Ann Thompson, Author at Hopewell Therapeutic Farm

What Does Progress Look Like in Residential Mental Health Treatment?

Posted on September 2, 2026September 2, 2026 by Ann Thompson

When someone enters residential mental health treatment, one of the first questions families understandably ask is: “How will we know if treatment is working?”

Often, we look for the most visible signs of improvement. Is anxiety decreasing? Are obsessive thoughts becoming less disruptive? Is sleep improving? Is mood becoming more stable? These changes matter. But in residential mental health treatment, symptom reduction is only one part of a much larger picture of recovery.

Many individuals entering residential care have spent years developing ways of coping with distress. While these strategies may have once helped them survive difficult experiences, they can eventually interfere with relationships, independence, emotional regulation, identity, and the ability to participate fully in life. As a result, meaningful progress is not always reflected in a symptom score. In fact, there are times when therapeutic growth can initially feel uncomfortable. Avoidance may decrease before distress does.

A person with obsessive-compulsive disorder may begin resisting compulsions and experience increased anxiety as they practice tolerating uncertainty. Someone with a history of trauma may begin talking about experiences they have avoided for years. A person struggling with depression may begin expressing difficult emotions after a long period of feeling emotionally numb.

For families, these moments can be confusing. We naturally want the people we love to feel better. However, recovery is not only about eliminating uncomfortable emotions. It is also about developing the ability to experience those emotions without allowing them to determine every decision.

So, what else can progress look like?

Increased Psychological Flexibility

Instead of only asking, “Are they still anxious?” we might also ask: Can they move toward what matters even while feeling anxious? Are they having difficult conversations, trying new experiences, tolerating uncertainty, or making decisions based on their values rather than fear?

Improved Insight

Progress can mean developing a clearer understanding of emotional triggers, behavioral patterns, strengths, vulnerabilities, early warning signs, and personal values. Insight does not automatically create change, but it provides an important foundation for lasting growth.

Healthier Relationships

Residential treatment offers opportunities to practice relationships in real time. Asking for help, establishing boundaries, tolerating conflict without immediately withdrawing, accepting feedback, repairing interpersonal ruptures, and demonstrating empathy can all represent meaningful progress.

Greater Independence

Recovery also involves building confidence in managing everyday life. Depending on the individual, progress may include maintaining routines, managing appointments or medications, budgeting, completing activities of daily living, advocating for personal needs, solving problems, or making decisions with less reassurance from others.

Increased Engagement

Sometimes progress begins with simply showing up. Someone who once refused therapy begins participating. Someone who is regularly isolated joins peers for a meal or activity. Someone who avoided vulnerability begins sharing honestly in a group.

These moments may seem small, but choosing engagement despite discomfort can gradually reopen parts of life that mental health symptoms once made inaccessible.

Recovery rarely follows a straight line. There may be setbacks, plateaus, periods of significant growth, and discouraging weeks. Fluctuation does not automatically mean that progress has stopped. Learning new ways of responding to emotions, relationships, and everyday challenges takes repeated practice.

Ultimately, the goal of residential mental health treatment is not to create a life completely free from anxiety, sadness, uncertainty, or discomfort. It is to help individuals develop the skills, resilience, and confidence needed to navigate those experiences while continuing to build and live meaningful lives.

Sometimes the most important signs of recovery never appear on a symptom checklist: making a genuine friend, rediscovering a meaningful hobby, asking for help before reaching a crisis, setting a healthy boundary, or choosing courage over avoidance.

These moments can be difficult to measure—but they are often where lasting change begins.

Therapeutic Journaling: How Writing Can Support Mental Health

Posted on August 18, 2026August 18, 2026 by Ann Thompson

by Amber Thomas, LPC

Many people have kept a diary, recording their day-to-day lives without much exploration into the deeper parts of being. Therapeutic Journaling is the practice of setting aside time and mindfully exploring our emotions, traumas, and inner worlds using the Stream of Consciousness technique.

