At White River Academy, we focus on treating the whole person with a student-centered approach. We understand that every student is different, so we offer a variety of therapies, group sessions, and supportive activities to create a well-rounded treatment experience.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Each student’s treatment plan is personalized based on their age, maturity, symptoms, and any other mental health challenges they may be facing. We also consider how actively they can take part in therapy.
Family is an important part of the healing process, so we include the goals and needs of family members when creating each student’s plan. Our goal is to provide the right support for lasting growth and recovery.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a highly effective, evidence-based approach used at White River Academy to help students understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
CBT focuses on identifying negative or distorted thinking patterns that often lead to harmful behaviors or emotional struggles. Through guided sessions with trained therapists, students learn practical strategies to challenge these thoughts and replace them with healthier, more constructive ones.
This therapy is especially helpful for teens dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, or behavioral issues. CBT empowers students to take control of their mental health by teaching them how to cope with stress, manage emotions, and make better decisions.
At White River Academy, CBT is often integrated with other therapies to create a well-rounded, individualized treatment plan. By developing new ways of thinking, students build greater self-awareness, emotional resilience, and long-term tools for success in everyday life.
Learn more about our Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Developmental Delays Therapy is designed to support students who struggle with reaching age-appropriate physical, emotional, cognitive, or social milestones. These delays can affect a young person’s ability to succeed in school, form healthy relationships, or manage daily responsibilities.
Our therapeutic team works closely with each student to identify specific areas of need and create a personalized treatment plan that fosters growth and development. Using a combination of evidence-based therapies, we help students improve communication skills, emotional regulation, and problem-solving abilities.
At White River Academy, we’re committed to helping each student overcome challenges and build a strong foundation for future success.
Teen Anxiety Treatment is specifically designed to help adolescents who are overwhelmed by persistent worry, fear, or stress. Anxiety can impact every part of a teen’s life – making it difficult to concentrate in school, connect with peers, or enjoy everyday activities. Our program provides a safe, structured environment where students can step away from daily pressures and focus on their emotional well-being.
We work closely with each student to understand the root causes of their anxiety and help them recognize how it affects their thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. Through consistent support, therapeutic guidance, and a positive peer environment, students begin to build confidence, develop emotional awareness, and learn effective strategies for managing stress.
At White River Academy, we believe in treating the whole person. Our goal is to help teens not only reduce their anxiety but also gain the tools they need to face life’s challenges with strength and resilience.
Equine Therapy (also referred to as Horse Therapy, Equine-Assisted Therapy, and Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy) is a form of experiential therapy that involves interactions between our students and horses.
Equine Therapy involves activities (such as grooming, feeding, haltering and leading a horse) that are supervised by a mental health professional, often with the support of a horse professional. Both during the activity and after the student has finished working with the horse, the equine therapist can observe and interact with the patient in order to identify behavior patterns and process thoughts and emotions.
The goal of equine therapy is to help the patient develop needed skills and attributes, such as accountability, responsibility, self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and self-control. Equine therapy also provides an innovative milieu in which the therapist and the student can identify and address a range of emotional and behavioral challenges.
Many of the benefits of equine therapy are likely due to the nature of the animals with which the patient and equine therapist are interacting. Horses are typically non-judgmental, have no preconceived expectations or motives, and are highly effective at mirroring attitudes and behaviors of the humans with whom they are working.
While working with horses under the guidance and supervision of an equine therapist, equine therapy patients have a unique and effective opportunity to note their tendency to engage in self-defeating and otherwise negative thoughts and actions. These realizations provide excellent bases for discussion and processing both during and after the equine therapy experience.
Teen OCD Treatment is designed to help adolescents who struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) regain control over their thoughts and behaviors. OCD in teens often involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or rituals (compulsions) performed to reduce anxiety. These patterns can become overwhelming and interfere with school, relationships, and daily life.
In our supportive residential setting, we provide a structured environment where students can focus on understanding their OCD and learning how to manage it in a healthy way. Our therapeutic team works closely with each student to help them recognize their triggers, challenge irrational fears, and gradually reduce compulsive behaviors.
We also prioritize emotional safety, building trust and confidence throughout the treatment process. Family involvement is encouraged to ensure lasting progress and continued support beyond our program. At White River Academy, our goal is to help teens break free from the cycle of OCD and develop a more balanced, fulfilling life.
You can learn more about our Teen OCD Treatment.
