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A Residential Treatment Program Designed for Teen Girls

Adolescent girls face a distinct set of pressures and vulnerabilities. The mental health challenges that bring girls into residential treatment—depression, anxiety, trauma, self-harm, suicidal ideation, substance use—often manifest differently in girls than in boys. Girls are more likely to internalize distress, turning pain inward through withdrawal, self-harm, disordered eating, or emotional shutdown. They navigate relational aggression, social media-driven comparison, body image pressure, and identity questions with an intensity that shapes how they experience themselves and the world around them.

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Teen girls outdoors together on the grounds of a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

In-Network With Most Commercial Insurers

Kaiser Permanente Anthem Blue Cross UnitedHealthcare Blue Shield of California Aetna Optum Cigna Simple Behavioral MHN, a Health Net company

*Please note that at this time, we are not in network with Medicaid/Medi-Cal

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Dr. Ian Wolds Psy.D.

Clinically reviewed by

Dr. Ian Wolds Psy.D.

Last reviewed on July 16, 2026

Teen girls together in a common room at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

At Muir Wood Teen Treatment, we recognize that effective treatment for teen girls requires more than a generic program with a girls’ wing. It requires a clinical environment where the social dynamics, therapeutic content, and peer community are structured specifically around how girls experience and express emotional distress—and where the developmental work of adolescence (identity formation, relational skills, autonomy, self-worth) can happen without the stressors and distractions that mixed-gender environments often introduce.

Our gender-organized residential program is designed with these realities in mind. Girls live and receive treatment alongside peers who share similar experiences, which allows for deeper therapeutic engagement, more authentic peer connection, and a level of emotional safety that many girls have not felt in a long time.

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.

Two teen girls talking together during a wellness session at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

For adolescent girls specifically, gender-organized programming creates a therapeutic space where girls can speak openly about trauma, relationships, body image, identity, and sexuality without the self-consciousness that often arises in mixed-gender groups. Peer relationships form more quickly and more authentically when social performance pressure is reduced. Girls who have experienced relational trauma, sexual trauma, or exploitation feel safer engaging in treatment when the environment is structured to prioritize their sense of security. Therapeutic content can be tailored to the specific clinical presentations common among adolescent girls—including internalized distress, self-harm patterns, relational dynamics, and identity development.

Teen girls talking outdoors at sunset on a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

Inclusive and Affirming Within a Gender-Organized Structure

Our residential campuses are organized by gender assigned at birth, while providing an inclusive, affirming environment for every teen. Many of the adolescents in our care identify as LGBTQ+, and our entire clinical and residential team is trained in inclusive, gender-affirming, trauma-informed care. We respect each teen’s pronouns, support their self-exploration, and create an environment where identity development is treated as a healthy and important part of adolescence—not something to manage or correct.

Adolescence is a time of identity formation. At Muir Wood, our goal is for every teen to feel good about who they are and to explore their identity in safe, supportive, and affirming ways. Gender-separate programming provides the structure; affirming care provides the warmth.

Edgewild (4) - girls - interior

When a Higher Level of Care Becomes Necessary

Signs Your Daughter May Need Residential Treatment

It can be difficult to know when typical adolescent struggles have crossed a line into something that requires professional intervention. For girls, the signs are often subtle at first—because many girls are skilled at masking their pain, maintaining surface-level functioning even as they deteriorate internally.

Signs that a higher level of care may be needed include:

Persistent sadness, withdrawal, or emotional shutdown that isn’t responding to outpatient support

Self-harm behaviors such as cutting, burning, or other forms of self-injury

Suicidal ideation or expressions of hopelessness about the future

Escalating anxiety that is interfering with school attendance, social engagement, or sleep

Substance use that has become a coping strategy for emotional pain

Disordered eating patterns driven by body image distress or emotional regulation difficulties

Social isolation—pulling away from friends, family, and activities she used to care about

Two teen girls walking and talking outdoors during a day in the life at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

When Outpatient Therapy Is No Longer Enough

Many families arrive at Muir Wood after months or years of outpatient therapy, medication adjustments, and school-based interventions that haven’t produced lasting improvement. That journey isn’t wasted—it’s important context that informs how we approach treatment. But when a girl’s symptoms are intensifying despite active outpatient support, when safety concerns are present, or when daily functioning has declined significantly, residential treatment provides the structured, immersive clinical environment that outpatient settings simply cannot offer.

Residential care is not a last resort. It’s the right level of care when the right level of care is needed. The earlier families reach out, the more effectively we can intervene before crisis patterns become entrenched.

