Throughout the coming weeks, we look forward to sharing exciting updates on Family Services at Open Sky! From our new Family Pathway Class to a complimentary extended Parent Coaching session for all enrolled parents, we are thrilled to offer families even more resources for personal and family growth and learning. And be sure to check out our brand new Family Services landing page on the Open Sky website!
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy is excited to introduce a new resource for families embarking on their Open Sky journey: Family Pathway Class. Family Pathway Class is a weekly video call offering an hour of educational content that allows parents to learn more deeply about the therapeutic foundations of treatment at Open Sky. Led by members of the Clinical and Family Services Teams, the class is broken down into an 11-week rotating curriculum, with each week focusing on a different topic.
Family Pathway Class is thoughtfully structured to provide parents a meaningful and supportive experience. The call begins with 5 to 10 minutes of grounding exercises, such as breathing and mindfulness practices. These exercises help center participants and guide them to a calm and productive headspace before diving more deeply into the weekly topic.
The next 20 to 30 minutes of the call are dedicated to a psycho-educational presentation by an Open Sky clinical therapist. Drawing on their considerable knowledge and experience, presenters cover a wide range of important topics. These topics include parenting styles and isomorphism; Glasser’s needs (Choice Theory); core values and value-based decision making; mindfulness and interoception; emotion regulation; cognitive distortion; communication skills; boundaries and manipulation; and grief and loss. Moving forward, current and alumni parents maintain access to viewing these instructional presentations at any time, by logging into the Parent Portal.
Some of these terms and concepts may be new or unfamiliar to parents, and learning them can feel like learning a new language. What exactly is the communication continuum? What does isomorphism mean, and how does it apply to parenting? Open Sky’s therapists work hard to answer these questions and more during Family Pathway Class. They provide clear, concise information at a manageable pace, utilizing examples and vignettes from the field, modeling role-playing exercises, and supplying follow-up resources in order to better aid understanding.
Family Pathway Class concludes with 20 to 25 minutes of small group discussions, processing, and a question and answers session, facilitated by a member of the Family Services Team. Participants may use this time to address any unanswered questions, support one another, and request additional resources.
Family Pathway Class is a powerful service that represents Open Sky’s commitment to supporting the entire family system. It not only familiarizes parents with the therapeutic work their children are accomplishing in the field, but also helps them begin to apply the same concepts to their own lives. It offers a weekly time and space to learn, to grow, to connect, and to heal, thus setting the family system up for success both during and after their time at Open Sky.
To preview the Family Pathway Class and learn about other skills development opportunities for families at Open Sky, click here.
January 11th, 2021