MOVING MOUNTAINS

Resources

Alumni Spotlight: Amelia Teta

Amelia Teta is from Boston and attended Mountain Valley in 2017. Teta was an active student-athlete at the rigorous Boston Latin School before suffering two concussions. After that, she struggled with anxiety and depression and ultimately received a diagnosis of OCD. When she felt like she was hitting rock bottom, her family found Mountain Valley. She successfully graduated the program, completed high school online, and will soon be a licensed occupational therapist focused on helping patients live to the fullest. 

What brought you to Mountain Valley?

When I started high school, my anxiety ramped up to the point where I felt like I was dying. I ended up faking more concussions to stay home from school and my parents enrolled me in two different day programs instead. The goal was for me to re-enroll in high school during eleventh grade but there was just no way, I was a disaster. I had my new OCD diagnosis that was barely managed through biweekly outpatient appointments. My family worked with an educational consultant who recommended Mountain Valley. My parents told me I got to make the decision—I knew it wasn’t going to be fun but that I had to do it. A week later, I was there with my bags.

Amelia Teta

What are you doing today? 

I just took my last final to complete my classroom work for my degree in occupational therapy. I got my bachelor’s degree in children, youth, and family studies at Lesley University, and I am finishing my master’s degree at the University of New England. Up next, I have two placements  in high school mental health and at an outpatient pediatric clinic.

When I attended Mountain Valley, the program didn’t have any occupational therapists on staff, and I didn’t really know anything about it. But I’ve always known I wanted to work in health, and one of my good friend’s moms is a physical therapist. She told me, “Amelia, I’ve known you since you were five. Go watch every video you can find about occupational therapy and tell me you don’t want to do that.” At Mountain Valley my biggest fear was suffering, and when I found out there was a job I could do to help people relieve any bit of suffering through things they love, that was life-changing. Occupational therapists can help people do anything they care about. 

How do you think Mountain Valley made a difference in your life? 

The question at Mountain Valley was always, “how are you going to build this worthwhile life?” It made sense in my brain and helped me have a checklist to stop the unorganized waves in my mind. My therapist told me, “You are here in this body, and you’re going to live your life. How are you going to make it so it’s worth the pain and suffering, and it’s worth it for you to do it?” 

So I focused on what I love and how I can achieve it, even if I can’t see straight and I’m depressed. Before I joined Mountain Valley, my OCD thoughts of “what if something bad happens” would keep me from doing what mattered. I decided that no matter when I die, I’ll do everything I can to help people around me, love them, and support them. Making that choice to fully engage in life is anxiety-provoking but it’s worth it for me to live out my values.  

What’s next for you? 

I have a fiancé and she’s been a huge support for me. She encouraged me to apply at the University of New England and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. If you had asked me three years ago if I could live away from home outside of my routine, it would have been my worst nightmare. She pushes me to travel and think outside the box. 

I think it would be cool to do some travel work as an occupational therapist, maybe in a high school or pediatric setting. The long-term goal is to work in perinatal health, from when someone gets pregnant to a year or two after their due date. As an OT, I can help work with them on building up confidence and good habits, go into the home and make their spaces more functional. After birth I get to hang out with the baby and do all the early intervention stuff that I love. That is the lifelong goal. 

Why do you think a family should choose Mountain Valley? 

It can be really scary think about dropping off your kid with a bunch of strangers, especially when it’s far away. But if it’s the best decision for your family and child, you know it in your gut. The joy I had doing the work was the most joy I’d experienced in a long time. It’s hard, it can be terrifying, and it works. 

MOVING MOUNTAINS

Resources

Staff Spotlight: Alison LaFollette

Clinical Expertise in Every Setting 

Mountain Valley’s Clinical Director, Alison LaFollette, PhD, traded testing in the deserts of Utah to directing a clinical team in the woods of New Hampshire. She arrived on campus a little over a year ago and works alongside an excellent team of clinicians and staff to further the development of the clinical program. Before she made the big move, Alison spent 10 years in Utah, primarily focusing on comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations with adolescents and young adults.

Alison LaFollette

What brought you to Mountain Valley?