I would love to see people getting help a little earlier. Intervening earlier can prevent a whole lot of unnecessary fallout.

Dr. Ian Wolds, PsyD

Chief Clinical Officer

Two teen girls smiling and working on an activity together indoors at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

Our Residential Treatment Program for Teen Girls

A Structured, Supportive Residential Environment

Muir Wood’s girls’ campuses operate on a hub-and-spoke model that mirrors healthy adolescent rhythms. During the day, girls spend time in a shared therapeutic campus—attending individual and group therapy, participating in our WASC-accredited academic program, and engaging in experiential and recreational activities. In the evening, they return to small, home-like residences where they process, decompress, and connect with peers and caring adults in a more intimate setting.

This balance of community and intimacy is intentional. The therapeutic campus provides structure, clinical programming, and peer engagement. The residential homes provide warmth, routine, and the kind of consistent, safe relationships that many girls in treatment have been missing. Recovery counselors are present around the clock—not as monitors, but as caring adults who offer real-time coaching, co-regulation, and support exactly when emotions rise, anxiety spikes, or overwhelm hits.

A teen girl spending time outdoors on the grounds of a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

Individualized Treatment Plans

No two girls arrive at Muir Wood with the same story. Treatment begins with a comprehensive, multidisciplinary assessment that evaluates each teen’s mental health, trauma history, substance use patterns, family dynamics, social functioning, identity development, and academic needs. From this assessment, our clinical team builds a treatment plan that is specific, purposeful, and responsive to the full picture of who this young person is and what she needs.

Our goal is always to understand the full picture—not just the symptoms, but the story behind them. That’s how we ensure treatment is truly personalized and effective for each teen we serve.

— Dr. Ian Wolds, PsyD, Chief Clinical Officer

Treatment plans evolve as girls progress. Our team reassesses regularly and adjusts as needed, because adolescents are constantly growing and changing—and the plan needs to keep pace.

Evidence-Based Treatment Model

Individual therapy.

One-on-one sessions with a primary therapist who also conducts family therapy—so the clinical picture stays unified. Individual therapy provides space for deeper processing of trauma, identity, relationship patterns, and the underlying emotional pain driving symptoms.

Group therapy and peer connection.

Therapist-led group sessions where girls build trust, practice communication, and develop coping skills through shared therapeutic experiences. For many girls, group therapy is the first time they feel genuinely understood by peers—and that experience of being seen and accepted can be transformative.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

DBT skills—distress tolerance, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness—are central to our program. These skills give girls concrete, practical tools for managing the intense emotions that often drive self-harm, substance use, and relational conflict.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

CBT helps girls identify and challenge the thought patterns that fuel anxiety, depression, and negative self-evaluation—including the distorted beliefs about themselves, their bodies, and their relationships that may have been building for years.

Experiential and recreational therapies.

Art, music, yoga, mindfulness, and outdoor activities provide alternative pathways for self-expression and emotional processing. For girls who struggle to verbalize their pain, experiential modalities often unlock what talk therapy alone cannot reach.

Medication management.

When medication is clinically appropriate, our board-certified adolescent psychiatrists provide careful evaluation and close monitoring—always in combination with therapy. Residential treatment is uniquely positioned to safely initiate or adjust medications and observe response in real time. We believe in using the least amount of medication necessary to support stability and functioning.

Teen girls seated together in a lounge at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

Mental Health Treatment for Teen Girls

Conditions We Treat

Our girls’ residential program treats the full range of adolescent mental health conditions, including depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder), trauma and PTSD (including complex trauma and adverse childhood experiences), suicidal ideation and self-harm, bipolar disorder, OCD and related conditions, emotional dysregulation, and identity and self-esteem concerns. Every condition is assessed and treated within the context of the whole teen—not as an isolated diagnosis.

Learn More About Conditions We Treat

Three teen girls walking together outdoors during a day in the life at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

Dual Diagnosis and Substance Use Support

Many teen girls who come to Muir Wood are managing mental health conditions alongside substance use—alcohol, marijuana, vaping, prescription misuse, or other substances used as attempts to cope with emotional pain. We treat substance use and mental health conditions simultaneously through an integrated model, because for adolescents, these challenges are almost always connected. Our approach addresses the underlying distress that drives substance use while building the self-regulation skills and healthier coping strategies that make lasting recovery possible.

Learn More About Dual Diagnosis

The Muir Wood Teen Difference

Our team partners closely with parents from day one with clear updates, a personalized plan, and real-world tools you can use between sessions, so your teen can move toward stability and lasting wellness alongside peers facing similar challenges.