What is Stream of Consciousness?

Stream of Consciousness encourages the writer to put their thoughts, feelings, and ideas onto the page without judgement. The Hopewell therapeutic group, Writing to Heal, is based on the work of James W. Pennebaker, Ph.D., in his book Writing to Heal. Participants are provided with a safe space to explore these themes without fear of criticism from themselves or others. Writers are encouraged to keep their pen moving, journaling whatever thoughts come to them, even if they are writing “Why am I doing this? I don’t know what to say!”

The Challenge of Honesty

Pennebaker outlines ways for the writer to analyze their journals for self-judgments and censorship that may be getting in the way of true healing. Participants have noted the challenge of releasing these judgments and allowing their truth to come through. However, with consistent practice, they have gained insight and reflected on a variety of topics that they may not have otherwise explored.

Getting Started

Anyone can participate in this practice. All that is needed is a scheduled place and time where you will be able to focus on your writing without being easily disrupted or distracted. This may be your bedroom, an office, or wherever you feel safest and most comfortable. You may use any writing utensil and any scrap piece of paper or a journal you have historically had no reason to use.

Prompts to get you started:

What is something I want to prove to myself and why does it matter to me?
How do I listen to my body, and when do I tend to ignore it? What might shift if I responded with more trust?
How can I align my actions more clearly with my values during this time in my life?
Write from the perspective of your pet and how they view you and your current problem.
Develop an original character based on your current problem. What do they look and sound like? What things might they say? How do they act?

Writing can be a simple but powerful way to make space for reflection and self-discovery. At Hopewell, therapeutic journaling is one of many ways residents are encouraged to explore their experiences, build self-awareness, and support their mental health. Sometimes, healing begins simply by putting what we are feeling into words.

Why Structure and Routine Matter in Mental Health Recovery

Posted on July 31, 2026August 5, 2026 by Ann Thompson

Carl Vondracek, M.Ed., LPCC-S, Clinical Manager

“I feel stuck.”

Sometimes it’s anxiety that won’t quiet down. Other times it’s low energy, low motivation, or just the feeling that the days are all blending together. There’s rarely just one reason, but a common thread is the lack of structure or routine — and often, not much meaningful activity either. It’s not a complicated idea. But it matters more than people think.

Structure is just having a daily plan. Nothing elaborate — simply knowing what comes next. Without one, it’s easy to get lost. Sleep gets off track, meals get skipped, things pile up. And when you’re already feeling anxious or down, even small decisions can feel like a lot. A little structure helps. It gives you somewhere to start.

Routine is doing things consistently. Waking up around the same time, eating at regular intervals, having some kind of rhythm to the day. It doesn’t have to be rigid — it probably shouldn’t be. But a few consistent touchpoints can help your body and mind settle into something more predictable. Less like a strict schedule, more like a few habits you keep coming back to.

Then there’s meaningful activity— and this is the part that tends to get overlooked. It’s not about staying busy. It’s about doing things that feel worth doing. Something that gives you a sense of purpose, or connection, or even just the quiet satisfaction of having done something.

This also ties into trauma-informed care. Trauma affects how safe people feel, how they connect with others, how much control they feel over their own life. Having something meaningful to engage in helps rebuild a sense of direction — and confidence. It’s one of the ways people start to feel like themselves again.

What’s meaningful looks different for everyone. For some people it’s work or school or volunteering. For others it’s being outside, doing something, spending time with people they care about, or just getting on top of everyday responsibilities. It doesn’t have to be significant. Small things accumulate.

There’s a therapy approach called behavioral activation that’s built around this concept. The idea is straightforward: what you do affects how you feel. When people are struggling, they tend to pull back — cancel things, avoid tasks, isolate. And gradually, that makes things worse.

