Clinical Services
Our therapists are intricately involved in each aspect of a student’s life at Black Mountain Academy. They work collaboratively with our academic and residential teams to ensure comprehensive support is being provided to each student. Therapists coordinate communication with students and their families, guide the Core Team on weekly treatment outcomes, and provide direct support to students to achieve their goals.
To ensure growth and success in each of our Six Core Competencies, our students meet with their therapist multiple times a week for individual, family, and group therapy sessions. Therapists also spend time in milieu to provide in vivo coaching aimed at problem-solving and emotional regulation.
Our clinical approach is to provide comprehensive and individualized support aimed at skills development in each of the Six Core Competencies. As a result of consistent clinical support, we see our students develop confidence, independence, and emotional regulation that bolsters their overall success.
Psychiatric Services
Dr. Gregory Narron works directly with our clinical team to provide expert psychiatric oversight and medication management for our students.
Dr. Narron has practiced in Asheville, NC for over 20 years. As a board certified psychiatrist with extensive training in child and adolescent psychiatry, he believes that mental health is the key to true health. Here is some additional information about Dr. Narron:
- Medical degree, East Carolina University School of Medicine
- Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Residency Training:
- General Surgery, Penn State University Hospital (3 years)
- General Psychiatry, University of Virginia Health System (2 years) Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, UNC Health Care (2 years)
Our therapists are fully invested in every aspect of our student’s lives. They are extremely passionate about helping young men recognize their potential and develop a greater sense of self. A key aspect of skill development is helping our students to manage the varying degrees of anxiety they experience on a daily basis. Our therapists use evidence-based practices as a foundation for intervention when teaching young men who are challenged by ADHD, Nonverbal Learning Disorder, or Autism. At Black Mountain Academy, we implement clinical best practices aimed at improving:
- Social Skills: We teach our students to evaluate concrete perspectives; appreciate the thoughts and feelings of others, and co-regulate through creative social problem-solving.
- Self-awareness and determination: We teach our students to set goals, evaluate their progress, change strategies when needed (adaptation), and to never give up.
- Self-regulation, emotional awareness, and flexibility: We teach our students to focus on things they can control and to practice coping skills that positively impact their situation.
- Initiation, executive function, and life skills: We teach our students how to appropriately initiate and monitor behaviors such as social interactions, emotion regulation, organization, independent life skills, and electronic use.
To ensure growth and success in these areas, our students meet with their therapist multiple times a week for individual, family, and group therapy sessions. Therapists spend time in classes, in the community, and other parts of our students’ daily life providing in vivo coaching in applicable areas of skills development. Our seamlessly integrated program allows for our dedicated staff to partner with students to generalize these skills across The Six Core Competencies that are essential for their confidence, independence, and success in life.
Click here to learn more about our 6 Core Competencies.