Our Experienced Team

Dr. Andrew Sapp is the Founder of Cherry Gulch.
He has extensive experience working with children and adolescents in the fields of mental health and psychology. Dr. Sapp earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University. He also graduated with honors from Oregon State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
In the early stages of his career, Dr. Sapp was a Field Supervisor and Therapist at a therapeutic wilderness program. He also served as the the lead therapist on the adolescent unit of an inpatient psychiatric hospital, and then worked as a therapist at a group home for foster boys where he did family preservation work. He also worked as a therapist at two community mental health clinics, a community college, an elementary school, and a youth correctional facility. Andrew is a veteran and honorably served as a Naval Lieutenant stationed at a Naval Medical Center where he worked as a therapist.

Dr. Sapp has served on the Government Relations Committee for the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) and a committee that wrote best practice guidelines for small therapeutic programs, much of which was later incorporated into NATSAP’s best practice guidelines for members. He has also been honored to present at a number of national and regional conferences.

Dr. Sapp has worked with patients ranging from 4 to 80 years of age and truly understands psychology and human development. He believes that therapeutic intervention can prevent a child from jeopardizing their future. He truly believes that to reach adolescents, one’s therapeutic interventions must be supportive, creative, and engaging. He is an expert in working with adolescent boys and at using the natural environment and everyday activities to create positive change in a child’s life. He is a firm believer in the power of outdoor experiential activities, adventures, and animals to aid in the healing process. He also believes that to effect lasting change in an adolescent, a holistic (mind, body, and spirit) approach is necessary.

Cherry Gulch is arguably the best therapeutic boarding school in the world for the population of middle school boys they specialize in. Dr. Sapp and his team started the school from nothing but dirt and sage brush and Cherry Gulch is now the largest private employer in Gem County. Cherry Gulch has been honored by the Idaho Psychological Association as the “Overall most psychologically healthy workplace” in the State and by the Idaho Business Review as “One of the best places to work” in the State. Cherry Gulch has also been selected numerous times for National recognition for “Excellence in Education.” In 2011, the Idaho Business Review selected Dr. Sapp as one of the top 40 “Accomplished Under 40” professionals in the State.

Dr. Sapp has worked very hard to overcome his own undiagnosed learning disabilities. He is deeply passionate about helping boys who struggle academically because of his own personal challenges throughout his academic career. He believes that these challenges have helped him become more determined to reach his goals. By far his greatest professional accomplishment has been starting Cherry Gulch and serving the many students and families that have benefited from this life-changing program. His greatest joy is spending time with his three precious little girls and his wonderful wife, Christina.

Kahn first joined the Cherry Gulch team in 2009, and has filled many different roles throughout the years. He received his Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boise State University and is a big Broncos fan! His decision to pursue a career serving youth came early on in college and he has never looked back. He has experience in multiple youth residential settings, but has settled at Cherry Gulch due to the effectiveness of the program and the awesome team that we have here. One of Kahn’s favorite parts of being at Cherry Gulch is keeping in touch with Alumni students and hearing about all of the incredible things they are accomplishing. When not at work, he loves to take advantage of all that Idaho has to offer with his wife and children. Dirt biking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, and hunting are regular past times. He lives in a little town of roughly 300 people, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Katie is a licensed clinician with a M.A. from Boise State University. She is the Executive Director of Cherry Gulch. She has been with CG since 2015 and has served as a therapist and Clinical Director. Previously she has worked with children, adolescents and their families in multiple settings including hospitals, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, outpatient clinics and schools. She is a registered supervisor with the state of Idaho and enjoys providing supervision for master’s level clinicians seeking clinical licensure as well as interns working on their LSW or LMSW degrees. Her therapeutic focus is in Trauma Informed Care, Social Thinking, and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT).

Katie is an Idaho native but lived in Minnesota for 4 years to complete her undergraduate studies and participate in collegiate softball. In 2008 she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work with minors in Psychology and Health Care from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. She earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Boise State University in 2009, during which time she completed an internship with Cherry Gulch. In Katie’s time away from work she enjoys activities with her husband and family in the outdoors. She actively enjoys hiking, softball, fishing and hunting.

Dr. Si Steinberg, affectionately called Dr. Si by his patients and staff, is a Double Board-Certified Child Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist. He has been working with individuals and families for over thirty years. His philosophy with regards to prescribing medications is that medicine is merely the lubricant to grease the wheels of the machinery of therapy and living fully. Rarely is medication the center or primary component of an individual’s treatment. Dr. Si strives to be as minimalistic as possible with medication interventions and encourages the resolution of underlying causes and conditions prior to jumping to conclusions about diagnoses and medication treatment regimens.
Dr. Si lives with his wife Kim and their two golden doodles Sammy and Nala. They all like to travel, hike, bike, Nordic ski, canoe, and sail. Dr. Si is also a musician and plays many instruments by ear, though he trained on piano and oboe as a child.

Krista comes to Cherry Gulch following 18 years in healthcare. She has worked primarily as a nurse in the largest trauma hospital in Idaho on the Neurological and Rehabilitation floors, with a specialty in brain and spinal cord injuries. She also spent some time as a physician recruiter and in an assistive living center for seniors. Krista’s priority in life has been raising her three very active sons. She is passionate about boys, their physical and emotional development, and their growth as young men.

Melissa joined Cherry Gulch following 17 years of teaching. She started in alternative high school Speech and English. The majority of her teaching career was teaching Language and Reading to struggling readers in 6th grade. She served many students and families as a liaison for special education, working with her team to meet IEP goals and implementing interventions and many accommodations. After a decade in 6th grade, she moved to Kindergarten to support school readiness with whole-brain, play-based learning. When the opportunity to move to a position to help serve students and families in a full wrap-around program, she joined Novitas, which then led to Cherry Gulch.
Melissa and her husband, Chris, are the proud parents of 3 adopted girls. They enjoy Idaho’s amazing outdoors as much as possible with their sweet golden doodle, Willis.

Bobbi Geiger is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) specializing in evidence-based treatments to support children and their families in meeting their goals and improving overall quality of life. She specializes in providing therapy to children, adolescents, and their families who are presenting with a wide range of behavioral, mental health, and emotional concerns.
Bobbi has experience working with children presenting with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral challenges. She works to develop the social-emotional skills needed for success at school, at home, and in the community.

In therapy, she works from a trauma-informed attachment and child-centered approach that combines various research-supported therapy modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy. Bobbi integrates techniques from a variety of approaches and adjusts her counseling methods based on the client’s needs. She prides herself on creating relationships built on trust with her students and understands that real progress can only be achieved when such a relationship exists.

She enjoys helping children become more in-touch with their emotions, increasing their ability to communicate their feelings and needs, encouraging their own self-acceptance, and empowering them to make healthy choices on how to handle difficult emotions and situations.  She has extensive training and experience in working with children who have a history of trauma and/or who have been in foster care or who have been adopted.

Bobbi is a mother of three boys, and understands that when a child struggles, the whole family is affected.  Because of this, she is passionate about empowering parents and children in their lives. She understands that every client has a unique set of needs and works hard with each family to develop individualized care in a safe and empathetic environment that promotes health and wellness. She believes helping is an honor, therapy is a collaborative adventure and that we all do well when we can.

Bobbi earned her Master of Education in Counseling from North Dakota State University.  In addition, she has a Master of Nonprofit Administration from North Park University. Bobbi has received certifications in Attachment and Trauma-Focused, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), and is a certified trainer of the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) from the Trauma Resource Institute.

Outside of work, Bobbi enjoys spending time with her family. In addition, she enjoys caring for the family pets, traveling, reading, gardening, and relaxing in the sun.

Mary graduated with a master’s degree in Social Work in 2006 from Walla Walla University. She received her clinical license in 2013. She enjoyed over a decade of working with elderly populations in residential settings and then hospice. She worked closely with psychiatrists and medical doctors to advocate for her client’s quality of life and ultimately to keep their independence if possible. Her experience in teaching and supporting her former elderly clients with roommates, sharing space throughout the day, engaging in activities, adjusting to cafeteria-style food, etc., has carried over into her approach with our teens and pre-teens. Mary is passionate about advocating for her clients and teaching them to be able to appropriately advocate for themselves. Mary uses a variety of therapeutic approaches to reach her students. She has also received training in Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). Mary builds strong relationships with her students using humor, building trust, and holding high standards for behavior expectations. She has a gift with our students who struggle with ADHD and can engage them in activities like cooking, gardening, and hiking. She also has a unique adoption awareness and lens, as some of her grandchildren were adopted.
Mary has four adult children with spouses and twelve grandchildren. When she is away from Cherry Gulch, she enjoys family time with them, camping, gardening, cooking, or swimming.

Tara Landis is a clinical social worker with over 20 years of social work experience. She specializes in trauma, autism spectrum, and attachment with a wide range of clientele. Tara has worked with first responders, providing therapy, speaking at conferences, and training other professionals to provide services. With almost a decade of experience as a clinical social worker in a RTC setting, Tara provides evidence-based clinical therapy through family, individual, and group therapies. Tara is also an adjunct professor in the Master Social Worker program at NNU. Tara has three children and is almost an empty nester with her husband of over 20 years. Tara enjoys hiking, reading, debating with her son with ASD about history, and watching her youngest son play lacrosse.

Ted is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a 17-year career in mental health. He started as a direct care staff in 2006, has done supervisory roles, helped start up programs, and worked in many different roles with all types of client needs.
Ted enjoys engaging families in experiential therapeutic interaction. He often works with clients who experience anxiety, depression, trauma, emotional dysregulation, ADHD, neuro-diversity, Autism spectrum disorder, and learning differences. He enjoys working with kids who are adopted or struggle with attachment. Ted uses an eclectic approach with clients rooted in a strong therapeutic relationship to help foster feelings of safety as they navigate new and difficult emotions, insight, and experiences. Ted works from a trauma-informed perspective utilizing mindfulness, somatic understanding, attunement, and physical activity when helpful for clients. Ted uses EMDR with clients as well. Ted loves to engage clients in an outdoor setting, utilizing activities like hiking, camping, sports, nature, and equine therapy to identify teachable moments in unique settings. He believes that novel environments create powerful learning experiences and help highlight important patterns in human behavior. Lastly, Ted utilizes psycho-education with clients and families to help them gain life-long skill sets so they can cultivate wellness long after their time at Cherry Gulch has passed.
Ted engages in a myriad of outdoor pursuits in his personal life that include multi-day river trips, fly-fishing, camping, and soaking in hot springs. He enjoys reading and spending time with his wife and hound dog, traveling around the west in their truck camper, visiting small-town bakeries.

Elena holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Boise State University and has recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Social Work, with an emphasis in Clinical Mental Health and Addictions.
Elena’s experience encompasses working with adolescents in special education settings, young adults in residential treatment centers, and individuals experiencing homelessness. Her ability to connect with and support these populations has been a hallmark of her career. She has a particular passion for trauma-informed care, play therapy modalities, and family systems, which she integrates into her therapeutic practice.
An Idaho native, Elena cherishes the beauty and tranquility of her home state. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two dogs and participating in various outdoor activities, such as hiking, camping, and exploring the natural landscapes of Idaho.