Behavioral activation works by flipping that cycle. Rather than waiting to feel ready, you start with something small. A walk around the block. An email you’ve been avoiding. A text to someone you’ve been meaning to reach out to. The mood shift tends to come after you get moving — not before. That’s hard to believe when you’re in it, but it holds up.

The difficult part is that when you feel low, everything in you wants to do less. To rest, avoid, wait it out. And sometimes that’s the right call. But when it becomes the pattern, it tends to dig the hole deeper — doing less, feeling worse, doing even less. Structure, routine, and activity can help interrupt that. Not dramatically. Just steadily, over time.

Start small. Pick one or two things. Get up at the same time. Go outside for a few minutes. Take one task you’ve been dreading and break it into smaller steps. You don’t need a full plan — just the next step.

If it still feels hard, that’s not a sign you’re doing it wrong. It might just mean you need some support. A therapist, a friend, someone who can check in and help keep you honest.

This isn’t a quick fix. But it’s real, and it works. And over time, the days can start to feel a little more like yours again.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOPEWELL

Why Development Matters in Young Adult Mental Health Recovery

Posted on July 23, 2026August 5, 2026 by Ann Thompson

By Sami Petty, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Consulting Nurse Practitioner

We treat young adults as if they are fully formed adults. Developmentally, they are not, and that misunderstanding can derail mental health residential treatment before it even begins.

Language Matters

Clarifying the difference between “young adults” and “emerging adults” is an important foundation. Young adulthood, generally ages 18–29, is a stage of life when people are taking on new social roles, jobs, education, relationships, and independent living, while still developing the emotional regulation, identity clarity, and life skills needed to manage those transitions. Emerging adulthood, a term introduced by developmental psychologist Jeffrey Arnett, describes a distinct stage between adolescence and full adulthood. It is characterized by identity exploration, instability, self‑focus, and ongoing transition. Emerging adulthood offers a lens that highlights a psychological and developmental process, not just an age range.

Developmental Context

From 2019 to 2023, the percentage of adults receiving mental health treatment increased from 19.2% to 23.9%, with a similar upward trend among adults aged 18–44, the core young adult population (CDC). This matters because these individuals are our future professionals, tradespeople, and leaders. Investing in their well-being is a wise investment and being fully informed before forming opinions helps us see beyond assumptions that they are unmotivated, they have potential that deserves attention and understanding.

Development provides the context that makes treatment effective, or, if ignored, can cause it to fail. When treatment overlooks developmental factors, it risks misreading symptoms, mislabeling behaviors, and misjudging readiness. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use often manifest as avoidance, withdrawal, impulsivity, identity confusion, and relational instability. These behaviors are not merely “symptoms”; they are developmental signals. Recognizing this layer allows families, clinicians, and program staff to interpret behavior more accurately and respond in ways that truly support growth and recovery.

What Now?

Emerging adulthood is a critical period of identity formation, brain maturation, and growing independence. Mental health challenges during this stage can disrupt these developmental tasks, making timely and developmentally informed interventions essential. The brain is still maturing, identity is still forming, and independence is uneven, which intensifies the impact of mental health struggles.

Many young adults in residential treatment exhibit stalled identity development, poor emotional regulation, limited life skills, disrupted attachment patterns, and difficulty tolerating stress or uncertainty. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with them?” the more productive question becomes, “Which developmental needs have not been met yet?” Residential treatment can address these needs by providing structure, relational consistency, skill building, opportunities for autonomy, and real-time feedback, the very conditions that foster developmental growth.

When programs fail to meet emerging adults where they are developmentally, treating 18-year-olds like 30-year-olds, the results are predictable: poor engagement, early dropout, relapse, family conflict, and stalled progress. Conversely, residential treatment that intentionally supports development can be transformative, helping young adults not only stabilize but grow, learn, and thrive.

