35 Best Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Boys and Girls

1. AIM House & Boulder Integrated Health

Founded: 1999
Location: 888 13th St, Boulder, CO, 80302

AIM House and Boulder Integrated Health are two separate entities that provide therapeutic services to young adults.

AIM House is a facility that helps young men and women connect with their hopes and dreams, while Boulder Integrated Health is a group of highly trained and credentialed professionals who are passionate about recovery.

Both facilities offer a comprehensive approach to treatment that combines experiential groups and individual therapy with mentoring and community immersion to help participants build rewarding and fulfilling lives.

2. Alpine Academy

Founded: 2001
Location: Erda, Utah

Alpine Academy is a therapeutic boarding school for teenagers aged 12-18 with “intense therapeutic needs”. The school is accredited and implements an evidence-based treatment model.

The academic teachers are dual-endorsed in their content area and special education.

The therapists have a 95% positive parent feedback rating and an 85% positive rating from students.

3. ANASAZI Foundation

Founded: 1988
Location: 1424 South Stapley Dr. Mesa, AZ 85204.

ANASAZI Foundation is a therapeutic outdoor behavioral treatment healthcare program and wilderness rehab for adolescents aged 12-17.

Their residential treatment for teens takes a comprehensive approach that is designed to promote a change of heart which often results in a lasting behavior change.

The program is ideal for adolescents struggling with depression, anxiety, self-image, defiance, family conflict, mental health, lack of motivation, mild mood disorders, drug and alcohol experimentation, internet addiction, entitlement issues, and other self-defeating behaviors.

4. Neurohealth Bancroft

Founded: 1883
Location: 407 Cranford Rd, Cherry Hill, NJ

Bancroft NeuroHealth is a therapeutic boarding school located in Cherry Hill, NJ.

It offers an intensive program for children and adolescents facing severe behaviors that have interrupted family life, education, community recreation, and socialization.

The program utilizes evidenced-based practices to reduce the frequency, duration, and intensity of problem behaviors, including self-injurious behavior, aggression, and property destruction.

The school is coed and offers programs for pre-teens, high schoolers, and junior high schoolers.

5. Crossroads Academy

Founded: 2007
Location: Ogden, Utah

Crossroads Academy is a therapeutic boarding school located in Ogden, Utah.

It was founded in 2007 and serves adolescent boys aged 14-18 years old in a home environment.

The academy specializes in treating substance abuse and the underlying issues that play into that abuse, such as depression, learning difficulties, anxiety, low self-esteem, and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).

Crossroads Academy has established itself as a leader in adolescent treatment and has set the standard for adventure and recreation in a treatment environment.

6. Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness

Founded: 2002
Location: 236 File St, Clayton, GA, 30525

Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness is a wilderness therapy program that has been helping young people and their families since 2002.

They provide early clinical assessments, whole body health and wellness practices, and top-of-the-line care from licensed therapists and wilderness professionals.

Their techniques combine the healing wilderness environment with evidence-based therapeutic approaches that teach individuals and families the skills needed to be aware of and act on their values.

7. BlueFire Wilderness Therapy

Founded: 2014
Location: Idaho

BlueFire Wilderness Therapy is an outdoor therapy program for youth aged 11-28.

The program combines clinical expertise, wilderness, and adventure therapy in a clinician-owned program, providing an approach to treatment that produces long-lasting, internalized change.

The program is located in the serene high plains desert in south central Idaho, USA, and offers hiking, biking, exploration, education, and comfortable living all within a short distance.

8. Bayfield Inns

Founded: It has been serving Bayfield and its visitors for close to 100 years
Location: Bayfield

Bayfield Inns is a therapeutic boarding school for boys and girls located in Consecon, Ontario, Canada.

The school offers a range of programs that integrate academic development with clinical treatment, structure, and supervision to meet the needs of the whole child.

9. Calo Programs

Founded: 2006
Location: Central Missouri

Calo Programs is a residential treatment center that provides therapeutic programs for preteens and teens struggling with emotional dysregulation, attachment, and complex trauma.

The center is located in Lake Ozark, Missouri, and has programs for boys and girls between the ages of 10-18. Calo Programs uses unique interventions like adventure therapy, canine therapy, and neurofeedback therapy while also prioritizing academics and helping students balance the demands of life, play, and school.