“In my training I specialized in working with anxiety and depression in young adults. During my master’s program I worked at a career counseling center, and in my PhD program I worked in community mental health and a university counseling center. For my postdoctoral work, I was at a psychiatric inpatient hospital treating acute cases of anxiety, depression, mood disorders. After that, I taught for two years at a liberal arts college in Salt Lake City, teaching master’s level clinicians in the mental health counseling program. I left that position to begin my work in comprehensive evaluations at wilderness therapy programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and residential treatment centers.

All that experience gave me a lens for examining complex cases with many co-occurring disorders. You need to think critically and carefully about clients and what would be in their best clinical interest over time. I think that experience applies well to Mountain Valley. While we primarily treat OCD and anxiety, often that’s not the only thing happening for the clients coming in. They might have co-occurring depression, trauma, or be on the autism spectrum. The various experiences I have had help me think about the clients that come to Mountain Valley in a unique way. I can apply that experience in different evidence-based treatments in a variety of ways with our clients.”

What do you like best about working at Mountain Valley? 

The residents that come to the program. We have some really interesting conversations together in therapy, but also just casually in the community. Most of the residents who come to Mountain Valley are working hard to figure out how to improve their functioning in a variety of ways, and they have a nice openness to different techniques. I think that’s a fun part of the job—while our program is heavily influenced by exposure response prevention (ERP) we also dabble in different evidence-based practices, like cognitive behavioral therapy, and residents get to find different things that resonate with them.

Watching residents apply their new skills or have meaningful exposure experiences in real-time is definitely the best part of the job. A lot of times in outpatient therapy, because of the limited timeframe, you don’t always get to see that change happening right before your eyes. But at Mountain Valley, you get to see that change from the time of their intake to when they graduate.

What is a typical day like for you? 

A typical day is quite busy. In my role as clinical director, it means that I’m spending a lot of my day trying to support the therapists that are on my clinical team. That might be thinking about their case and how to proceed with it or engaging in case conceptualization. I coordinate with the residential director and meet with the executive director to determine how to improve our clinical programming. Sometimes I’m in therapy groups during the day with the clinicians, and generally I’m checking on the overall health of the residents that are in our care.

What do you think is the biggest misconception around OCD?

I think when a lot of people use the word OCD, they use it in a very casual way to describe being organized or liking things clean or wanting to do things in a specific way. It’s not that those things can’t be OCD, but when its’s talked about in the mainstream it often doesn’t take the diagnosis seriously. The level of OCD a person has can really impact everything from getting up in the morning to their relationships.

Another misconception that OCD is very visible, but often it’s not. A lot of times the compulsions are happening mentally, and that can make it hard to recognize. It might look like someone is trying to control things, and when they’re told to let go, that’s the thing they’re fearing the most. You have to target it in a specific way to help them realize what happens when they step outside of things that are in their control.

What’s your goal for a resident when they graduate from the program?

In my mind, it is an improvement in functioning and living in accordance with their values. Sometimes the resident can function to a degree and it’s only because of the way that they’re engaging with their OCD. It’s not really in line with their values. They can’t have the meaningful relationships they want, or pursue academics in the way that they want, or go about the day in a healthy way. My hope is that when they leave our care that they’ve learned enough skills and gone through enough exposure work that they can tolerate distress and move toward their goals.

What’s been the biggest surprise about moving to the East Coast?

Coming from Utah, the proximity to bodies of water. In Utah there’s the Great Salt Lake, which is large, but you can’t really use it for recreation. It’s been fun to be in the East where we’re close to rivers, swimming holes, lakes, and the ocean. That’s been a nice surprise and not something I really thought about when moving out here. It’s been fun to add that into the outdoor activities I enjoy.

MOVING MOUNTAINS

Resources

Meditation and Other Mindfulness Practices: How They Help Those Struggling with Anxiety

Mindfulness practices, particularly meditation for anxiety, have gained widespread recognition for their effectiveness in managing anxiety symptoms—a condition that affects millions worldwide. These practices are increasingly recommended by mental health professionals, including those at Mountain Valley Treatment Center, where mindfulness for anxiety relief is a component of the therapeutic approach. Clinicians at Mountain Valley may directly assign daily meditation practices to residents as part of their anxiety treatment plan, recognizing the powerful role these practices play in reducing anxiety and promoting emotional well-being.

