Blog

For those of us who struggle with mental health, the winter holidays may be the hardest time of year. Mood and motivation can be low, while stress and expectations are high. Add to that the...

What is horticultural therapy? Horticultural therapy (HT) is an evidence-based therapeutic method that engages participants in growing and caring for plants as a structured, hands-on way to support mental health. Therapists who specialize in HT...

What is art therapy? Generally, it is art for therapeutic purposes. There’s an argument to be made that this applies to all art, but official art therapy usually takes place in a therapeutic setting with...

Smiling Depression, are you smiling on the outside but struggling on the inside? by Dr. William Anixter, MD, Psychiatrist at CooperRiis Originally published January 4, 2023 “People say I’m the life of the party ’cause I tell a joke...

What mental health recovery is and isn’t, and what it could look like for you. Key Points: By Kim Nelson, MA, with Becky Shipkosky Let’s say you’re a person with a mental health diagnosis—maybe it’s bipolar,...

By Laura Eshelman It may be astonishing to realize that the COVID-19 lockdowns are now just a little over five years behind us.  While the introduction of vaccines and boosters have somewhat diminished covid as...

By Laura Eshelman ‘Tis the season of forgotten New Year’s resolutions, when the bustle and energy of the holiday season gives way to the doldrums of mid-winter and a return to humdrum routines.  It tends...

By: Laura Eshelman The 16th century British playwright Thomas Dekker once wrote, “Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.”  Knowledge of sleep hygiene and its connection to wellbeing can be...

by Laura Eshelman Visitors and newcomers to CooperRiis’s campuses often notice details that differentiate residential life from other treatment programs, but there is one that consistently stands out: the food. The Kitchen Staff at CooperRiis are...

In a conversation with Lisbeth Riis Cooper, the word purpose comes up more than almost any other. It’s a word heard often around the 94-acre working farm in Mill Spring that makes up CooperRiis, a...

The following is a conversation with CooperRiis Chief Clinical Officer, Johnnie Featherston, about borderline personality disorder, the challenges of navigating it, and the significance of family support. Written by Laura Eshelman Laura:  What is BPD,...

Asheville’s Mayor Esther E. Manheimer proudly announces the May 20th, 2024 designation as CooperRiis Mental Health Awareness Day. This proclamation coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month and underscores the City’s commitment to promoting mental health...

By Laura Eshelman, MSW How often do you hear someone jokingly say, “That’s just my ADHD!” in response to moments of forgetfulness, meandering conversation, or otherwise getting off-task?  Whether we align with an ADHD diagnosis...

Asheville, NC-April 15th, 2024 (see newswire press release here) CooperRiis, a non-profit mental health treatment program, announces it is now in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina with two of its leading programs:...

In honor of World Mental Health Day in early October 2023, we hosted an important conversation with our Chief Clinical Officer, Johnnie Featherston, MA, LCMHC. The focus was on mental health as a basic human right. We hope...

An Interview with CooperRiis at Asheville’s Integrative Psychiatrist, Dr. Amy Zimmerman facilitated by professional writer Laura Eshelman, MSW. Image credit to Michael Fischer from pexels.com. In 2024, marijuana is now legal in two-thirds of the...

A piece by former employee Laura Eshleman, MSW As an MSW (Master of Social Work) I’ve heard folks in the field for years now speak about the ‘power of vulnerability’, and they usually have a...

By CooperRiis at Asheville Care Coordinator, Laura Eshelman, MSW Many mental health professionals regard dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as one of the most effective modalities for treating a wide range of mental health challenges, particularly...

In honor of World Mental Health Day in early October we hosted an important conversation with our Chief Clinical Officer, Johnnie Featherston, MA, LCMHC. The focus was on mental health as a basic human right. We hope you...

In honor of World Mental Health Day in early October we hosted an important conversation with our Chief Clinical Officer, Johnnie Featherston, MA, LCMHC. The focus was on mental health as a basic human right. We hope you...

‘…it was Kylie, my sister, who said ‘…you know, you’re going to kick yourself if you don’t try…’ She was the one who told me ‘…what you’re doing isn’t necessarily normal. You might think that...

“I love about what you guys are doing… I’ve been wanting to see if I can make this beautiful marriage between music and mental health… There’s so much overlap that exists there.” Eva Marie Vocalist/Eva...

In honor of World Mental Health Day in early October we hosted an important conversation with our Chief Clinical Officer, Johnnie Featherston, MA, LCMHC. The focus was on mental health as a basic human right. We hope you...

“…we’re focused on really getting to know the individual, what’s important to them, what are their values, what are their dreams and hopes, and that is the basis of the map for their time here.“...

“…In terms of the uniqueness of our kind of program and organization… I’ve seen a lot of models that talk about person centered care… and supporting the whole individual, but I’ve never been with an...

A message from our Chief Clinical Officer for the 20th anniversary — When I first came to CooperRiis, I knew I had stumbled upon something unique. I saw this special community of people deeply connected...

Join us in celebrating 20 years of RECOVERY CooperRiis 20th Anniversary A message from Marketing & Outreach Director, Kim Nelson I am honored to have “spread the good word” for almost seven years at CooperRiis...

CooperRiis Healing Community is proud to announce its CooperRiis at Asheville Residential Treatment Program is now in-network with Aetna Insurance. CooperRiis is looking forward to the ability to serve more adults seeking our holistic, person-centered, and strength-based treatment....

When I joined CooperRiis, I had some idea as to what to expect, but not the full picture. Almost four years later, I am proud to report the full picture of this Healing Community is one based...

