Deschutes Wilderness Therapy
13-17
Outdoor
Outdoor Therapy in Bend, Oregon
Deschutes Wilderness Therapy (DWT) is a nationally recognized trauma-informed outdoor therapy program in Bend, Oregon that provides teens and young adults immediate intervention and intensive mental health treatment. The wilderness experience allows teens, young adults, and their families to have the opportunity to heal their relationships and foster personal growth.
Meet Your Clinical Director!
Dr. Lori Vallelunga, PhD
Dr. Lori Vallelunga is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than a quarter-century of clinical and program administration experience. She comes to Deschutes Wilderness Therapy with an adventurous spirit and a passion to help others become their best selves. As…
How Our Outdoor Therapy Can Help
DWT sets the standard in outdoor therapy. All students are empowered to improve their decision-making skills and build healthy and safe relationships. Working with the individual and the family, DWT students are encouraged to focus on their strengths and use them to launch lasting change.
What to Expect During Outdoor Treatment
DWT focuses on stabilizing through the nervous system and body leading to neurological release and somatic stabilization. With emotional literacy and self-regulation training, our outdoor therapy program teaches students to manage the inner world to change their outer world through healing nature-based therapy. Finally, the team at DWT works to heal relationships through attachment and relational immersion, utilizing adventure and canine-assisted therapy.
Healing Outdoor Treatment
In addition to research-backed and outcomes-focused outdoor therapy, students develop deep relationships with each other and the staff while improving relationships with their families. Families are deeply engaged in parallel process work while their child is enrolled and have regular contact with their child’s therapist, parent coaches, parent forum and participate in an in-person family therapy session during their child’s stay.
DWT is also a nationally accredited school and supports students academically by providing experiential learning and credit transfer to support their educational goals.
Services Offered:
- Outdoor Therapy
- Therapeutic School
Our outdoor program helps teens and young adults with difficult mental health challenges like:
- Depression
- ADHD
- Social isolation
- Anxiety
- Mood regulation
- Family conflict
- Bullying
- Other mental health issues
- Trauma
- PTSD
- Substance use
- Excessive technology use
- Family conflict
We offer a variety of therapy and treatment options to help teens heal, including:
- Brainspotting
- Family therapy
- Psychological testing and evaluation
- Trauma-focused therapy
- Canine therapy
- Adventure therapy
- Experiential therapy
- School issues
In addition to research-backed and outcomes-focused outdoor therapy, students develop deep relationships with each other and the staff while improving relationships with their families. Families are deeply engaged in parallel process work while their child is enrolled and have regular contact with their child’s therapist, parent coaches, parent forum and participate in an in-person family therapy session during their child’s stay.
DWT is also a nationally accredited school and supports students academically by providing experiential learning and credit transfer to support their educational goals.
Services Offered:
- Outdoor Therapy
- Therapeutic School
Our outdoor program helps teens and young adults with difficult mental health challenges like:
- Depression
- ADHD
- Social isolation
- Anxiety
- Mood regulation
- Family conflict
- Bullying
- Other mental health issues
- Trauma
- PTSD
- Substance use
- Excessive technology use
- Family conflict
We offer a variety of therapy and treatment options to help teens heal, including:
- Brainspotting
- Family therapy
- Psychological testing and evaluation
- Trauma-focused therapy
- Canine therapy
- Adventure therapy
- Experiential therapy
- School issues
Meet Your Therapists
Each student has a licensed, primary therapist who directs their outdoor therapy journey, adventure education experiences are tailored to their specific needs.
Xela Goodman, LCSW
James Nippert, MA, LMFT
Annette L. Pelletier, LCSW
Mariah Vlach, MFTA
Audrey Menz, MSW
Location Reviews
Thomas
Embark was fantastic for our daughter. The staff and especially the therapist helped our daughter learn DBT skills necessary to help her with her OCD, depression, and anxiety. We highly recommend it!
Jennifer
My daughter just finished the Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program and the results are incredible. She connected with people from all over the country during her therapy sessions. The entire staff is amazing and always made sure to keep myself and my husband informed of any changes in our daughter’s behavior. I would highly recommend this program as well as Embark. THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE TEAM! Our daughter has learned so much because of you.
Tarran
This program has absolutely changed my life. Being a former client of the VIOP program I would recommend this treatment to anyone who is struggling. Embark is the most welcoming and helpful program I have ever been a part of. They make sure the client’s voice is heard, along with the views of Parents/Guardians. I have learned countless DBT skills and have created long lasting relationships with my peers. I owe a huge thanks to the team at Embark for helping me create the life I deserve to live.
Laura
Our 15 year old daughter completed the VIOP in the Spring of 2023. We live in a rural area and do not have access to a IOP within driving distance. We can’t say enough positive things about our experience with Embark. We found the program to be very well run with highly skilled professionals. The program has been developed especially for a virtual platform. The client participation requirements, individual therapy, medication management, and engagement with the entire family really set this program apart from other DBT options we explored in the past.
Annelise
Awesome program! As a former client, I have grown a tremendous amount since embarking (get it) on my journey with this behavioral health program. The therapists are extremely understanding, flexible, and attentive and truly make an effort to create personalized plans for you. Everyone is super welcoming and it really has a family feel to it. If you want to meet people that will positively transform your life and help you develop into the best version of you I highly recommend it!!
Start your healing journey
Call us today or check out this program's site.
13-17
Outdoor
Hours
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Closed
Areas Served
- Bend, OR
- Eugene, OR
- Salem, OR
- Redmond, OR
- Terrebonne, OR
- Prineville, OR
- Portland, OR
- Seattle, WA
- Tacoma, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Boise, ID
Deschutes Wilderness Therapy
160 SW Scalehouse Loop
Bend, OR97702
Your healing journey starts here.
Contact Embark Behavioral Health to learn more about how we treat obsessive-compulsive disorder in adolescents, teens, and young adults today.