Understanding Anxiety and the Role of Mindfulness

Anxiety disorders often manifest as excessive worry, fear, and a constant sense of unease, which can significantly interfere with daily life. For those struggling with anxiety, these feelings can be debilitating, making it challenging to focus on tasks, engage in social activities, or even rest. Mindfulness meditation for anxiety offers an effective countermeasure. By encouraging individuals to focus on the present moment without judgment, mindfulness techniques help create a sense of calm and balance. At Mountain Valley, clinicians often prescribe daily meditation for anxiety to help residents break the cycle of anxious thoughts. This structured practice allows residents to step back from their worries, observe their thoughts and feelings without becoming overwhelmed, and gradually regain control over their emotional responses.

Mindfulness meditation involves sitting in silence, focusing on the breath, and observing thoughts and emotions as they arise. For individuals with anxiety, this practice is transformative. It helps break the cycle of rumination, the repetitive, negative thinking that fuels anxiety. At Mountain Valley, residents may be guided through these meditation sessions by experienced clinicians who help them apply these techniques effectively. The practice teaches individuals to acknowledge their anxious thoughts and let them pass without attachment, a skill that can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms over time. This daily practice not only helps residents manage their anxiety during their stay but also equips them with tools they can use long after they leave.

Research-Backed Benefits of Mindfulness for Anxiety

The benefits of mindfulness meditation for anxiety are supported by extensive research. Studies have shown that regular practice can lead to structural changes in the brain, enhancing areas related to emotional regulation and reducing activity in the amygdala, the brain’s fear center (Siegel, 2007). This means that individuals who practice mindfulness meditation are better equipped to handle stress and respond to anxiety triggers more calmly and with greater resilience. At Mountain Valley, clinicians understand the importance of these findings and often incorporate mindfulness exercises for anxiety into the daily routines of residents to maximize these benefits. Additionally, mindfulness has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress while improving overall mental health and cognitive functioning (Moore & Malinowski, 2009). These benefits are often a key factor in the treatment plans developed by Mountain Valley clinicians, who tailor mindfulness practices to meet the specific needs of each resident.

Mindfulness Practices at Mountain Valley Treatment Center

At Mountain Valley, mindfulness is more than just a practice—it’s a way of life. The center integrates mindfulness meditation into various aspects of its program, providing residents with multiple opportunities to cultivate this skill. Whether through structured meditation sessions, yoga, or moments of reflection in nature, residents learn to harness the power of mindfulness to manage their anxiety and other mental health challenges. Clinicians may assign specific mindfulness exercises as daily practices, helping residents build consistency and discipline in their mindfulness routines. This consistent practice is crucial for individuals dealing with chronic anxiety, as it helps them develop a strong foundation for emotional regulation and stress management.

Farming, Animal Stewardship, and Mindfulness

In addition to traditional mindfulness practices, Mountain Valley incorporates farming and animal stewardship into its mindfulness program. These activities require residents to be fully present and engaged, reinforcing the mindfulness techniques for anxiety learned in meditation. Caring for animals and working the land provide a sense of purpose and grounding, which is particularly beneficial for those with anxiety. At Mountain Valley, residents may participate in these activities daily, guided by clinicians who emphasize the importance of mindfulness in every task. These hands-on experiences help residents connect with the present moment, reducing anxious thoughts and promoting emotional stability (Louv, 2008). This holistic approach not only supports the residents’ mental health but also fosters a deeper connection to the natural world, which can be profoundly healing.

Supporting Parents Through Mindfulness

Anxiety doesn’t just affect the individual—it impacts families as well. At Mountain Valley, we encourage parents to engage in mindfulness practices to manage their own stress and anxiety. By incorporating mindfulness into their lives, parents can better support their child’s journey through treatment. This holistic approach ensures that both residents and their families are equipped with the tools they need for long-term mental health and well-being (Davis and Hayes, 2011). Mountain Valley clinicians may offer guidance to parents on how to integrate mindfulness into their daily routines, providing them with the same benefits their children experience. This shared practice not only reduces stress for parents but also creates a more supportive and harmonious environment for the entire family.