312: Healing Trauma in Adolescent Girls: How ROOTs Transition Blends Nature, Family, and Residential Care

What happens when a clinician decides that traditional residential treatment isn't enough for adolescent girls struggling with trauma? In this episode Will talks with Kami Black, founder of ROOTs Transition in Park City. Founded during the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic, ROOTs Transition was built around a bold idea: combine the healing power of nature, intensive family systems work, and trauma-informed residential care into one integrated model for adolescent girls ages 15–18. Kami shares how her own experiences, years in residential treatment, and deep commitment to trauma work shaped a program focused not just on behaviors like anxiety, eating disorders, substance use, and depression—but on the underlying developmental and relational trauma driving them. Throughout the conversation, Kami offers a thoughtful and nuanced look at how trauma actually develops in young people and why many traditional behavioral approaches can miss the deeper issues. She explains ROOTs' emphasis on family engagement, outdoor integration, emotional regulation, and helping girls reconnect with themselves in a culture increasingly shaped by social media pressure, comparison, and disconnection. This episode is especially valuable for parents, clinicians, educational consultants, and anyone interested in innovative approaches to helping adolescent girls heal from trauma while building resilience, self-worth, and healthier relationships. This podcast is supported by White Mountain Adventure Institute (wmai.org), offering adventure inspired retreats and coaching for men and facilitated by Will White.