The Windhorse Team

What does a team actually look like?

They’re all different, but please read on for a snapshot of a typical team….

We frequently help someone move here from out of state, collaboratively working to establish a good home. The client lives in a local neighborhood, in a house or apartment, with a housemate who is part of the therapeutic team. Their relationship is similar to that of ordinary roommates. There are a number of clinicians on the team who spend time with the client on a regular basis, sometimes doing one or more “shifts” per day. This time is spent doing a variety of activities that promote a balanced life–from keeping the house in order to helping them be involved with interests and exercise—encouraging as much independence as possible.
These activities are elements of an individually tailored environment that helps the client live in an ordinary way with healthy relationships and meaningful pursuits. We encourage and support the client to be employed whenever possible, to see friends and family, to be part of the Windhorse community’s rich variety of activities, as well as engaging in the greater Boulder community. The client’s schedule includes meeting with a psychotherapist, also seeing a psychiatrist if medications are used.

Who is typically drawn to be a Windhorse client?

Our community has been an excellent fit for a very broad range of people.

• Some with lives that work well, but for whom a period of difficulty makes it necessary to have flexible, compassionate support.
• Others may feel more lost in more extreme difficulties, and need a more comprehensive approach to developing, or regaining, a life they feel good about.

While excelling in making therapeutic alliances with highly sensitive people, we are particularly helpful for complex types of life disruptions.

These can include conditions that would typically be diagnosed as:

• Psychotic disorders
• Mood disorders
• Personality disorders
• Autistic spectrum disorders
• Addictions
• Anxiety disorders
• Various kinds of trauma
• And co-occurring challenges, possibly with complicating physical problems.

How long does a team typically last?

• Whether short or long lived, we are constantly adjusting to the evolving needs of the client and family.
• Depending on the types of challenges that need to be addressed, a team may last as briefly as 6 months. But often, a therapeutic process will be eighteen months to two years. We also have teams that have an indefinite time path, lasting as many years as needed.