10. Chamberlain International School

Founded: 1976
Location: 1 Pleasant St, Middleboro, MA, 02346

Chamberlain International School is a therapeutic boarding and day school that provides comprehensive and diverse therapeutic programming in an environment that inspires academic success and personal growth.

It serves students aged 11-22 from Massachusetts, across the United States, and throughout the world.

The school’s mission is to motivate and support students throughout their school experience and teach them to recognize, nurture, and celebrate their strengths as they prepare for life.

11. Confluence Behavioral Health

Founded: 2016
Location: 1646 Gove Hill Rd, Thetford Center, VT, 05075

Confluence Behavioral Health is a state-licensed residential treatment program for young adults aged between 18 and 28 years old who are experiencing mental health, emotional, relational, and substance use challenges.

The program offers wilderness and horticultural programming that draws on the health-promoting value of outdoor experiences.

12. Constellation Behavioral Health

Founded: 2010
Location: Sausalito, California

Constellation Behavioral Health is a therapeutic boarding school that provides a safe and supportive environment for boys and girls who are struggling with emotional, behavioral, or mental health issues.

The school offers a range of programs that are tailored to meet the unique needs of each student.

These programs include individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, academic support, and recreational activities.

13. Cornerstones of Maine

Founded: 2015
Location: Biddeford, Maine

Cornerstones of Maine is a therapeutic boarding school for young adults aged between 18 and 28 years old. The program is designed to help young adults who are struggling to live and function independently.

The program offers a range of services including therapeutic work, executive functioning, academic and vocational support, professional development, independent living, interpersonal growth, health, and wellness.

14. Deschutes Wilderness Therapy

Founded: 2013
Location: 160 SW Scalehouse Loop, Bend, OR, 97702.

Deschutes Wilderness Therapy is a nationally recognized outdoor behavioral healthcare and trauma-informed wilderness therapy program that provides teens and young adults immediate intervention and intensive mental health treatment.

The program’s approach is centered on stabilizing through the nervous system and body, and not through words, Deschutes primarily focuses on neurological release and somatic stabilization.

15. Dragonfly Transitions

Founded: 2000
Location: Dragonfly Transitions has three locations in Southern Oregon – Klamath Falls, Ashland, and The Homestead.

Dragonfly Transitions is a young adult program that provides support to individuals on a journey of self-discovery, wellness, and independence.

The program focuses on fostering personal growth through connection, community, and experience.

It offers a range of progressive phases, as well as college and vocational training options, recreational activities, and therapeutic support services.

The living environments are located in southern Oregon, providing a variety of settings to meet the participants’ needs.

16. Echo Springs Transitional Study Center

Founded: 1993
Location: 3210 Kootenai Trail Rd, Bonners Ferry, ID, 83805

Echo Springs Transitional Study Center is a therapeutic boarding school that provides a nurturing environment with customized mentoring and support to empower young men and women transitioning into adulthood.

The program is designed to teach young adults character, discipline, and direction.

17. Boston Higashi

Founded: 1987
Location: Randolph, MA

Boston Higashi School is a private school located in Randolph, Massachusetts, USA. It serves children and young adults with autism.

The school is based on the world-renowned tenets of Daily Life Therapy developed by the late Dr. Kiyo Kitahara of Tokyo, Japan.

The school offers a day program that operates 217 days a year and utilizes the methodology of Daily Life Therapy to deliver all of its educational services through a holistic, group-dynamic program.

The school also offers a residential life program that is a blend of the nurturing, comforting, and caring aspects of home, complemented by a 24-hour educational environment for those who require more than a day school program.

The school also has an emergency program that bridges the span from school to adulthood, serving students between the ages of 19-22 as they move forward to adult life.

18. Elevations RTC

Founded: 1994
Location: Syracuse, Utah, United States

Elevations RTC is a residential treatment center that provides guidance, support, and relief to students of all genders aged between 13-18 years old.

They help adolescents overcome challenges stemming from mental health problems, emotional disorders, learning disorders, substance use, and other underlying issues.

