About Muir Wood

Every teen’s journey is unique, but Muir Wood paves an unwavering, hopeful path forward. Guided by compassion and integrity, our program provides adolescent mental health and substance use treatment for ages 12–17, empowering teens with the tools they need for lifelong well-being. 

Muir Wood was founded to walk beside your family every step of the healing journey. We use evidence-based treatment approaches and modalities, with empathy and kindness as our guiding principles.

Our Story 

Muir Wood emerged from a vision to advocate for the underserved. Founded in 2013 by Scott Sowle, Muir Wood began as a specialized program dedicated to boys adolescent treatment in northern California.

Drawing from over three decades of experience in mental health and substance use treatment, Scott envisioned a program that would address the unique challenges faced by teens and their families. Over a decade since its founding, Muir Wood stands as a testament to that vision, providing residential and outpatient treatment specifically for teen boys and girls experiencing mental health and substance use issues. 

Muir Wood operates 16 residential treatment campuses in Petaluma, Penngrove, Clovis, and Riverside, California, accommodating 100 teens state-wide. 

Meet the Muir Wood leadership team.

Tailored Teen Treatment Programs

With compassionate staff who emphasize kindness and compassion over confrontation and control, Muir Wood helps teens thrive in an increasingly complex world. We guide clients and loved ones through mental health and substance use challenges. Our work aims to facilitate self-regulation, proactive health management, and personal growth.

Our treatment programs:

• Dual-Diagnosis Treatment for Teen Boys
• Dual-Diagnosis Treatment for Teen Girls
• Primary Mental Health Treatment for Teen Girls
• Primary Mental Health Treatment for Boys
• Boys and Girls Intensive Outpatient Treatment

In comfortable, supervised, and structured environments, teens explore and process sensitive issues and learn to manage mental health and substance use disorders. The Muir Wood environment fosters strong peer relationships essential for recovery, many of which develop into enduring friendships.

Our full-time psychiatrists and nursing team enhance our program’s ability to accurately assess client conditions, adapt treatment plans, and manage medications. 

Learn more about the conditions we treat.

Comprehensive Residential Treatment 

Our treatment programs integrate many evidence-based clinical modalities and support programs, including:

• Individual therapy
• Group therapy
• Family therapy
• Adolescent psychiatry
• Nursing support
• Multiple psychotherapeutic approaches
• Experiential therapies
• Academic support
• Aftercare programming for parents and teens

Family involvement is a critical component in Muir Wood’s programming. Participation in weekly family education, counseling, and therapeutic sessions is required.

Muir Wood Learning Centers

We integrate academic support with treatment through the Muir Wood Learning Centers—supplemental education programs for grades 7 to 12. Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), our programs employ experienced, credentialed educational professionals. We offer flexible academic options that allow clients to maintain continuity with their home schools while they focus on healing. For clients who have finished high school or are not currently enrolled, we can provide career choice support, education in music and the arts, or support preparing for college or community college admission.

Accreditation and Accessibility

Muir Wood is accredited by The Joint Commission, long considered the gold standard in healthcare organization accreditation.

We’re committed to making teen substance use and behavioral health treatment accessible to families. We strive to remove financial barriers to quality care by being an in-network provider for most major insurance companies: 

• Aetna
• Anthem
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Blue Shield of CA
• Cigna
• Halcyon/Simple Behavioral
• Kaiser Permanente
• Magellan 
• MHN
• Optum/UHC
• TRICARE

Tailored Therapeutic Modalities

At Muir Wood, we believe in treating the whole teen, not just addressing symptoms. Our individualized approach allows us to provide personalized attention to each client, which has proven highly effective for many behavioral health conditions. 

We utilize a variety of evidence-based therapeutic modalities. Based on our initial and ongoing assessments, we provide services that include:

1. Experiential Therapy: Creative activities such as music, meditation, and yoga to facilitate expression and connection. These practices boost self-esteem and provide a sense of accomplishment.
2. Adventure Therapy: Supervised adventures instill a sense of belonging and enhance problem-solving, communication, leadership, and healthy social skills. 
3. Fitness and Nutrition: Healthy fitness activities and on-site chef-prepared meals nourish teens from the inside out. 
4. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): When appropriate, and with parental approval, we offer medications used in conjunction with psychotherapeutic sessions as a way to stabilize and support clients through full recovery.
5. Psychiatry and Medication Management: Though our experienced medical team prefers to avoid medical intervention whenever possible, closely monitored medication management is a valid tool in some instances. All teens on medication management programs do so in tandem with other therapeutic approaches, and with parental involvement
6. Psychotherapy: Our results-focused psychotherapy sessions (CBT, DBT, etc.), both group, individual, and family, offer vital coping skills, mindfulness-based practices, and social support.
7. 12-Step Program Exposure: Introduction to young people’s 12-Step groups provides structure and social support for managing life challenges. 

Get Started Today at Muir Wood

Muir Wood is uniquely qualified to effectively treat mental health and substance use issues. Our teen treatment approach has been transforming the lives of teens and family systems for over a decade. We consistently make every effort to provide families and their teens with the best possible care and support.

Let us show you how your teen and family can live happy, purposeful, and fulfilling lives. Contact us here or call 866-705-0828 to speak with an admissions specialist to learn if Muir Wood is a good fit for your teen.