Life After Treatment: A Space to Talk, Connect, and Grow
For Teen Girls & Young Women
Coming home after residential or wilderness can feel weird. Maybe you’ve changed, but everything else feels the same. Maybe you actually miss the structure, the people, or even the random inside jokes no one at home gets. Maybe you feel frustrated, like no one really understands what you went through. Or maybe you’re still carrying a lot of anger or confusion about your time away. Or maybe you just don’t know what’s next, and how to move forward from here.
One of the biggest surprises for many treatment graduates is how much they miss having a built-in community of people who truly understand them. That’s why we’re starting Post-Treatment Support Groups—a space designed specifically for young people stepping out of treatment and into their next chapter.
This is a space to connect, be real, and support each other. Here’s what we’ll do:
✨ Talk about the highs and lows of life after treatment—because no one else really gets it like you do.
💬 Share what’s coming up in your life and get advice from people who understand.
🔑 Figure out how to hold onto the changes you worked so hard for—without feeling stuck in “treatment mode.”
🧭 Guidance for navigating relationships, routines, and personal growth
🤝 An encouraging community to keep moving forward, set new goals, and build a meaningful life beyond treatment.
Each session will be a mix of real talk, group activities, and low-key discussions—designed to help you keep moving forward while staying connected to people who get it.
Why Join?
Coming back from treatment can feel like stepping into a world that doesn’t quite fit anymore. That’s why having a community matters. Connecting with people who actually get it can make all the difference—helping you stay grounded, supported, and moving forward. When we have people who truly get it, the journey feels less overwhelming—and a lot more possible.
A Low-Key, No-Pressure Beta Group 💡
This first round is a beta group—meaning it’s a bit of an experiment, but in the best way. We’re figuring this out together, shaping it based on what actually helps. We’ve heard from so many families and young people that they want this space, and I know I (Ciara) would have wanted this when I came home from treatment. So we’re creating it with you. Your thoughts and feedback will help make future groups even better for others going through the same thing.
We are currently in our beta group / first round! This group is running Feb 27 - April 3. Feel free to reach out to join us now, or share your details below to be notified when our next group is running!
When: Thursdays @ 5 PM MST / 7 PM EST (1.5 hours)
Where: Online—join from anywhere!
First Meeting: February 27th
Cost: $600 (Sliding scale available for those in need)
Meeting Dates: February 27th (Meet and Greet, Intro Meeting) March 6, March 13, March 20, March 27, April 3
*Meeting Dates for Current Group (Future group dates will be updated once scheduled.)
The Details
Meet Your Guides
I’m Ciara, and I know what it’s like to be the so-called “troubled teen” or “black sheep” (now I call myself the green sheep!). I went through all of it—therapy, meds, inpatient, wilderness, therapeutic boarding school. I know what it’s like to have a high school experience completely different from any of your peers — to go through the highs and lows of treatment, and then come home only to feel… lost.
I started Homing Instinct—to be the kind of support I wish I had. Think of me as a wise, older sister—someone who’s been through it, and who’s here to remind you that you’re not alone in this.
When I left treatment, I had zero road map. But over time, I figured out how to rebuild—how to reconnect with my family, find real friends, finish school, and land a job. It wasn’t easy, and I had to make my own way. Now, I want us to share and learn from each other so you don’t have to figure it all out alone.
The hope for this group is that it becomes a space where we can be real, support each other, and keep growing together.
Bio
Mentor for Teens and Founder of Homing Instinct
Wilderness Specialist at Project Avary, a summer camp and community for children of incarcerated parents
Responder with Concrn, compassionate response for behavioral and mental health crises in San Francisco
Worked at Meta (Facebook), Pandora, and Recharge
From San Francisco, living in Denver, CO!
I’m Erica. On the outside as a teen, I looked like I had it together—I was doing all the right things. But inside I was stuck. No matter what I did, I couldn’t shake the shame, the dread, the feeling that something just wasn’t clicking.
What changed everything for me? Community. Finding people who actually got it—who let me be real about the hard parts, who I could show up for, and who showed up for me. It made me realize I wasn’t as alone as I thought. My hope is that this space can hold all of it—the good, the hard, the in-between. That we can build something real together.
I can’t wait to see where this goes. 💛
Bio
Supervisor Support Specialist & Volunteer Coordinator at Family Promise, Inc
Behavioral Health Counselor at Eating Recovery Center
Clinical Intern, Addiction Counseling at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Medical Social Work Intern, at The Medical Center of Aurora
MSW Candidate at Metropolitan State University of Denver
From Seattle, living in Denver, CO!
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Right now, this group is completely online—we’ll meet on Zoom for our calls and stay connected through a group chat in between for check-ins, encouragement, and support.
But this is just the beginning! In the future, we hope to host in-person groups and retreats, creating even more ways to connect beyond the screen. Stay tuned!
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To begin, fill out the form below, and we will be in touch with information for next steps!
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So, we want to be super clear—this is NOT a therapy group. While this space is supportive and facilitated with care, it’s not a substitute for therapy, psychological counseling, or professional mental health treatment. Any guidance shared here is meant to offer connection and support, not medical or clinical advice.
If you need professional mental health or medical support, we strongly encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist or healthcare provider. We’re here to build community—but your well-being comes first.
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This group is for YOU. Everything shared in the group is 100% confidential and stays within the space we create together.
If your parent is signing you up, we might connect with them only for logistics (like scheduling) but that’s it. We’re not here to report back on what you share or update them on your personal experience.
This is your space—to be real, to connect, and to have a community that’s just for you.
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We want this group to feel close-knit, with everyone on the same page from the start, so we strongly encourage attending the first meeting. However, since this is a beta group, we're experimenting and seeing what works best!
If you're unable to make the first meeting but still want to participate, we're open to making it work. Please reach out and share a little about your situation, and we can determine together if joining late is a good fit!
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We are in the process of creating a group for teen boys and young men and have connected with potential facilitators. If you're interested, please share your details below, and we’ll notify you as soon as the group is ready to start.
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We want every teen and young adult to feel safe, supported, and in the space that best fits them. Trans and nonbinary teens are welcome to join the group where they feel most comfortable—whether that’s our group for girls and young women, our group for boys and young men, or another option in the future. This decision is entirely up to them. If you’d like to connect with us to discuss which group might be the best fit, we’re happy to chat.
FAQ
If you don’t see your question answered here, please reach out to welcome@hominginstinct.org, and we’ll be happy to provide more clarity!