What You Can Do

Young adults are not fully formed – they are emerging adults. Their brains, identities, and coping systems are still developing, shaping how they experience symptoms and respond to treatment. Many mental health struggles are driven by developmental gaps; what looks like resistance, avoidance, or instability often reflects unfinished developmental tasks rather than a lack of motivation. Residential treatment is most effective when it supports development, not just symptoms. Programs that combine structure, autonomy building, and relational consistency foster deeper, more sustainable recovery.

If you are supporting a young adult, remember development isn’t separate from mental health, it drives it. By shifting our perspective to meet emerging adults where they are, we can transform challenges into growth and change outcomes for the better.

2025 Annual Report

Posted on July 6, 2026July 6, 2026 by Ann Thompson

Thank you for making hope possible. Because of your generosity, Hopewell continues to ensure that financial circumstances are never a barrier to care. In 2025, 72% of our residents received financial assistance, allowing individuals living with serious mental illness to access the healing community they deserve. Together, we are transforming lives and creating a future filled with hope.

A Guide to Executive Functioning : What it is and Why it Matters

Posted on July 1, 2026August 5, 2026 by Ann Thompson

By Amber Thomas, LPC, Clinician

How many times have you looked at your to-do list for the day and felt a sense of defeat and dread, paralyzed by the idea of needing to complete them and anxious of the consequences if they do not get done. You do not have a character flaw, and you are not “lazy.” You are likely experiencing Executive Dysfunction.

What is Executive Functioning?

Executive Functioning is the set of cognitive processes that help us manage our day-to-day lives and achieve goals. Think of your brain like a busy airport. You have planes (thoughts), passengers (tasks), and runways (actions). Executive Functioning is the Air Traffic Control tower. It is the set of mental skills that helps you manage time, pay attention, and switch focus. When the tower is understaffed or overwhelmed, the planes circle indefinitely, and nothing lands.

Three Important Executive Functioning Skills

Working Memory: This is your brain’s “post-it note.” You have likely experienced walking into a room and immediately forgetting why you are there. This is a short circuit in your working memory.
Inhibitory Control: This skill helps you filter and resist urges. Inhibitory Control helps you to stop scrolling online and instead prep for an important meeting.
Cognitive Flexibility: This is your ability to adapt to change and routines. When Cognitive Flexibility is working, you can see that your gym is closed and easily create a new plan.

Building New Systems

As frustrating as Executive Dysfunction can be, there is hope. Here are some skills to test and see if they work well for you:

Externalize Everything: Create a physical calendar or a to-do list. We cannot always trust our brains to remember everything that we need to know.
5-Minute Rule: Try not to let tasks pile up. If you estimate that a task will take less than 5 minutes, do it right away. A good example of this is taking out the trash.
Body Doubling: Some tasks that we need to accomplish are just boring. Call on the help of a friend to talk with you on the phone or come to your home and sit with you while you work through that task. Being in the presence of someone else can “trick” your brain into focusing.
Break Down Steps: Break down a task into incredibly small tasks. For example: rather than “clean the kitchen” you can say, “wash the forks.” Usually once you get started, the momentum will carry you through the rest of the greater task.

The Bottom Line

Executive Functioning struggles are not a reflection of your intelligence or potential. They are simply a set of skills that sometimes require a little extra support. Be patient with yourself – you are doing better than you think.

How Family Can Support a Loved One During Residential Treatment

Posted on June 11, 2026July 1, 2026 by Ann Thompson

Nicole Holmes, LISW-S, Assistant Clinical Director, Clinician

When someone you care about enters residential mental health treatment, you often experience a complicated mix of emotions — relief, fear, uncertainty, hope, and exhaustion. While residential programs provide therapy, structure, and clinical support, family involvement remains one of the most important components of long-term recovery.

At Hopewell, healing happens within a therapeutic community built on connection, responsibility, and personal growth. Families are an essential part of that process and understanding how to provide healthy support can make a meaningful difference for everyone involved.