A Message from our Founders Are we living the dream 20 years later? 2023 will be the year we celebrate 20 years of mental health recovery at CooperRiis. It seems like yesterday that we stood...

by Asheville Community Program’s Clinical Director, Lissa Carter MA, NCC, LCAS, LCMHC Decision making takes a tremendous amount of mental energy. Once a routine becomes habit, we no longer have to think about it.  This...

by Alison Hamrick, Autism Program Coordinator Examples of enhancements Features such as micro scheduling, visual supports, concrete language usage, and the integration of sensory diets, to name just a few, will all serve to support...

CooperRiis has been talking about intentionally serving people with autism/neurodiversity for nearly five years. What does intentionally mean? We have been serving people on the spectrum since we opened in 2003, but our mission is...

CooperRiis is pleased to welcome people with autism/neurodiversity at our Farm campus. This enhanced programming will specifically serve people who have mental health challenges that are considered the primary diagnosis and who are on the Autism Spectrum (High Functioning Autism and/or for people...

Markus Wulliman, HTR, is a horticultural therapist, and he has worked for CooperRiis since 2003 in various positions and now serves as the Community Work and Service Garden Crew Leader. After achieving a Bachelor of Science...

“At the start of my sophomore year, I felt off. I struggled to get myself to class and attend activities that I once found joy in. My depression, anxiety and paranoia had begun to take...

The dignity of Risk is defined as the legal right of all people, including people with disabilities, to have the freedom of choice to make decisions and take chances in the world that can lead...

Negative reviews; the problem is what to do with them? Those of us in the “census-driven” business are always worried about how many beds are full on any given day. The adage that says that...

At CooperRiis, we like to celebrate the success of our community members whenever we have the opportunity. Each week we host a “Community Meeting” where all residents and staff are encouraged to attend. At this...

With so much to be grateful for, we want to share the many joyous activities our Healing Communities have been enjoying this holiday season. Our staff continue to spare no effort in making our residents...

Happy Thanksgiving! We at CooperRiis find joy in focusing on not only what we are grateful for, but the fact that others are in turn grateful for us. Here we proudly share a story of recovery from...

With the opening of our CooperRiis at Asheville program, we are proud to offer a full continuum of care. Starting with short-term stabilization, with the ability to transition to a long-term work-based residential program or...

Getting to know CooperRiis at Asheville’s Doctor of Psychiatry, Dr. Amy Zimmerman Can you please give us some background on your education and more specifically why you entered this field? “I am board certified in Psychiatry....

Can you tell us about your upbringing and undergraduate experience? Where are you from? We’re curious about your fondness for the Appalachian Culture as well. I moved around a fair amount when I was a...

CooperRiis at Asheville to open September 1st, 2020 CooperRiis residential mental health treatment and healing community in Western North Carolina is pleased to introduce their new clinically intensive and insurance-driven CooperRiis at Asheville Program set...

Updated December 8, 2025 Our therapeutic farm in Mill Spring, NC and our residential program in Asheville offer LGBTQ mental health residential treatment that is safe, affirming, and whole-person-centered. We believe care that affirms the...

These past weeks have been a difficult time for all of us. Organizations and individuals worldwide are declaring their support for peaceful protests and marking this moment as an important opportunity to turn words into...

We recently had an opportunity to catch up with a former resident’s parents and they surprised us! Mark and Shannon Flanders graciously and proudly updated CooperRiis on their son, Henry Flanders’ success after leaving our...

Talking within our community about the concept of Recovery I have spent the past few weeks talking within our community about the concept of Recovery; its language, principles and belief systems. In addition to the...

Hope and healing happen at CooperRiis Opening hearts and minds is what we do at CooperRiis, a residential healing community in the mountains of Western North Carolina for adults living with mental health challenges.Through a...

Pat Dockendorf works at the Farm and has been a part of CooperRiis for many years.  CEO & President, Eric Levine and Pat spent some time together recently talking about the importance of the family...

Animals Transforming Lives The therapeutic power of animals helps transform lives every day at CooperRiis, a residential healing community in the mountains of Western North Carolina for adults living with mental health challenges. Residents come to our 94-acre farm...

The Healing Power of Farming at CooperRiis This time of year, the Farm Campus of CooperRiis — a residential healing community for adults struggling with mental illness — is really buzzing. Community Works Together Staff...

Dr. Eric A. Levine joined mental health healing community April 15, 2019   Dr. Eric A. Levine CooperRiis, a residential mental health treatment community in western North Carolina, is pleased to announce the appointment of...

CooperRiis Founders: Don Cooper and Lisbeth Riis Cooper Dear Friends, Thirteen years ago we started CooperRiis Healing Community because of our personal experience with the challenging mental health system.  We envisioned a place where an...

Dear Samantha, Dear Johnny, As I write, I’m imagining you in a dark space. You began college with hopes and dreams for the future, with an understanding about what you were going to study and...

A wonderful New York Times article illustrates something our country has never seen. A growing push that expands the range of options for mental health treatments and improves the ways to maximize recovery. Rather than...

A recent New York Times article described a new study that showed how a weekly routine of yoga and meditation may strengthen thinking skills and help fight age-related mental decline. The research focused on older...

CooperRiis is thrilled to announce the addition of integrative psychiatrist Ilona Csapo, MD to the Asheville campus at 85 Zillicoa Street in Asheville, North Carolina. Csapo (pronounced “Chapo”), as she prefers to be called, received...

Erin Walker, CooperRiis Recovery Coach Erin Walker, Recovery Coach in our Asheville Community Program (ACP), has been with CooperRiis for three years.   As a recovery coach, Erin is part of a team that supports residents...