They offer a comprehensive recovery program for all at-risk teens, which includes not just clinical care but also academic development that is vital during an adolescent’s growing years.

19. Evoke Entrada

Founded: Evoke Entrada was created in 2015
Location: 2711 Santa Clara Drive, Santa Clara, UT 84765.

Entrada is a therapeutic boarding school that provides a safe and supportive environment for both boys and girls.

The school is located in Utah, USA, and offers a range of programs to help students overcome their challenges and achieve their goals.

The school’s programs are designed to address a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, and behavioral problems.

20. Evolve Treatment Centers

Founded: 2014
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States

Evolve Treatment Centers is a residential treatment center that provides mental health and substance use treatment for adolescents aged 12-17 years old.

Therapeutic boarding schools are academic institutions that provide long-term treatment for adolescents with emotional, behavioral, addiction, or learning issues.

21. First Light Wilderness Therapy

Founded: 2020
Location: 889 Wimpy Mill Rd, Dahlonega, GA, 30533

First Light Wilderness Therapy is a nationally recognized outdoor behavioral healthcare and trauma-informed wilderness therapy program located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia.

The program provides immediate intervention and intensive mental health treatment for teens aged 13-17, as well as their families.

The wilderness experience allows boys and girls to have the opportunity to heal their relationships and foster personal growth.

22. Brush Creek High School

Founded: 1978
Location: Brush Creek Academy, Brush Creek Rd, Jay, Oklahoma 74346.

Brush Creek High School is a private religious boarding school located in Northeast Oklahoma, designed for at-risk boys, ages 14-17, who are struggling with life-controlling issues.

Brush Creek Academy is a Christian therapeutic boarding school for troubled teenage boys offering teen counseling for boys with adoption issues (reactive attachment disorders), self-harm (self-mutilation) or cutting, defiance, depression, post-traumatic stress, abuse, and general anxiety.

Brush Creek’s goal is to provide teens and their families with the tools and resources to thrive academically, relationally, and spiritually.

23. Grove School

Founded: 1934
Location: Chennai

The Grove School is a therapeutic boarding school located in Madison, Connecticut, United States.

It has been serving adolescents and their families for over 80 years as a small, independently owned, and operated therapeutic boarding school on the beautiful Connecticut shoreline.

The school provides a seamless program of sophisticated clinical services, college preparatory education, and diverse activities that focus on personal growth and the development of meaningful relationships.

24. Heartspring School

Founded: 1934
Location: 8700 E 29th St N, Wichita, Kansas, USA 67226-2169

Heartspring School is a therapeutic residential and day school in Wichita, Kansas, United States.

The school serves students aged 5 to 22 who are impacted by autism and other developmental disabilities.

Heartspring offers a unique 24-hour residential school program that specializes in caring for individuals with behaviors that interfere with academic, home, and community life.

25. Heritage Schools, Inc.

Founded: 1984
Location: 5600 Heritage School Dr, Provo, UT, 84604-7701, United States

Heritage Schools, Inc. is a non-profit residential treatment center for adolescents located in Provo, Utah.

The Heritage Community offers a comprehensive therapeutic milieu for youth aged 13 to 18 years suffering from neurodiversity, trauma, oppositional defiance, attachment disorder, depression, anxiety, and school refusal.

The program provides individual, family, and group therapy sessions, as well as family mentoring and academics.

26. Copper Canyon Academy

Founded: 1998
Location: 7785 W. Peoria Ave Peoria, AZ

Copper Canyon Academy is a private girls’ boarding school for girls aged 13-17 that provides a structured environment for students with behavioral, emotional, or learning problems.

The academy is located in central Arizona and offers a highly structured program that helps troubled teenage girls prepare academically for college while treating the underlying issues and challenges they face.

27. Discovery Academy

Founded: 1989
Located: 105 N 500 W, Provo, UT 84601

Discovery Academy is a therapeutic boarding school located in Provo, Utah, United States.

The school provides an exclusive environment that offers students a safe venue for personal growth on many levels.

As they work side-by-side with their students in academic, therapeutic, and residential activities, they have an opportunity to create a 24/7 therapeutic environment.

