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A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER: SOMEONE IN YOUR CORNER
Come September, there is a lot of change at once. A new schedule, a new classroom, new friends to make, and all the pressure that comes along with the school year. That much change arriving together is a lot to carry, for kids and parents both.
In 20+ years of this work, I have noticed one thing over and over. The kids who handle it best are rarely the ones without worries. They are the ones who already have someone in their corner. Someone who knows them, who they can be honest with, who is there in October when something goes sideways, not only in a crisis.
That is what a therapeutic alliance really is. Not a weekly appointment. A relationship you build while things are calm so it holds when they are not.
So one piece of advice for the next two weeks: put your support in place before you need it, not after.
And if you would like that support to be us, we are here. You do not have to head into the year alone.
— Andrew Tepper
Founder, BODA Therapy
BODA RETREATS
At BODA, we go beyond the traditional weekly therapy session by creating immersive, nature-based experiences designed to support lasting change. BODA retreats are also designed to complement ongoing therapy, not replace it.
Upcoming Retreat Dates 2026:
- August 20–25
- September 9–14
- September 23–25
- October 5–9
- October 23–25
- November 12–15
- November 17–19
- December 13–16
- December 19–22
TOOL OF THE TRADE: COPE AHEAD
Therapy hands you a toolkit for hard moments, and this is one of the best tools in it for first-day nerves: Cope Ahead lets you walk into the moment you are dreading before it actually happens. It works because anxiety runs on the unknown, and this drags the moment out of the unknown column.
1. Name the exact moment. Not “school.” Try “walking into the cafeteria and not knowing where to sit.”
2. Name the feeling. “I’ll feel exposed for about a minute.” Naming it shrinks it.
3. Pick your move. One slow breath, a grounding phrase, a text to a friend beforehand, a specific table to aim for.
4. Rehearse it in first person, including the part where it goes sideways. The table is full. Then what? Practice the next move too. This is the step most people skip, and the one that keeps the plan from falling apart on contact.
Build the plan yourself. Whatever you are actually dreading is the exact thing to rehearse, so start there. A plan you came up with is one you will actually reach for.
By the first bell, you have already been there once. That is a real head start.
AT’S FINDS
Back-to-School Anxiety. Child Mind Institute on why “you’ll be fine” backfires, and what actually settles a kid who is dreading day one. Read Now
7 Ways to Ease Back-to-School Anxiety. A pediatrician’s practical checklist, plus how the warning signs look different in teens than in younger kids. Read Now
Back to School Sleep Tips. The National Sleep Foundation on why a rough first week is usually a body clock still stuck on summer, and how to reset it before the bell. Read Now
FEATURED CLIENT SUCCESS STORY: WHEN NOTHING HAD STUCK BEFORE
She came to us in college. The anxiety had started in high school and gotten louder since. Her parents had already found her three therapists over several years, and each one helped for a few days before old patterns closed back in. What was missing was not insight. It was anything holding the week together between sessions.
In the Accountability Program that meant regular sessions with Andrew, a WHOOP tracker so sleep and activity were visible instead of theoretical, coaches checking in outside business hours, and family sessions that changed how the three of them talked. She later joined a Catskills retreat and came home with peers she still talks to.
“I don’t think I’d be the person I am today without BODA. It really changed my life.”
“If you spend money on anything, spend it on this. It changed our daughter, and it changed us as a family.” (her parents)
She interviews for jobs now. She walks into rooms where she knows no one. Anxiety is something she manages rather than something that defines her.
Not every client’s path looks like this. But the piece she points to, accountability between sessions, is one we see matter often.
Read more from BODA families and clients →
IN THE NEWS
🌿 BODA Therapy in Barron's! On card collecting drifting into gambling-adjacent territory, Andrew’s take is that the hobby is not the problem, the constant “what’s it worth?” messaging is.
🌿 BODA Therapy in CNBC! After an APA poll found 54% of adults turn to TV when they feel lonely, Andrew drew the line between a quick reset and avoiding your life.
🌿 BODA Therapy and Andrew Tepper featured on Parents.com! Andrew on why parents should not write off the viral “flip the phone challenge.”
🌿 BODA Therapy featured in CNBC! Andrew on Character.AI barring under-18s from open-ended chats, and the risk of AI companions standing in for real human connection.
🌿 BODA Therapy was featured in The New York Times! How Andrew uses hiking, skiing, and campfire cooking to help young clients open up more naturally than they would in an office.
🌿 BODA Therapy featured on NBC News Now! BC’s Dr. Syal joins Andrew for a session on the trail, on skis, and around a campfire.
WHAT WE DO
BODA Therapy offers a new approach for preteens, adolescents, young adults, and families. Rooted in accessibility, engagement, and accountability, we facilitate experiential therapy and coaching through familiar, enjoyable activities that extend beyond traditional hour-long office sessions. We provide a structured accountability program to prevent backsliding and reinforce progress. We also design customized 3-to-5-night retreats in the Catskills, blending immersive outdoor experiences with therapy that is dynamic, meaningful, and often enjoyable.
My sessions with Andrew while skiing were among the most fruitful therapy sessions I've had.
There’s something about being in nature, having the space to move, reflect, and dig into issues that need solving while in such a beautiful environment that gave me the perspective I needed to get mentally unstuck. If you want high quality therapy while having an amazing time in the outdoors, Andrew’s your guy for sure.
-Robert
Giving our clients a comprehensive and accountable approach to therapy through immersive, non-disruptive, wrap-around experiences.
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2026© BODA THERAPY
All professional services will be rendered by the affiliate P.C. Corporation Fremont Road, P.C.