Outpatient counseling and therapy for young people ages 9–24, available in Boise, Coeur d’Alene, and virtually across Idaho.
Outpatient therapy means your child comes in for regular sessions — typically once or twice a week — and then goes home. It’s designed for young people who are struggling but don’t need round-the-clock support. Sessions take place at one of our counseling centers or over secure video, and are tailored to each young person’s individual needs. Idaho Youth Ranch provides a variety of evidence-based therapeutic practices. Your child’s therapist will select based on what’s right for them — not a one-size-fits-all protocol.
9–24
Ages Served
~50 minutes
Session Length
Boise, CDA & Virtual
Locations
Our outpatient therapy program is designed for young people navigating a wide range of mental health and behavioral challenges. If you’ve noticed something has shifted with your child — and you’re not sure where to turn — we’re here to help you figure it out.
We accept referrals from schools, pediatricians, courts, and other care providers — and families can also reach out to us directly.
If your child is expressing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please don’t wait to finish this guide.
If you believe your child may be in immediate danger or experiencing a mental health crisis, please seek help right away.
Call 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or dial 911 for emergency assistance.
Starting therapy can feel daunting — especially when your family is already stretched thin. Here’s what actually happens when you reach out to us.
Contact us by phone or through our online form. A member of our intake team will get back to you — a real person, not an automated system — to answer your questions and walk you through what to expect.
Your family will go through an intake process to help us understand your child’s history, current challenges, and goals. This helps us match your child with the therapist who is the best fit for their needs.
The first few sessions are about building trust and getting to know your child. Our therapists are masters-educated and trained with specialized experience in youth and adolescent mental health.
Our Clinical Supervisor will work with your therapist to develop an individualized treatment plan. As a parent or caregiver you are an important part of the healing process — because healing doesn’t happen in isolation.
Treatment plans evolve. We regularly review progress and adjust the approach based on what’s working. Our goal is for every young person to leave our care stronger and more resilient than when they arrived.
Most clients attend one to two sessions per week. Frequency is adjusted based on individual needs and progress.
Individual and family sessions are approximately 50 minutes.
Every young person arrives with their own story. Our therapists draw from a range of evidence-based approaches because effective therapy meets young people where they are, not where a textbook says they should be. Trauma-informed care is woven throughout all of our work: every clinician, in every session, is trained to recognize and respond to the deep effects of trauma.
A structured, evidence-based approach that helps young people process traumatic experiences and develop healthier thought patterns and coping skills. Widely recognized as one of the most effective treatments for childhood trauma.
DBT helps young people build skills in four core areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Particularly effective for teens who experience intense emotions or engage in self-harming behaviors.
A research-supported therapy that helps the brain process and integrate traumatic memories. Available at select locations.
Many of the young people we work with carry experiences that shape how they see themselves and the world. Our entire team is trained in trauma-informed principles — meaning we understand that behaviors are often rooted in pain, and we respond with curiosity rather than judgment.
Family involvement is a core part of our approach. Parents and caregivers are included in treatment planning, and family therapy sessions are available at all locations. We believe healing happens best when families heal together.
Idaho Youth Ranch has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for its outpatient counseling and therapy centers — a symbol of quality and commitment to safe, effective patient care.
We offer outpatient therapy in two in-person locations across Idaho, plus virtual sessions available statewide. Choose the option that works best for your family.
We believe cost should never be the reason ayoung person doesn’t get the support they need. We work with families to makecare as accessible as possible.
We accept Idaho Medicaid.
We are in-network with many private insuranceproviders. Call us to verify your coverage before your first appointment.
No referral is required — families can reach out to us directly. We also accept referrals from schools, pediatricians, courts, and other community providers.
Answers to some of the questions families often ask when trying to understand these challenges.
No prior experience with horses is needed — and it's completely normal to feel nervous before a first session. What matters most is that equine therapy is clinically appropriate for your child's needs. Your therapist will help determine that during intake, and the first visit is designed to ease your child into the environment at their own pace.
No. Equine-assisted therapy at IYR is entirely groundwork-based. Clients do not ride, groom, or feed the animals. The therapeutic work happens through observation and interaction with the horses in their natural environment — guided by both a licensed therapist and a certified equine specialist.
Yes. Safety is built into every session. Clients stay on the ground — no riding — and all interaction happens within a structured, professionally managed environment. Our equine specialists are trained in animal safety and behavioral management, and sessions are always co-facilitated by a licensed therapist.
In equine therapy, the horse becomes part of the process. Horses are highly perceptive — they respond to the emotional state of the people around them, which can reveal patterns and feelings that are hard to access through conversation alone. For kids who struggle with traditional talk therapy, this can be a powerful alternative — or complement.
Both. Every IYR equine therapy session is co-facilitated by a licensed mental health therapist and a certified equine specialist. The therapist guides the clinical work; the equine specialist manages the horse interaction. It's a true partnership — and both professionals are present for every session.
We accept most Idaho Medicaid plans and are in-network with many private insurance providers. Coverage for equine therapy can vary by plan. The best next step is to call us or submit an inquiry — our intake team will help verify your coverage before you commit to anything.
Answers to the questions we hear most often:
