About Cia

Cia Ricco is a family counselor and author of Living As If Your Life Depended On It: Twelve Gateways for a Life That Works, as well as Executive Director for Visions & Dreams Creative Learning, Inc. She has been volunteering her services for work with teens for more than 25 years on her own and through her non-profit organizations. She ran teen retreats at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires for several years until she moved to Costa Rica where she ran programs for disenfranchised youth from Costa Rica as well as teens from the US for over 15 years. She currently lives in Florida where she ran a teens' camp for three years and for the past two years has run programs for teens in the northeast.

Cia has two sons and a daughter. Her oldest son lives in Woodstock, NY and assisted her program last year. Her younger two adult children are adopted. Cia is delighted that her daughter, Samantha, and her two grand-puppies will assist in the program this year.

 

Program Staff

About Samantha

Samantha Dillman studied project management and engineering, but her passion in life is helping others - especially young people and animals, as well as the seniors she now cares for in Florida. Samantha grew up in Mississippi in an abusive Mormon background. Through her remarkable journey of recovery, including recovery from addiction and abusive relationships, she embodies strength, open-heartedness and compassion. She is the adopted daughter of Cia Ricco, and the proud mom of two wonderful dogs (whom she will be bringing to the program) and four kitties! She now owns/lives in Sarasota, Florida near mama Cia (aka Grandma Cia), where she fosters the Feral Cats and kittens that she rescues and fixes up for adoption, while volunteering her spare time to helping others who struggle with addiction to overcome it.

 

About Sophie

Sophie Williams is a sophomore at the University of San Francisco currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in International Studies, with a minor in Fine Arts. She is interested in learning about different cultures and what it means for us to be human in this world. When she is not studying or working at her café as a barista she enjoys philosophical conversations with friends, making art, thrifting, or simply walking in the park. She is also extremely interested in dream interpretations and the dream realm in general. Sophie grew up in the countryside of Vermont and strongly believes in the ability of nature immersion to educate and heal. When she is home in Vermont her favorite activity is going into the woods to visit the trees. She is passionate about learning how to authentically express herself, and reflecting on and learning from her mistakes. She believes in the power of radical empathy in transforming ourselves and the world around us.

Tiger painting of her spirit animal by Sophie

Visions and Dreams for Creative Learning, Inc.

a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization

Our Mission is:

To support youth from adolescents to young adults, including but not limited to foster children, children from diverse backgrounds with trouble integrating, those in difficult life situations, those suffering from sexual abuse, gender dysphoria/body dysmorphia, learning challenges, social phobia, PTSD, anxiety, depression, addiction, bipolar disorder, or SPD/ADD/ADHD/spectrum disorders.

Support is offered online and/or in person, individually or in small-group settings and may include family counseling where warranted, and/or collaboration with existing therapists or counselors given parental/guardian permission.  It may include temporary housing when the child needs extra support or a change in environment.  

Our work is holistic, meaning it takes the well-being of the whole child into consideration which may include support with diet, exercise, and general self-esteem.  Our focus is on helping discover and develop your child’s unique gifts and using those gifts to develop motivation and self-esteem.  We work with arts and nature, giving back to the community and developing a sense of interpersonal and global responsibility, as well as mindfulness and meditation as needed to support this process.   

We are not psychologists or doctors, though we will collaborate with medical professionals if needed, with parental/guardian permission.  We often call upon adjunct teachers and other non-medical specialists if determined beneficial.  

Board Members

  • Darin Ricco

    Darin works in real estate. His hobbies are animal rescue, gardening, cooking, reforestation and community service, as well as supporting young people, and helping his mom with her teen programs.

  • Linda Leisz

    Linda is the Executive Assistant for Cia Ricco and Visions and Dreams for Creative Learning, Inc. She has served as a Board member for two other non-profit organizations, both related to addictions and recovery services. She has been active in 12-step recovery programs for over 21 years and sponsors women in recovery.

  • Julia Hausman, RN

    Julia grew up in Woodstock, NY, has traveled extensively, and lived in Massachusetts, California, Brooklyn, and Scotland. She has worked in the non-profit worlds of outdoor education, economic justice, housing, and healthcare. She is currently working as a midwife and is the owner of a busy homebirth practice based in Woodstock, where she resides with her partner, father, and two young children.