Kylie received her master’s degree in Social Work with an emphasis in Clinical Mental Health and Addictions from Northwest Nazarene University and her bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management and Youth Leadership with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Her passion for the outdoors, adventure, and working with people led her to her career working with troubled youth over thirteen years ago. Kylie’s passion for working with troubled adolescents led her to many careers in adolescent mental and behavioral health before finding employment at Cherry Gulch, including other therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, juvenile correctional facilities, psycho-social rehabilitation services, and wilderness therapy. Kylie has enjoyed seven years with Cherry Gulch working as a Direct Care staff, Recreation Therapist, Character Development teacher (with her teaching certification in Psychology), Clinical Liaison, and most recently as a licensed therapist.
Kylie oversees the service program at Cherry Gulch, co-directs the NATSAP research program, and oversees international travel at CG. Kylie has received training in the Anasazi Foundation’s The Seven Paths as well as Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, and has co-led several Hero’s Journey/The Seven Paths international trips with the students and their families and worked to restructure the phase work here at Cherry Gulch to align with the Hero’s Journey cycle. She is ATTACh certified, a certified Child and Youth Care worker, a Gottman Institute Level one certified therapist, has spoken at both regional and national conferences, and has worked to make CG a RULER-certified school after receiving extensive training from Yale University.
Kylie is an Idaho native and enjoys spending time with her family skiing, backpacking, mountain biking, camping, dirt biking and traveling.

Darren joined the Cherry Gulch team as the Residential Director in 2022. He earned his degree from the American Institute of Health Technology in 1997. He then worked as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and Therapeutic Activities Lead for 20+ years. He worked at Intermountain Psychiatric Hospital for the last 10 years before joining CG. He leads his department with patience, intention, and high expectations. His years of experience helping people emotionally regulate has been an excellent addition to our Cherry Gulch team. He is working to build a sensory gym at CG, so stay tuned.
Away from Cherry Gulch, Darren enjoys Idaho’s incredible outdoors and quality family time!

Riley is dedicated to helping others, both professionally and personally. Growing up in Emmett, ID, with a large family, and then working with geriatric clients before joining the military shows his strong commitment to service. He shares his love for adventure and the outdoors with his family, including his high school sweetheart and daughter. He is the owner of Denver and Dallas (two golden retrievers), who are favorites at Cherry Gulch and spend most of the days there hanging with our clients. Riley is pursuing an education in Social Work, which seems like a perfect extension of his dedication to supporting others.

Todd has come to us from Northern Nevada-South Lake Tahoe with a dual Bachelor’s degree in Elementary K-8/ Special Education, a Master’s degree in Reading and Literacy, and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Serving youth has become a calling since entering the classroom as a teacher in 2000. His experiences include involvement in multiple youth school settings early in his career in middle and high school continuation. For the last seven years, he has served in grades four through six while in a dual role as an Academic Director. Relocating to Idaho allowed Todd to search for a family of educators to grow alongside within a mission suitable and characteristic to his skills and abilities. Cherry Gulch stood out for Todd as the ideal environment to continue academic relationship building. He always seeks to bring fun and creativity into each school day while keeping and setting boundaries for all students to find success. Outside of the school day, Todd and his wife enjoy their time together, exploring the many wonders of Idaho and spending time with their children.

Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree with a dual major in Special Education K-12 and Elementary Education K-8 from Western Governors University in 2018. She spent the next 4 years working as a Special Education, History, and English teacher within the Emmett School District, where she worked with students with behavioral and learning disabilities. She is returning to school next spring to continue a Master’s degree in Education. Rachel has over 10 years of experience working with children and adults with special needs.
Rachel was born and raised in Emmett, Idaho, where she also met her husband, Jake, who is a long-time employee of Cherry Gulch. They have five children and five grandchildren. Rachel is close to her family and enjoys spending time traveling with Jake. She loves the outdoors, especially the mountains and the ocean. She enjoys art and writing stories and poetry.

Megan started with Cherry Gulch as a youth care mentor and then graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Bachelor’s in Science in Elementary Education and Special Education. Megan also holds a Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Nevada, and she carries endorsements in English as a Second Language and Exceptional Child Generalist. She completed her first 3 years of teaching at a public school in Nevada. Megan struggled as a child and works to create a classroom space where students don’t have to struggle the way she did. She strives to connect with students and help them identify their strengths.
California-born but Idaho-raised, Megan loves to spend her summer days with her son, her husband, and family/friends. She is very close with her family and enjoys spending time with her dog.