Specialists in Adolescent Care

Everything we do is built for teens ages 12 to 17. Board-certified clinicians who focus exclusively on adolescent mental health and substance use deliver evidence-based, developmentally appropriate care.

Community and Connection

Therapist-led groups and daily peer interaction help teens feel understood. Connection with others facing similar challenges becomes a core part of the recovery process.

Primary Mental Health Plus Substance Use

Our trauma-informed approach treats substance use and the mental health conditions underneath it together, so teens heal deeply rather than trading one struggle for another.

Support for the Whole Family

Healing happens together. Families stay involved through therapy, education, and a 16-week aftercare coaching program that builds trust and stability long after treatment ends.

Care Covered by Insurance

We partner with most major insurers to remove financial barriers, so families can access high-quality, evidence-based treatment when it matters most.

Stay in School While Getting Support

Through our WASC-accredited academic program, students keep learning with personalized support, so treatment does not mean falling behind.

Continuum of Care

When a program is complete, we coordinate a thoughtful transition, collaborating with outpatient therapists, schools, and community providers to sustain progress.

Speak With a Teen Treatment Specialist

Connect with our admissions team today to learn how Muir Wood can support your family.

Call: 866-705-0828 Get Started
A teen girl focused on a creative activity during a day in the life at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

A Collaborative Treatment Team

Mental Health Professionals and Medical Providers

Every girl at Muir Wood is supported by a multidisciplinary team that works together daily. Board-certified adolescent psychiatrists oversee evaluation, stabilization, and medication management. Licensed therapists provide individual, group, and family therapy using evidence-based approaches. Recovery counselors serve as daily mentors, offering real-time coaching and support. Nurses ensure safety and provide integrated support for both emotional and physical well-being. Our academic team helps girls maintain educational continuity and rebuild academic confidence.

A family spending time outdoors together at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

Family Therapy and Ongoing Parent Support

Family involvement is a core component of treatment at Muir Wood—not an optional add-on. From the first week, families have access to weekly family therapy conducted by their daughter’s primary therapist, twice-weekly family classes led by our Director of Family Services, a weekly parent support group, and regular huddle calls with the treatment team for progress updates and aftercare planning. Our 16-week aftercare coaching program continues supporting families through the critical transition home.

The greatest impact we can have on a teen’s long-term recovery isn’t just what happens in individual therapy—it’s what happens in the family. When parents do their own healing work, they change the emotional environment the teen returns to. That’s where real, sustainable recovery happens.

Dr. David E. Smith

Chair, Addiction Medicine & MQAC, Muir Wood

Teen girls studying and talking in a bright residential lounge at a Muir Wood girls campus.

Daily Life in Residential Care

What a Typical Day Looks Like

A structured daily routine provides the predictability and safety that many girls in treatment need. Mornings begin with wellness check-ins and breakfast, followed by our academic program. Afternoons include individual and group therapy, experiential activities, and skill-building sessions. Evenings provide time for family phone calls, peer connection, journaling or quiet reflection, and healthy sleep routines. The consistency of the daily schedule helps girls feel grounded while the variety of therapeutic modalities keeps engagement high.

Teen girls walking outdoors with a therapy dog during a day in the life at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

Building Life Skills and Emotional Regulation

Beyond clinical therapy, treatment helps girls develop the practical skills they need for life after residential care:

Emotional regulation:

Managing intense feelings without resorting to self-harm, substance use, or avoidance.

Distress tolerance:

Learning to sit with difficult emotions in healthier ways.

Healthy relationships:

Building communication, boundary-setting, and trust with peers and adults.

Identity development:

Exploring who they are and who they want to become outside of their symptoms.

Self-esteem rebuilding:

Reconnecting with strengths, interests, and a sense of value that isn’t defined by appearance, achievement, or others’ approval.

Coping skills:

Concrete tools drawn from DBT, CBT, and ACT that girls can use in moments of activation long after treatment ends.

Trauma-Informed, Safe, and Inclusive Residential Care

Most girls who come to Muir Wood have experienced some form of adversity that shapes how they see themselves, relate to others, and respond to stress. What gets labeled as “defiance” or “shutting down” is often a protective response rooted in past pain. Our team is trained to recognize these patterns and respond in ways that support healing—creating emotional safety through predictable routines, clear expectations, and consistent relationships.

Trauma-informed care at Muir Wood means we always ask “what happened to you?” before “what’s wrong with you?” It means recognizing that resistance is often a form of self-protection. It means every member of our team—not just therapists—understands how trauma shows up in daily interactions and responds in ways that de-escalate rather than escalate distress. And it means that every teen, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or stage of self-discovery, receives care that affirms who they are.