What You Should Do for Your Loved One

One of the most important things families can offer during residential treatment is support. While it is natural to want constant updates, recovery often requires residents to fully engage in the structure and relationships within the therapeutic community. Giving your loved one the space to connect with the program, their peers, and their treatment team allows them to develop greater independence and confidence in their own recovery. This may mean limiting excessive phone calls, visits, or attempts to “rescue” them from difficult emotions. A therapeutic community is designed to help individuals learn how to tolerate discomfort, practice coping skills, and build healthier routines within a supportive environment.

Healthy boundaries are also essential. Many families living with mental illness have spent years operating in crisis mode, which can sometimes lead to patterns of overprotecting, enabling, or taking on responsibilities that belong to their loved one. Boundaries are not about withholding love — they are about creating healthy expectations, accountability, and emotional safety for everyone involved.

Families can also provide encouragement through thoughtful gestures that help residents feel supported without disrupting treatment. Letters, cards, care packages, family photos, favorite snacks, or small comfort items can provide reassurance during difficult moments. Often, simple messages such as “We are proud of you” or “Keep going” carry tremendous meaning.

What You Should Expect from the Residential Facility

Residential treatment programs should view families as important partners in the recovery process. Families should expect regular and appropriate communication with the treatment team regarding progress, concerns, goals, and recommendations for ongoing support. While confidentiality and resident privacy are important, families should feel included and informed about how they can best support recovery. Programs that emphasize therapeutic community often encourage residents to build relationships, participate in responsibilities, and engage meaningfully with daily life within the program.

In addition, families should expect opportunities to participate in family therapy or family education sessions when clinically appropriate. Mental illness impacts the entire family system, and healing often requires improved communication, greater understanding, and healthier relational patterns. Family sessions can help loved ones process difficult emotions, rebuild trust, and learn practical tools for supporting recovery after discharge.

Residential programs should also encourage honesty, collaboration, and realistic expectations. Recovery is rarely linear, and there may be setbacks along the way. Treatment teams should help families understand the recovery process while reinforcing hope and long-term growth.

What You Should Do for Yourself

Supporting a loved one with a major mental illness can be emotionally overwhelming. Families often spend so much time focusing on the needs of their loved one that they neglect their own emotional wellbeing. It is important for you to seek support for yourself as well. There is often a great benefit for family members in finding their own individual therapist who can provide guidance, assist in setting boundaries and untangling responsibilities all while providing emotional support through this journey.

Taking care of yourself is not selfish. In fact, maintaining your own emotional health often allows you to provide more stable and sustainable support over time. Additionally, you might consider joining a support group for family members of individuals struggling with a mental illness.

Recovery affects the entire family, and healing often happens together. By supporting your loved one with patience, healthy boundaries, and encouragement — while also caring for yourself — families can play a powerful role in creating lasting recovery and hope for the future.

The Healing Power of Nature and Ecotherapy

Posted on May 27, 2026May 28, 2026 by Ann Thompson

By Annie Melinz, LPC —

When you imagine a perfect, warm, peaceful summer day, what comes to mind?

Perhaps it’s the feel of the sun on your skin, the smell of freshly cut grass, the call of a mourning dove or red-winged blackbird, the gentle sound of a babbling creek, a soft breeze, or even the laughter of loved ones nearby.

Notice how these quintessential elements of summer are rooted in nature’s sounds, scents, and sensations. Spending time in nature and appreciating its simple pleasures is not only restorative—it is profoundly healing and regulating for the human nervous system.

Ecotherapy is a practice grounded in the belief that intentional time in nature, paired with mindful awareness, supports emotional regulation and promotes overall well-being.

It has been shown to support both mental and physical health, promote social connection, and reduce stress. Rather than focusing solely on problems or symptoms, ecotherapy emphasizes the relationship people have with the natural world, fostering feelings of safety, security, and mindful awareness.

At Hopewell, an intentional lifestyle that encourages connection to nature is woven into our daily routine. Residents are encouraged to set aside screens and cell phones during program hours (9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.) and engage in a variety of offerings. These include farm chores, gardening, daily nature hikes, equine‑assisted learning, birdwatching, art therapy, music therapy, as well as more traditional therapeutic approaches.