Teen Trauma & PTSD Treatment at White River Academy is focused on helping adolescents heal from the emotional and psychological effects of traumatic experiences. Trauma can result from events such as abuse, neglect, loss, accidents, or witnessing violence, and it often leads to symptoms like flashbacks, anxiety, emotional numbness, and difficulty trusting others. Left untreated, trauma and PTSD can deeply impact a teen’s ability to function in daily life.
Our safe and structured environment provides the stability that teens need to begin the healing process. We work closely with each student to help them process their experiences, understand their emotional responses, and develop healthy ways to cope with stress and triggers.
Through compassionate support and personalized care, teens gain the tools they need to rebuild a sense of safety, strengthen their self-worth, and move forward. At White River Academy, our goal is to guide each student toward emotional resilience and long-term recovery from trauma.
Teen Holistic Treatment takes a whole-person approach to healing, focusing on the mind, body, and spirit. We understand that true recovery goes beyond just treating symptoms – it involves nurturing every part of a teen’s well-being. Many adolescents facing emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges benefit from a treatment plan that includes physical wellness, emotional growth, and spiritual exploration.
Our holistic approach combines therapeutic support with activities that promote self-awareness, balance, and inner peace. This may include physical fitness, nutrition, creative expression, mindfulness practices, and time spent in nature – all designed to help teens reconnect with themselves and build healthy habits.
By addressing the underlying causes of distress and encouraging personal growth, holistic treatment helps teens develop a stronger sense of identity, purpose, and resilience. At White River Academy, we are committed to guiding each student toward a more balanced, fulfilling life by supporting their healing on every level.
Attachment Disorder Therapy is designed to help teens who struggle with forming healthy, secure relationships due to early disruptions in caregiving or emotional bonding. Teens with attachment disorders often experience difficulty trusting others, managing emotions, or feeling safe in relationships. These challenges can lead to behavioral issues, social withdrawal, anger, or intense fear of abandonment.
Our therapy program focuses on helping students understand the roots of their attachment struggles and begin to rebuild a sense of trust and emotional security. In a safe and structured environment, students work one-on-one with experienced therapists to explore past experiences, develop healthy communication skills, and form more positive relationship patterns.
We also involve families in the healing process, guiding them in creating a supportive and consistent home environment. At White River Academy, our goal is to help teens move from isolation and fear toward connection, confidence, and emotional resilience.
Learn more about our Attachment Disorder Therapy.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment at White River Academy is designed for teens who are facing both a mental health disorder and a substance use issue. This combination – known as a dual diagnosis – can be especially challenging, as each condition often worsens the other. Teens may turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with depression, anxiety, trauma, or other mental health struggles, creating a complex cycle that requires specialized care.
Our treatment program addresses both issues at the same time, helping students understand how their mental and emotional challenges are connected to their substance use. Through personalized care, structured support, and a safe environment, teens learn healthier ways to cope, communicate, and make positive choices.
We provide comprehensive support that includes therapy, education, and life skills training to promote long-term recovery. At White River Academy, our goal is to help students break free from the cycle of dual diagnosis and build a foundation for lasting health, stability, and success.
Experiential Therapy is a therapeutic technique that uses expressive tools and activities, such as role-playing or acting, props, arts and crafts, music, animal care, guided imagery, or various forms of recreation to re-enact and re-experience emotional situations from past and recent relationships.
The student focuses on the activities and, through the experience, begins to identify emotions associated with success, disappointment, responsibility, and self-esteem. Under the guidance of the therapist, the student can begin to release and explore negative feelings of anger, hurt, or shame as they relate to past experiences that may have been blocked or still linger.
At White River Academy, Experiential Therapy is incorporated into individual, group, and family therapies. We believe that when students engage in a hands on experience, this can reach even the most difficult emotions, and provide an avenue for exploration, processing, and reframing those emotions.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a treatment method used to reprocess and heal symptoms of trauma. EMDR is one of the most effective evidenced-based treatment methods for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation, right/left eye movement, or tactile stimulation, or sound, which activates the opposite sides of the brain releasing emotional experiences that are “trapped” in the nervous system. This assists the neuro-physiological system, the basis of the mind/body connection, to free itself of blockages and reconnect itself.
EMDR allows a student to process an emotional experience that he/she cannot yet talk about, yet following a EMDR session find an ability to talk about it freely. Most importantly, it can eliminate stress surrounding the traumatic event, with the purpose of allowing new life in the once traumatized and emotionally difficult memory.
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