Family Involvement
Evoke Therapy Programs has been a pioneer in integrating family support into Wilderness Therapy for over 20 years. We believe that supporting the family is integral in getting the best possible results. We provide a robust and unparalleled list of services for parents, siblings, extended family, and friends of Evoke participants.
- Parent Coordinators
- Parent Mentors
- Interactive Parent Portal
- Weekly Parent Phone Calls
- Twice Weekly Live Webinar Broadcast
- An Extensive Archive of Webinars and Podcasts
- Parent Workshops
- Parent-Child Phone Therapy
- Parent Visits to the Field
- Regional Parent Support Groups
- Coaching Services for parents, partners & siblings
- Intensives (Finding You, Finding Family)
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” — Aristotle
Your Healing
While the participant at Evoke may be the one with the most noticeable suffering, we know that all family members have been affected by the circumstances and events that lead to seeking treatment. We treat each family member with compassion and non-judgment, offering a variety of sources for support, education, and healing.
Parents often tell us that while Evoke was wonderful for their child, it also changed their life. Our family program and services offer hope, peace of mind, and healing to the vicarious trauma loved one’s experience when watching a child suffering from mental health and addiction issues
Parent Services
Parent Coordinators
In addition to the therapist, each family is assigned a parent coordinator. During office hours, these experienced and compassionate professionals are there from day 1 to provide you with information, answer questions, and help you navigate your Evoke experience.
Parent Mentors
Each family is offered a parent mentor. These mentors are previous Evoke parents who can offer parent-to-parent support, especially during the emotional early days in the program. These volunteers are eager to “give-back’” and offer the guidance that others provided for them.
Interactive Parent Portal
Each parent will be provided a confidential login to access their personalized parent portal. Weekly assignments and resources are provided by the program and tailored by your therapist to address your family’s specific needs. Assignments, letters from your child, pictures, and a group journal keep the family connected to their child’s experience and their day-to-day lives.
Weekly Parent Phone Calls
Each family will have a weekly phone session with their child’s therapist. These calls will consist of weekly updates on your child’s progress (including assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, and information relating to the next step), a review of weekly letter writing (to and from your child) assignments, support and direction for the family. These calls are both a window into your child’s world as well as an opportunity to learn about ways you can support the changes your child is making.
Twice Weekly Live Webinar Broadcast
Co-founder and author of the books, The Journey of the Heroic Parent and The Audacity to Be You, Dr. Brad Reedy broadcasts live webinars each week for parents and family members. Topics include specific mental health and addiction issues as well as parent education. Parents can interact with Dr. Reedy and ask live questions. These webinars provide parents a wealth of resources both during and after their child’s stay at Evoke. Evoke parents are provided lifetime access to these broadcasts, offering them an opportunity to reconnect to the lessons learned during their child’s stay.
Extensive Archive of Webinars and Podcasts
Since 2007, Dr. Reedy has broadcast over 1000 Webinars for parents and families of wilderness participants. Parents can access our library and select from a variety of topics including Anxiety, Grief, Boundaries, Connection, Addiction, Aftercare, and many more. In addition, these broadcasts are available on a podcast app, so parents can listen on the go and family members can learn about the principles taught by Evoke’s therapy team. Some of the podcasts are available to the general public below.
Parent Workshops
We invite every parent to attend one of our online multi-family workshops during their child’s stay at Evoke. These workshops are led by the Evoke Clinical team and co-facilitated by our field staff. Experiential activities, parent education, communication skills practice, and connecting with other parents provide participants rich and invaluable sources of support.
Parent-Child Phone Calls
We were the first wilderness program to offer phone therapy during a child’s wilderness therapy experience. Using satellite and cell phones, parents can have one or more phone therapy sessions during your child’s stay. These meetings are recommended by your therapist and they must meet with your child’s clinical readiness. We believe these calls can be invaluable, allowing families to work on communication and relationships live and in real-time.
Family Visits to the Field
Evoke has been inviting families into the field for over 15 years. By participating with their adolescent or young adult child in the wilderness experience, families are able to address first hand some of their family dynamics, practice communication skills and create intimate and lasting memories. There are three different opportunities for family involvement in the field.
Mid-Program Visits
Parents and other family members may be invited to participate in a field visit with their participant during the program. This visit is typically aimed at practicing and implementing new tools. This visit often involves an overnight stay in the wilderness with the participant and the participant’s group. The therapist will determine the timing of this visit and parents will work with the therapist to establish additional goals and objectives.
End of Program Visits
Parents and other family members may also be invited to participate in a field visit with their adolescent or young adult at the conclusion of their program. These visits are aimed at reconnecting families in the wilderness, practicing and implementing new tools and skills, and solidifying the next steps and expectations. This visit often involves an overnight stay in the wilderness with the participant and the participant’s group. The therapist will determine the timing of this visit and parents will work with the therapist to establish additional goals and objectives.
Family Treks
Parents and other family members may also choose to participate in a Family Trek with their participant. A Family Trek is an extension of the Mid-Program and/or End of Program visit. A Family Trek is customized by the participant’s therapist, is typically 3-4 days/2-3 nights long, and comes at an added cost. During this experience, the family will spend a brief time with the participant’s group and then the participant and family will hike away with Evoke staff. On the Trek the participant’s therapist will meet with the family and guide them through intensive family therapy addressing family dynamics, relationships, and other obstacles the family may be dealing with. Evoke’s Family Trek end with greater insight, understanding, and lasting memories. Parents interested in a Family Trek should notify their participant’s therapist who will work with them to create a customized experience.
Parent Support Groups
Evoke holds parent support groups across the United States and Canada throughout the year. These meetings are run by Evoke’s therapists and provide parents with education, parent-to-parent connection, and a safe place to tell their stories.
Optional Services
These services are offered to help you and your family heal as individuals and are not included in the program fees.
Intensives
Intensive retreats are a great opportunity for personal reflection and healing while your child is in the program. Intensives are offered in-person at a tranquil location in northern Utah or online.
Finding You
Finding You is an Intensive retreat hosted in Utah or online. These retreats are for individuals who want to do deeper work to heal trauma, work on codependency, restore balance, and find greater peace and clarity in life. Participants address current life and relationship challenges by exploring past and present life experiences using psychodrama, group therapy, mindfulness, and psychoeducation.
Finding Family
Finding Family is a custom Intensive retreat for families who want to explore relationship challenges and improve communication skills. These programs are customized to meet the family’s goals and can be helpful for families experiencing addiction, conflict, codependency, and other uses related to mental health. Participants walk away with greater insight into what is holding them back as well as tangible tools and skills for their future.
Coaching
In response to hundreds of requests for the kind of quality support that Evoke’s Wilderness clients receive on our weekly calls between parents and therapists, we are offering coaching services. Parent or Individual Coaching is for anyone who finds that they need more support in their day-to-day life. Whether coping with the challenge of a struggling child or with reintegrating home after treatment, parents and their children can utilize the experienced clinical team at Evoke via phone or video conferencing for more support and direction. This service requires no long-term contract and can be used before, during, or after Evoke, as well as by those not associated with Evoke’s other programs.