Dan began working at Cherry Gulch in January 2009. He started as a direct care staff member and moved into the residential Manager role. He’s worn many hats in between and enjoys learning new things and bringing new ideas to each of them. Having mastered the therapeutic modalities, Dan is now the Character development teacher and helps boys understand each of the pillars. Dan served in the United States Army for nineteen years. He was an infantry team leader and served two tours in Iraq. Dan has also been a firefighter and EMT for five years. Dan currently attends Purdue University online and is pursuing a degree in Human Resources.  
Dan is a proud father to eight children and is married to his wonderful wife, Andrea. His family keeps him remarkably busy. Dan enjoys camping with his family and is an avid soccer fan. Dan coaches his kids’ sports teams and stays active in his community. 

Jake began working at Cherry Gulch  in 2007, shortly after it opened. He spends most of his time with our youngest students in our 5th and 6th grade classroom. He teaches electives, including woodworking, music production, and 3D printing. He is a talented musician and loves to share his hobbies with our students. Jake may be spotted playing bagpipes, launching pumpkins from a giant trebuchet, or teaching an engaging science lesson. He’s truly a Jack of all trades! Jake enjoys spending time with his family when he’s away from campus.

Victor joined our Cherry Gulch team in 2021. He and his family moved to Idaho from the Bay Area. After graduating with a BA in Education and Child Development from California State University, he went on to earn his credential in Elementary Education and Teaching from San Francisco State University. Victor has built a long list of service, leading a variety of programs for schools and nonprofits. He is an active board member of the City of Refuge Ministries.
He was then drawn to Human Resources once he saw how a healthy workplace culture affects organizations and pursued his certification to be a Professional in Human Resources. Supporting leaders and staff as they dream big for our students and our programs is easy for Victor with his contagious positivity. Victor jumped right into programming and serving our students, joining them in football, foosball, and Just Dance. He is currently trying to keep up with them on their Friday mountain biking outings and truly enjoys spending time with our students.
Away from Cherry Gulch, Victor enjoys spending time with his family and fermenting their own ethically sourced brand of Kombucha.

Nicole is a valued member of the Cherry Gulch team, bringing over a decade of industry experience to our community. Her commitment to this field is deeply rooted in her family’s experience with clinical residential support, which sparked her passion for assisting families in need and providing transformative help.
Nicole is dedicated to supporting the growth and development of children and their families. Her work is driven by a profound commitment to making a difference and celebrating the progress of those she supports.
Inspired by Cherry Gulch’s mission of building brighter tomorrows for the boys of today, Nicole is enthusiastic about contributing to a team recognized for its compassion and dedication. She is dedicated to making a meaningful impact through her role at Cherry Gulch.

Patrick joined Cherry Gulch in 2017. He began as a youth care mentor and was promoted to shift supervisor, and was recently promoted as one of our two Residential Coordinators. Patrick oversees the staff experience at Cherry Gulch. This includes training, coaching and developing staff as they grow with us. He is also an Arbinger Facilitator, leading with an outward mindset. His background was diverse before finding CG, and his passion for working in youth care. During his time here at Cherry Gulch, he has seen the value in the teachings while witnessing the Hero’s Journey of the students, as well as experiencing his own with the help of the students while on a journey together in Peru.

Patrick has lived in the Pacific Northwest his entire life, only moving to Idaho upon working at Cherry Gulch. He has enjoyed the natural beauty of the area, taking in all Idaho has to offer. While both on campus with the students as well as at home, Patrick enjoys basketball, football, board games, puzzles, camping, and fishing.

Shannon joined the Cherry Gulch team in 2021. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and a Master’s degree in Education.  Shannon has been in the educational field since 2002.  Her prior teaching experience includes teaching elementary school, middle school, and high school.  She enjoys working at Cherry Gulch, where she can continue her love for teaching students who learn differently and seeing students grow personally. 

When Shannon’s not teaching, she volunteers her time managing a nonprofit dog rescue that she started in 2018.  She also enjoys spending time outdoors, listening to music, and always ends each day with a lap full of dogs.