Former Wilderness Therapist Opens New Parent Program

Contact:
Krissy Pozatek, LICSW, Founder
802-522-2241
Website

February 28, 2006

Krissy Pozatek, formerly a wilderness therapist with Second Nature, has started a new program that provides support to parents who have children placed in therapeutic programs. Parallel Process addresses the emotional needs of parents and engages them in understanding their role in the parent-child relationship.

Through her experience in adolescent programs over the past decade, Krissy recognized there was a gap in the treatment model, "in wilderness programs students receive such individualized care, and as a result they have an increased awareness of their issues, feelings, communication, and coping behaviors. I often noticed that at the end of the wilderness experience, parents were not quite up to speed in terms of their own self-awareness and often did not know how to relate differently to their child." Because of this Krissy wondered about the long-term sustainability of the child's progress if the parents were not growing along side their child. Ultimately, for long-term success, the whole family has to operate differently.

Having a troubled teen in treatment creates a powerless feeling for parents, and Parallel Process allows parents to feel more in control by helping them understand their issues and roles in the parent-child relationship. Parents cannot make their child change, but they can help shift the dynamic in the relationship by reacting and responding differently to their teen.

Through weekly phone sessions, parents process the different emotions they are experiencing and learn healthy coping skills, self-care, assertive communication, boundary development and learn how to integrate these new skills into the relationship with their child.

Often home therapists do not understand wilderness and aftercare programs and at times even go against the process because they are unfamiliar with it. Krissy has an in-depth perspective of the wilderness and aftercare experience, from her experience at Second Nature Wilderness Program, Aspen Achievement Academy, and Montana Academy, and works with the parents in a way that parallels their child's program. Krissy also feels it is critical to work as a team with the child's program and the educational consultant to have long-term success.