school for middle school boys. Her specialties include helping LGBTQ+ populations, non-neurotypical students, and parent support. 

“I am very passionate about helping families increase resiliency, establish effective parenting techniques, and rebuild relationships with their children for a healthy re-introduction to the home,” says Erin.

Prior to joining Trails Carolina, Cass was a field guide at a young adult wilderness program and as a systems therapist working with individuals, couples, and families. She approaches therapy through the mindset of systems theory. Rather than focusing on individuals as separate entities, system theory seeks to understand people within the context of how relationships and other systems interact with a person’s life.

Her combined background of systems training and on-the-ground experience provides her with a unique perspective when working with students coming to wilderness programs. 

“I work collaboratively with families to help better understand their narrative and guide them towards developing a new story about themselves that better fits who they want to be,” comments Cass.

Trails Carolina prides itself on its strong parent program that offers multiple weekly touchpoints for families including yoga, meditation, mindfulness practice, support groups, and family therapist calls. The comprehensive parent programming parallels what students are learning with the ultimate goal of strengthening the entire family. Research demonstrates a strong correlation between increased family involvement in treatment and long-term success for the student.

About Trails Carolina
Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program based just outside of Asheville, North Carolina that offers a multi-dimensional wilderness therapy model to troubled adolescents, ages 10-17. Trails capitalize upon the profound effects of a student’s wilderness experience and then combine that experience with strong clinical assessments and therapy. For additional information about Trails Carolina, please call 800-975-7303.