28. Aspen Achievement Academy

Founded: 1988
Location: Loa, Utah

Aspen Achievement Academy is a licensed treatment program that provides an academic component, a therapeutic model, and an educational curriculum to students.

It is a part of the Aspen Education Group, which provides a comprehensive range of therapeutic interventions, including wilderness therapy, boarding schools, residential treatment, and weight-loss programs.

29. Intermountain

Founded: 1909
Location: 500 S Lamborn St, Helena, Montana, 59601-5499, United States

Intermountain Children’s Home is a therapeutic boarding school located in Helena, Montana.

The school provides professional, integrated, intermediate residential care adapted to the individual needs of each child. The focus is first stabilizing the child and family and then providing a holistic, attainable pathway to improved functioning.

30. Ironwood Maine

Founded: 2006
Location: 67 Captain Cushman Rd, Morrill, ME, 04952

Ironwood Maine is a licensed residential mental health treatment center and fully accredited school located in Morrill, Maine, USA.

It is designed specifically for adolescents aged 13-17 who require treatment for emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges.

The program offers intensive therapy along with customized and accredited academics via three interconnected programs focused on stabilization and assessment, treatment, and transition.

31. Journey Academy at TLC Child & Family Services

Founded: 1975
Location: 1800 Gravenstein Hwy N, Sebastopol, CA, 95472

Journey Academy is a therapeutic boarding school that provides education and trauma-informed services to high school-aged youth experiencing emotional and academic challenges.

It is a non-public high school and a short-term residential treatment program that works with vulnerable teens who are bright and capable but struggling to find their place in the world.

The school provides a safe, therapeutic environment specializing in a relationship-based approach that embraces each individual’s unique strengths.

32. Bridges Academy

Founded: 1994
Location: 67030 Gist Road, Bend, OR 97701

Bridges Academy is a licensed and accredited therapeutic boarding school that was founded in 1997.

The school is dedicated to reuniting at-risk teenage boys with their families by empowering them through self-discovery and education and helping them overcome personal and family challenges.

The school provides a year-round, cutting-edge emotional growth and academic curriculum designed for teenage boys ages 13-18, who are struggling with emotional, behavioral, and/or academic issues.

33. Gateway Academy

Founded: 2002
Location: 11706 South 700 East, Draper, Utah 84020, United States

Gateway Academy is a private therapeutic boarding school for teenage boys located in Draper, Utah, United States.

The school has a student-teacher ratio of 5 to 1 and has 40 students in grades 9-12. The school offers a multi-faceted treatment program that includes evidence-based therapy, academics, outdoor adventures, and social encounters.

34. Logan River Academy

Founded: 2000
Location: The academy is located at 1683 S State Highway 89 91, Logan, UT, 84321

Logan River Academy is a private therapeutic boarding school located in Logan, Utah, USA.

The academy specializes in providing an ideal environment for students with neurodiverse profiles.

They use the ESSENCE model to help their students acquire and implement skills that translate to a home environment.

35. New Haven Residential Treatment Center

Founded: 1995
Location: 2172 E 7200 S, Spanish Fork, UT, 84660

New Haven Residential Treatment Center is a therapeutic boarding school and residential treatment center for teenage girls aged 14-18.

The center aims to empower girls with the skills to heal from life’s traumas and give families a chance to move forward together.

The center’s approach to treatment is based on a clinical model that facilitates healing utilizing proven clinical approaches.

FAQs

Are therapeutic boarding schools regulated or accredited?

Yes, many therapeutic boarding schools are accredited by recognized organizations like the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) or the Council on Accreditation (COA). Accreditation ensures that the school adheres to established quality standards and ethical guidelines.

What types of therapeutic programs are offered at these schools?

These therapeutic boarding schools provide a range of programs tailored to the needs of their students. These may include individual counseling, group therapy, family therapy, equine therapy, adventure therapy, and more.

Do therapeutic boarding schools provide a well-rounded education in addition to therapy?

Yes, therapeutic boarding schools aim to offer a balanced education that includes both therapeutic support and academic instruction.

Conclusion

We’ve provided links to the official websites of the 35 best therapeutic boarding schools for boys and girls in our list. You can visit their websites for more detailed information and inquire directly with the schools for specific inquiries.

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List of the Best Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Boys and Girls