SKYlights Open Sky Wilderness Therapy

It's a challenging time to be a kid and a challenging time to be a parent, and it's even more challenging to parent a child when there is conflict and discord in the parenting relationship.
In this episode of the SKYlights Podcast, Senior Clinical Therapist Kirsten Bolt, MED, LMFT helps us understand the effects of parent conflict on kids, provides tangible tips for families navigating co-parenting, and outlines what Open Sky can do to help both parents and children communicate more effectively and build stronger relationships.

The world is becoming more open when it comes to inclusivity surrounding gender and sexuality. At the same time, many young people in the LGBTQ+ community are still struggling with mental health issues; higher rates of suicide; and lack of acceptance among family, friends, and society. In this episode the SKYlights Podcast, Mariah Loftin, MA, LPC, Clinical Director and Senior Clinical Therapist, discusses why this issue is at the forefront of our minds, some sobering statistics that highlight the importance of providing support for LGBTQ+ individuals, challenges for family and friends, as well as how to create safe spaces for th LGBTQ+ community.

Disordered eating—different from eating disorders—is a condition we're seeing more and more often at Open Sky. While eating disorders may be more commonly understood in our society, disordered eating is less well known. In this episode of the SKYlights Podcast, Senior Clinical Therapist Kirsten Bolt, MED, LMFT helps us better understand this topic, especially as it relates to youth. Kirsten explores the rise of disordered eating; its impacts on physical, emotional, mental, and relational health; how she works with students to build awareness and create change; and what concerned parents can do to approach this topic with their children.

Open Sky works with many teens and young adults who may be resistant to traditional talk therapy. In this episode of SKYlights, Clinical Therapist Mark Sobel, LCSW discusses what treatment resistance means, how it shows up in the students he works with, the power of wilderness therapy to help young people heal and grow, and what parents can do to care for themselves while connecting with their children.

As early adolescents transition from childhood to adolescence, hormones emerge, body chemistry changes, and social and academic pressures increase.They might experience uncertainty about who they are and feel a natural desire to differentiate from their parents. Add the stressors of the modern world, and it's no wonder that so many early adolescents struggle to navigate the stage in their lives. In this episode of the SKYlights Podcast, Clinical Therapist Julia Lehr, MSSW, LCSW, AMFT discusses the unique needs of early adolescents, the pressures this population is under, her therapeutic approach, and how parents can cultivate greater connection with their children.

An athlete may be winning trophies and medals, but sometimes we don’t know that they can be losing a silent battle that they don’t even talk about. Some athletes live up to expectations placed by other people and get pressured to push harder or else everyone will be disappointed at them. But if they don’t prioritize their own mental health, how do we expect them to keep winning? In this episode, clinical therapist Chris Blankenship talks about the mental health challenges some athletes go through, the reason why some athletes decide to get treatment, and a message to the parents of athletes.