Some residents find the face-to-face setting in an office to be a barrier to participating in therapy. Clinicians have found that a walk in nature can help even the most reticent resident open up.

Staff, residents, families, and visitors often share that time spent on the farm brings a renewed appreciation for a slower pace of life, one rooted in being outdoors and taking in the beauty of the Hopewell landscape.

I invite you, the reader, to set aside some time this week to prioritize a mindful connection with nature. This might look like taking a walk outdoors without the company of your phone or sitting outside while enjoying your morning cup of coffee and listening to the birds—maybe even trying to identify which ones you hear. Your senses will come alive as you slow down for a few minutes and add a new dimension to your day. Try it. Ecotherapy can be as simple as that.

Residential Treatment vs Partial Hospitalization Programs: Which is Better for you?

Posted on May 15, 2026May 28, 2026 by Ann Thompson

By Nicole Holmes, LISW-S, Assistant Clinical Director, Clinician ––

When symptoms of a mental illness start to interfere with daily life, figuring out what level of care is needed can be challenging. Two common options for treatment include residential treatment and partial hospitalization programs (PHP). Both offer meaningful support, but they serve different purposes and knowing what is right can be confusing. For many individuals, especially those experiencing more complex or persistent symptoms, residential treatment can provide a stronger foundation for recovery. Understanding the difference between the two is the first step in being able to make an informed decision about what is right for you or your loved one.

What is Residential Treatment?

Residential treatment involves living full-time in a therapeutic setting with 24/7 support amongst others experiencing similar issues. This level of care is designed to provide structure, consistency, continual clinical oversight, and peer support. When someone is experiencing the symptoms of a major mental illness like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, PTSD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, all aspects of life can feel overwhelming and emotionally draining. Residential care offers a safe and accepting environment where routines can be established and therapeutic interventions can be delivered consistently throughout the day. This immersive setting reduces external stressors and allows individuals to fully focus on their recovery without the noise of outside life filtering in. Rather than trying to manage symptoms while navigating daily demands, clients can step into a space where healing is the primary focus.

What is a Partial Hospitalization Program?

Partial hospitalization programs provide structured, intensive treatment during the day while allowing individuals to return home in the evenings. A PHP will often run for the majority of the day engaging individuals in group and individual therapy and can be a helpful option for those who are stable enough to function at home but still need significant support. A PHP offers the advantage of practicing skills in real-world environments. However, it also relies heavily on the individual to have insight into the need for treatment and to be able to maintain stability in their home life.

Why Residential Treatment Can Provide a Stronger Starting Point

While both levels of care are important, residential treatment is often the more appropriate starting place when symptoms significantly impact functioning, insight is limited, or daily routines have broken down. Healing from serious mental health conditions often requires feeling support while engaging in daily activities in a structured manner over a long period of time. In a residential setting like Hopewell, therapeutic support is not limited to a few hours a day – it is woven into many aspects of daily living. Meals, activities, relationships, and routines all become part of the therapeutic community treatment process.

At Hopewell Therapeutic Community, we believe that healing happens through connection and meaningful work. Individuals are not isolated in their experience – they live alongside others who are also working toward recovery. Residential treatment, when done within a therapeutic community-based model, offers more than just stabilization. It provides opportunities to engage in purposeful activities, build relationships, create personal connections, and develop a sense of belonging within a supportive environment. This approach can be especially impactful for those struggling with how to cope with their mental illness, helping them rebuild confidence and a sense of identity beyond their diagnosis.

Both residential treatment and partial hospitalization play important roles in the continuum of care. But for many individuals, particularly those navigating complex conditions, residential treatment offers the depth, structure, and community needed to create meaningful and lasting change.

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What is Executive Functioning?

Three Important Executive Functioning Skills

Building New Systems

The Bottom Line