Lessons from Local Leaders:

Dr. Susan Rich

Dr. Susan Rich: Strengthening Mind, Body & Spirit for Neurodiverse Families—On a Healing Farm

Founder, Therapeutic & Learning Centers, PLLC | Child, Adolescent & Young Adult Psychiatry | Advocate for FASD Awareness

For Dr. Susan Rich, psychiatry is as much about environment as it is about evidence. Through Therapeutic & Learning Centers, PLLC, she helps children, teens, and young adults with ADHD, autism, FASD, trauma histories, and other neurodevelopmental differences discover their strengths and “superpowers.” Her practice sits on a working sanctuary—Dream Catcher Meadows—where rehomed and rescued animals become gentle partners in care.

A Scientist Turned Physician With a Mission

The first in her family to graduate college, Dr. Rich studied microbiology at NC State, worked in pharmaceutical research, and completed an MPH in Health Policy at UNC–Chapel Hill. A life-changing read—The Broken Cord—sparked a decades-long commitment to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) prevention and care.
She launched culturally sensitive education in Native communities, co-created Planning for the Seventh Generation, and later attended UNC School of Medicine. After psychiatry at Georgetown and a child & adolescent fellowship at Children’s National, she opened her private practice—ultimately bringing to life the farm-based healing model she envisioned in 2001.

Neurodiversity as Superpower

When the DSM reframed childhood “behavior disorders” as neurodevelopmental (2013), Dr. Rich was already there—coaching families to adapt environments and scaffold executive skills rather than pathologize identity.
Her approach:

• Reframe: Identify and build on deep interests (rocks, trains, dinosaurs) to channel focus and mastery.
• Structure: Label, ritualize, and practice habits (the “shoes go here” system) to strengthen executive function.
• Personalize: Use genetic, nutrient, and medication-response testing when appropriate to fine-tune care.
• Whole-Person Care: Her S.N.O.W.E. framework—Sleep, Nutrition, Oxygen (breath), Water, Exercise, plus Sunlight & Nature—grounds daily health.

Animal-Assisted, Nature-Anchored Therapy

On the farm, rehomed and recovering animals help kids with trauma, attachment challenges, and sensory needs co-regulate, build confidence, and practice connection. Grants and a state bond helped restore the property; today the meadows serve as both tranquil classroom and living lab for resilience.

Leading Voice on Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

A long-time advocate, Dr. Rich has pushed for accurate diagnosis (Neurodevelopmental Disorder Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure) and clear, responsible public health messaging. Her nonprofit’s “Better Safe Than Sorry” campaign emphasizes that alcohol and unprotected sex don’t mix—because exposure often occurs before pregnancy is recognized, and paternal alcohol use can impact sperm epigenetics for up to three months pre-conception. Her stance is firm: prevention requires honest warning labels, inclusive messaging (males and females), and policy that prioritizes consumer protection.

What’s Next: OM Space (One Health – Mindful Space)

Launching next: OM Space—a day program on the farm for twice-exceptional students (gifted + learning/attention differences). Blending accredited academics with animal care, restorative agriculture, mindfulness, and nature-based learning, OM Space also supports youth experiencing climate anxiety with practical pathways to hope and stewardship.

Therapeutic & Learning Centers, PLLC is Dr. Rich’s throughline: evidence-based psychiatry, rooted in compassion, expressed through community, animals, and the outdoors. It’s where young people learn that difference isn’t a deficit—it’s a design.

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