Teen girls talking and connecting outdoors during a day in the life at a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

Transition and Long-Term Recovery

Personalized Aftercare Planning

Discharge planning begins at admission, not in the final days of treatment. Our clinical team works with each family and their existing providers to build a transition plan that is specific, realistic, and designed to sustain the progress made during residential care. This may include stepping down to Muir Wood’s intensive outpatient program, returning to an outpatient therapist in the home community, coordinating with schools for academic reintegration, and implementing the Family Agreement and co-regulation skills developed during treatment.

Families and teens together outdoors on the grounds of a Muir Wood girls residential campus.

Continuing Family Support

The transition home is one of the most vulnerable windows in recovery. Our 16-week aftercare coaching program provides structured weekly sessions that help families navigate the real-world challenges of reintegration—including how to respond when old patterns resurface, how to maintain the skills and communication strategies built during treatment, and how to rebuild when setbacks occur. Families can also continue participating in family therapy sessions and educational programming for up to a year after discharge, helping strengthen long-term stability for both teens and their families.

Your Daughter Deserves a Path to Healing

If your daughter is struggling with mental health challenges, self-harm, substance use, or a combination of issues that outpatient care hasn’t been able to address—compassionate, specialized help is available. Our admissions team can listen to what your family is going through, help you understand your options, and guide you toward the right level of care. There’s no pressure and no obligation—just an honest conversation about what your daughter needs right now.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the residential treatment program?

Residential treatment at Muir Wood typically ranges from 45 to 90 days, depending on the severity, complexity, and trajectory of each teen’s needs. Some girls benefit from a longer stay. Treatment length is determined collaboratively by the clinical team, the family, and the teen’s response to care.

What makes residential treatment different from inpatient hospitalization?

Inpatient hospitalization is designed for acute crisis stabilization—active suicidality, psychotic episodes, or severe safety concerns requiring immediate medical intervention. It is typically short-term. Residential treatment provides the sustained, structured therapeutic environment where deeper healing and skill-building happen after a crisis has been stabilized. At Muir Wood, girls receive 24/7 clinical support in a home-like setting, with daily therapy, academic programming, and family involvement—a level of immersive care that hospitalization does not provide.

What happens if my teen has self-harm behaviors?

Self-harm is one of the most common reasons families seek residential treatment for adolescent girls. Our clinical team has extensive experience working with self-harm—we assess the function of the behavior, address the underlying emotional pain, and help girls develop safer coping strategies through DBT skills, individual therapy, and the structured safety of the residential environment. Self-harm does not disqualify a teen from treatment; it is exactly what treatment is designed to address.

Do you treat eating disorders?

Muir Wood treats mild-to-moderate disordered eating patterns that co-occur with other mental health conditions. We do not provide primary eating disorder treatment requiring medical stabilization (such as severe anorexia nervosa with medical compromise). If a girl’s eating concerns require specialized medical intervention, we can help families identify appropriate resources and coordinate care.

Can my teen continue school during treatment?

Yes. Our WASC-accredited academic program provides personalized educational support so girls can stay current with their schoolwork during treatment. We coordinate with home schools, help with assignment management, and focus on building the executive functioning skills—planning, time management, and organization—that support academic success both during and after treatment.

How involved can parents be?

Very. Family involvement is a required component of treatment at Muir Wood. Families have access to weekly family therapy, twice-weekly family classes, a weekly parent support group, and regular progress updates from the treatment team. All family programming is available via Zoom for families who cannot attend in person. Our 16-week aftercare coaching program extends support well beyond discharge. We believe real, lasting change happens when the whole family is engaged.

Is the program inclusive of LGBTQ+ teens?

Absolutely. Our programs are gender-organized to create clarity, comfort, and safety in the healing environment. Within that structure, every teen—including those who are transgender, nonbinary, or questioning—receives individualized, affirming care from a team trained in inclusive, trauma-informed practice. We respect each teen’s pronouns, support their identity exploration, and ensure they feel seen and valued for who they are.

Does Muir Wood accept insurance?

Muir Wood is in-network with most major commercial insurance plans. We do not currently accept Medicaid or Medi-Cal. Our admissions team works directly with families to verify coverage, explain benefits, and navigate the authorization process. Verify your insurance online or call for a confidential benefits check.

Accreditations

*Please note that at this time, we are not in network with Medicaid/Medi-Cal

Teen Mood Disorder TreatmentGroup Therapy for TeensIntensive Outpatient Programs for TeensTeen Residential Treatment in California Covered by Cigna