In-Network With Most Commercial Insurers
*Please note that at this time, we are not in network with Medicaid/Medi-Cal
Help For Teens Struggling With Alcohol Addiction
Watching your child struggle with alcohol addiction is difficult. It’s natural to feel worried and unsure about what steps to take next. Early recognition and intervention with professional support can make a meaningful difference in your child’s path to sobriety.
The programs at Muir Wood are designed to provide a safe, nurturing space for adolescents ages 12-17. Here, your teen receives expert care from compassionate specialists who are highly credentialed and understand the complexities of adolescent-specific addiction and mental health treatment. With multiple locations across California, Muir Wood Teen offers residential and attentive outpatient (IOP) treatment, with personalized, evidence-based therapies tailored to your teen’s unique challenges. With individual and group therapy, family involvement, and academic support, we help your teen rebuild confidence, stay connected to their education, and strengthen relationships with family for lasting recovery.
The Muir Wood Teen Difference
Our team partners closely with parents and caregivers from day one—clear updates, a personalized plan, and real-world tools you can use between sessions – so your loved one can move toward stability, well-being, and lasting wellness alongside peers facing similar challenges.
Some of our key differentiators include:
Specialists in Adolescent Care
Our multidisciplinary team specializes exclusively in adolescent mental health and substance use, providing evidence-based, developmentally appropriate care for teens ages 12–17.
Environments That Foster Connection and Growth
In serene, nature-rich settings, our campuses are unlike any other. With 24/7 care, teens spend their days as part of a broader community—engaging in therapy, academics, and outdoor activities that strengthen resilience and self-awareness. At night, they return to smaller, home-like residences that offer comfort and a sense of belonging. This balance of community and intimacy creates a unique healing environment where every moment becomes a part of the recovery process.
Expertise in Primary Mental Health + Substance Use
We specialize in treating both primary mental health conditions and substance use disorders through an integrated, trauma-informed approach. By addressing emotional health and substance use together—and focusing on the underlying drivers of behavior—we support meaningful, lasting change and better long-term outcomes for adolescents and their families.
Support for the Whole Family
Healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens together. At Muir Wood, families stay actively involved through therapy, education, and a 16-week aftercare coaching program that builds trust, communication, and stability long after treatment ends.
Accessible, High-Quality Care Covered by Insurance
Muir Wood is committed to removing financial barriers to care by partnering with most major insurance providers, ensuring families can access high-quality, evidence-based treatment when it matters most.
Educational Support that Restores Confidence
Through our WASC-accredited academic program, students continue their education with personalized support. Success in the classroom becomes a vital step in restoring confidence, structure, and a sense of possibility.
Continuum of Care
Continuity and communication are essential as teens move between levels of care. We collaborate closely with therapists, outpatient providers, hospitals, and IOP/PHP programs—whether our own or external partners—to support appropriate step-ups to residential treatment and smooth transitions back to outpatient care.
Speak With a Teen Treatment Specialist
Connect with our admissions team today to learn how Muir Wood can support your family.
Muir Wood Treatment Center Reviews
Read about Muir Wood experiences from a parent who has been through it. Read these and other reviews from real parents of Muir Wood alumni. If you would like to speak to an alumni parent, contact us and we’ll arrange it.
“Ruby had a very positive experience overall both times. Many programs make lots of promises and don’t deliver. Muir wood was a transformational experience for Ruby and I think the experience of being part of a community of peers was especially helpful. I’m a mental health professional myself and have already recommended Muir Wood to friends with teens who are struggling.”
Sasha A. Blum – September 2023
“From the moment we walked through the doors, we felt like part of a supportive com- munity dedicated to helping teens thrive. The staff here are compassionate, knowledgeable, and truly invested in the wellbeing of every teen in their care. The programs are tailored to address the needs of each individual, providing a safe space for growth and healing. I highly recommend this center to any parent seeking top-notch care.”
Krista Merlino – May 2024
“Our child had medication resistant severe depression. Muir Wood helped find the right medication and provided a supportive environment, over Covid, no less. My child is thriving and we both agree that even though it was a hard period, it was the best choice to get them treatment. The tutors worked with his teachers and he maintained a 4.0 while getting better.”
Tomasina Burgess – June 2024
“There really are other families that are struggling in more or less the same ways that we are,” she shares in the video below. “I think there’s a way that addiction can make people feel like it’s only happening to them, and it’s really not. It’s behind so many closed doors. And I only wish that more people would come out and get the help that they deserve and that is there to be had. I’m really grateful we found it.”
Katie F. – June 2024
“This program was really wonderful for our daughter and our family as a whole. We love the parent classes and the parent support group. L. loved most of the staff and made some great friends with other girls in the program. The communication between staff and parents is excellent.”
Ilene G. – Oct 2025
My daughter is at the Petaluma Site. She has been there for about 40 days and the therapist has been very communicative. I feel apart of her treatment and have been updated weekly as well as a fast response anytime I have had questions. The support has been great and I love the parent classes. I have learned a lot in this time.
