From the Practice
Mental health, written plainly
Articles on attachment, anxiety, relationships, ADHD, and family dynamics — written by our licensed clinicians for people who want to understand what's going on, not just what to do about it.
Latest articles
Family wellness retreat vs family therapy retreat: what's the difference
Two terms used interchangeably that point to clinically different products. A breakdown of what each actually delivers, the cost differences, and how to figure out which one fits your family.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWMarriage retreat vs marriage intensive vs couples therapy retreat: which do I need?
Three terms that get used interchangeably and refer to clinically different things. A practical breakdown of the format differences, what each fits, and how to think about which one matches your situation.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWNature therapy vs ecotherapy vs wilderness therapy: what's the difference
Three terms that get used interchangeably and shouldn't be. A clinical breakdown of nature therapy, ecotherapy, and wilderness therapy — what each means, who they fit, and when one is the right choice over the others.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWArticle archiveMore therapist-written postsShow 20
What is a therapeutic family vacation?
A therapeutic family vacation is a real trip with clinical work woven in — not therapy that interrupts the trip, and not a vacation pretending to be therapy. A clinician's view on what the format is, who it fits, and what to expect.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWWhat is adult wilderness therapy? A clinical overview
Adult wilderness therapy is a specific clinical model — different from the teen wilderness programs the term often evokes. A former wilderness therapist on what the work actually is, who it serves, and how it differs from a retreat.
Cade Dopp, LCSWWhat to expect from a couples therapy retreat
An honest walk-through of the structure, the actual work, the harder moments, and the integration period after a couples therapy retreat — from a clinician who runs them.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWWhy wilderness works for trauma — and the limits of the model
The clinical mechanisms behind wilderness therapy for trauma processing, why the format produces movement that weekly sessions often cannot, and the situations where wilderness work is the wrong tool.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWAlternatives to wilderness therapy: what a former wilderness therapist recommends
A clinician who started in wilderness therapy and worked through residential and transition home programs walks through how family-based intensive therapy fits alongside wilderness and residential options for struggling teens.
Cade Dopp, LCSWDefiant teenager help: family-based options that actually work
Defiance in adolescence isn't usually what it looks like. A clinician's view on what's actually happening, what doesn't help, and what the evidence supports for families navigating an oppositional teen.
Cade Dopp, LCSWFamily therapy for troubled teens: when it works, when it doesn't
Family therapy is often the most effective intervention for adolescent presentations — and sometimes it's the wrong tool. A clinical breakdown of when family therapy works for troubled teens, when it doesn't, and what to look for in a clinician.
Cade Dopp, LCSWMy teenager is out of control: what to do before sending them away
When a teenager seems out of control, families are often shown wilderness and residential options first. Family-based intensive work is also a strong option worth considering. A former wilderness therapist's view on what to do.
Cade Dopp, LCSWTherapeutic boarding school vs family intensive therapy: a clinical comparison
An honest side-by-side from a former wilderness and residential clinician: what therapeutic boarding schools do, what family-based intensives do, and how to think about which one fits your situation.
Cade Dopp, LCSWTroubled teen programs and family-based alternatives: what the research supports
A clinical overview of the evidence on troubled teen programs — wilderness, residential, and therapeutic boarding schools — and how family-based intensive therapy fits alongside them. From a former wilderness therapist.
Cade Dopp, LCSWWhat to do with a troubled teenager (without sending them away)
A practical clinical perspective on what to do when your teenager is struggling — what to try first, what to avoid, and when family-based intensive work is the right next step before considering residential or wilderness programs.
Cade Dopp, LCSWADHD burnout: symptoms, causes, and what recovery requires
ADHD burnout can look like exhaustion, shutdown, and loss of functioning. Learn what causes it, why rest alone may not fix it, and how therapy helps.
Cade Dopp, LCSWADHD task paralysis: why you freeze and how therapy helps
ADHD task paralysis is not laziness. Learn why starting can feel impossible, what keeps the freeze cycle going, and how therapy can help.
Cade Dopp, LCSWAnxious-avoidant relationships: the chase-withdraw cycle
An anxious-avoidant relationship can feel magnetic and painful. Learn why one partner pursues, the other withdraws, and what helps the cycle change.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWHigh-functioning depression: when life looks fine but isn't
High-functioning depression can hide behind productivity and responsibility. Learn the signs, why it is easy to miss, and how therapy helps.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWPremarital counseling questions to ask before marriage
Premarital counseling questions should go deeper than wedding plans. Here are the topics that help couples build clarity before marriage.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWHow to rebuild trust after cheating: what has to change
Rebuilding trust after cheating takes more than apologies. Learn what repair requires, what slows it down, and how couples therapy can help.
Leanna Dopp, LCSWAvoidant attachment: what it is and whether it can change
Avoidant attachment isn't a character flaw — it's a strategy that once made sense. Learn how it develops and what it takes to change.
Cade Dopp, LCSWDiscernment counseling: what it is and who it's actually for
Discernment counseling is for couples where one partner is unsure they want to save the marriage. It's different from couples therapy.
Cade Dopp, LCSWRelationship anxiety: where it comes from and what helps
Relationship anxiety is a pattern of fear and reassurance-seeking that persists regardless of how the relationship is going. What helps.
Cade Dopp, LCSWReady to talk to someone?
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