Areas of Clinical Expertise
- Adolescent Mental Health & Development
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Family Systems Therapy
- Integrative Psychology
- Integrated Treatment for Complex Co-Occurring Disorders
- Spiritual Development & Recovery
“Leadership means ensuring every decision we make begins and ends with the wellbeing of our clients. That focus—combined with a commitment to ethics, collaboration, and service—shapes everything we do at Muir Wood.” — Ian Wolds
Experience
Ian Wolds, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 21 years of experience in the behavioral health field. Dr. Wolds’ career has been dedicated to working with diverse clinical populations dealing with addiction; mental illness; and co-occurring disorders across individual, group, and family contexts. His work is characterized by a commitment to evidence-based practices and a passion for helping clients and families develop self-awareness, resilience, and personal fulfillment.
He has served as a clinical director at BrightQuest Treatment Center and at The Canyon at Peace Park, both residential treatment centers. He worked as President of Constellation Behavioral Health, overseeing all facets of the company and its treatment programs. He also held the position of Executive Director at Alta Mira Recovery Programs, where he integrated evidence-based practices into treatment to enhance client outcomes.
Education
Dr. Wolds holds an undergraduate degree in religion, with a minor in law and society. He completed his graduate work at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in San Diego where he obtained a master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in integrative psychology.
He completed postdoctoral training at BrightQuest Treatment Center in San Diego where he worked within a therapeutic community model serving individuals with severe mental illness and dual diagnoses.
Role at Muir Wood
Dr. Wolds currently serves as the Chief Clinical Officer at Muir Wood, where he oversees clinical strategy and programming with a focus on ethical excellence, early intervention, and collaborative care. He fosters deeply interdisciplinary clinical teams who bring together a range of perspectives—psychiatric, therapeutic, medical, educational, and experiential—to create a unified and responsive treatment experience.
At the core of Dr. Wolds’ philosophy is a belief in the resilience of the human spirit. He believes that with the right support, structure, and relationships, young people can build a future that reflects their full potential.
Personal Interests
Dr. Wolds enjoys spending time with his wife and children, mountain biking through Marin County’s open spaces, listening to great music, cooking great food or finding great restaurants, and traveling to visit family or explore new places. These personal pursuits allow him to stay grounded, energized, and present both at home and in his leadership role.
Who We Are
Muir Wood treats primary mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders with equal clinical depth. Our approach is mental health-first, trauma-informed throughout, and grounded in nationally recognized expertise in adolescent substance use treatment.
Every program is designed exclusively for teens, with specialized environments for those needing an even greater level of psychiatric, trauma, or clinical support — like our Penngrove campus for girls, and our upcoming Sonoma Mountain campus for boys (Fall '26).
Mental Health First
Every program treats primary MH — anxiety, depression, trauma, mood — as the core clinical focus.
Trauma-Informed Lens
Every staff interaction, not just therapy, is filtered through a trauma lens. It is our operating principle, not a modality.
Integrated SUD Expertise
Substance use is treated alongside mental health throughout all programs, not in a separate track.
Adolescent Specialists
Every clinician, psychiatrist, nurse, and educator works exclusively with teens ages 12–17.
We Treat the Whole Teen
Nothing is treated in isolation, because nothing exists in isolation.
Every teen arrives with behaviors that developed for a reason — ways of coping with or adapting to emotional pain. Our role is to understand what's driving those patterns and build healthier, more sustainable ways of regulating and coping.
Mental Health
Trauma Informed
Emotional Functioning
Family Systems
Why Specialized Programming Matters
Many teens benefit from environments designed around shared clinical presentations and needs.
Greater Peer Alignment
Shared clinical presentations create more cohesive, therapeutically relevant group dynamics.
Individualized Treatment
Approaches tailored to the specific developmental and psychiatric profile of each population.
Improved Emotional Safety
Environments designed to reduce threat, increase predictability, and foster genuine connection.
Clinically Relevant Groups
Group therapy dynamics mirror real-world experiences of teens with similar presentations.
Lower-Stimulation Environments
Sensory and environmental design calibrated to the needs of highly activated or sensitive teens.
Enhanced Psychiatric Support
Specialized staff training and clinical protocols matched to the population's complexity.