Angela R. – Oct 2025
Signs of Alcohol Use
Adolescence is a difficult stage of life, and it can be challenging to understand and identify whether your child’s struggles are everyday. It is important to find help for your teen early, so they can develop the skills they need to cope with their addiction before symptoms become too much to handle.
Signs that your teen is drinking alcohol might include:
- Changes in mood and behavior, such as irritability or depression
- Physical changes with hygiene or weight gain, or loss
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Engaging in risky behavior such as self-harm or suicidal ideation
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Loss of interest in school activities and hobbies
If you notice physical or behavioral signs, it’s important to approach your teen with compassion and understanding. Early intervention can make a significant difference in helping them address their alcohol use and recover.
Contact Us Now
Someone from our admissions team is standing by to help you find the best treatment for your teen.
When to Seek Help for Your Teen’s Alcohol Use
It is heartbreaking to see your teen struggling with addiction. When substance use starts to impact school, social life, and family, it’s a clear sign to get help. You and your teen do not need to face this alone. Muir Wood Teen’s programs offer the care and support your child needs to heal and overcome their alcohol addiction.
Taking early action toward treatment helps improve outcomes and allows families to learn about this disease and ways to manage it. If your child is showing signs of alcohol use, or you suspect they are involved in alcohol use, our team is here to help guide you through the next steps for treatment. All programs are supported by a team of dedicated therapists, psychiatrists, and educators who listen, support, and find the best path forward for your child’s well-being and future.
Our Approach to Care
At Muir Wood, we believe that recovery is most successful when built on a foundation of compassion, collaboration, and personalized support. We create structured, supportive environments where teens can stabilize and begin addressing the underlying mental health and emotional challenges driving their behaviors.
Care at Muir Wood is immersive and extends beyond formal therapy into daily routines, where teens practice skills with real-time support. Our expert clinical team works exclusively with adolescents, bringing deep experience in youth mental health and substance use treatment. Multidisciplinary teams—including psychiatry, therapy, recovery counseling, and academics—work closely together throughout the day to reinforce emotional regulation, coping strategies, and healthier patterns of interaction.
Treatment is individualized and clinically rigorous. Our team uses evidence-based approaches including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), exposure therapy, experiential and mindfulness-based practices, psychoeducation, and family therapy—selected and adapted based on each teen’s needs and stage of development.
Families are essential partners in this process. From the first call through discharge and beyond, caregivers are actively involved through family therapy, education, and ongoing communication, strengthening relationships and equipping families with practical tools to support lasting progress at home.. Our goal is to provide a supportive space where teens can heal, grow, and develop the skills necessary for long-term stability and recovery.
Co-Occurring Disorders
At Muir Wood Teen, we treat mental health and substance use together, because separating them doesn’t reflect how teens actually heal. Substance use is often a coping response to underlying trauma or emotional pain, and lasting progress requires addressing both at the same time.
Each teen begins with a comprehensive assessment to understand the full clinical picture, including mental health, substance use, family dynamics, and emotional and behavioral needs.. From there, we create an individualized treatment plan that integrates evidence-based therapies and real-time support, ensuring care is coordinated, responsive, and tailored to each teen’s unique challenges.
Additional conditions we treat include:
Anxiety And Compulsive Disorders
Depression
Bi-Polar Disorder
Trauma and PTSD
Substance Use Disorder
ADHD
OCD
Disordered Eating
Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation
Throughout treatment, our multidisciplinary team closely monitors progress and adjusts care as needed to support stability and sustained improvement. This ongoing, responsive approach helps reduce relapse risk and equips teens with the skills they need to move forward with confidence after treatment.
Accreditations
Substance Use Treatment Options
At our teen treatment programs, recovery means more than abstaining—it means rebuilding a healthy foundation for the future. We treat both substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions together, helping teens find clarity, confidence, and purpose. Our multidisciplinary team works together to address substance use, co-occurring mental health needs, and the family systems that influence recovery.
We support teens with substance use concerns by addressing what’s beneath the behavior, including emotional health, relationships, and coping patterns. Examples include:
Alcohol
Teens explore how alcohol use affects judgment, mood, and peer relationships while practicing healthier ways to cope.
Marijuana
We help teens regain focus and motivation by addressing the cognitive and emotional effects of cannabis use.
Stimulants
Treatment supports the body and mind in reestablishing calm, rest, and consistency after stimulant-related burnout.
Opioids
Teens receive comprehensive clinical and therapeutic care, including round-the-clock supervision, to support safe recovery and emotional regulation.
Learn about Muir Wood
or contact our admissions team today.
Muir Wood Supports the Entire Family
Addiction affects the whole family; therefore, family support is essential when it comes to lasting recovery. Family support during initial intake and aftercare plays a vital role. Family members will participate in therapy sessions, receive updates on your teen’s progress, and develop communication and boundary skills at home. Participating in your teen’s care strengthens relationships, trust, and confidence.
As your teen transitions from alcohol treatment, we collaborate with external providers to ensure ongoing support. We offer a 16-week parent coaching program at no additional cost. Alumni support is community-based to help keep families engaged, connected, and informed. We aim to help parents and teens stay on the path toward healing and growth.