At Eva Carlston Academy, adolescent girls who have struggled deeply are invited to find their unique place in the world, a passion to inspire and guide them, and a sense of purpose in life.
A combination of sophisticated therapy, mentorship, the arts, and experiential learning help our students heal and grow.
"Time and time again, we have seen the girls step up to the challenge and embrace it. They emerge empowered with leadership skills and, we believe, ready to forge their ...moreplace in our culture and workplace while bringing about constructive changes that will benefit our communities" hide
Volunteering allows one to see how they can make a difference, that is why the students at Eva Carlston Academy help out at Tracy Aviary. In a world full of ...morestress and pressures volunteering is a great way to get out of your own head and lift your spirits by helping others. hide
"Family visits are a crucial part, not only of the treatment, but also of the well-being of the girls," explains Stephanie Taylor, Eva`s Assistant Program Director.
Urban location-While many treatment programs are located in
remote areas or on large, rural properties, Eva Carlston is
intentionally located in an urban residential neighborhood. In this
vibrant urban setting, we are able to expose girls to a wide range
of activities, from theater performances to culinary classes to
mountain sports. Salt Lake City provides the ideal blend of urban
sophistication and outdoor access-the perfect place for girls to
try new things and discover a sustainable passion that will
translate to her home life. As founder, Kristi Ragsdale, puts it,
"whether it`s a camera, a sketchpad, or a pair of running shoes, we
want girls to have interests they can take with them
anywhere."
Elegant setting-It`s hard enough to be away from home without
having to live in a place that feels "clinical." In fact, sometimes
the best therapy occurs when girls feel comfortable enough to drop
their guard and forget for a moment that they are even in
treatment. Our comfortable, elegantly appointed homes not only
teach a positive lifestyle aesthetic, they also communicate to our
girls that they are valuable and valued. Each room has a unique and
tasteful dcor theme that includes original art, fine linens, and
beautiful wall and window treatments. Common areas are designed to
provide the cozy feel of home. A sense of order and care in their
surroundings is itself a powerful therapeutic aid for our
students.
Family Style Living-Each of our three houses is designed to
function as an intimate, self-contained home for between eight and
sixteen girls, each with its own art-therapy room, schoolroom,
kitchen, dining room, and common living areas. Girls participate in
all aspects of running the house, collectively making recreation
decisions, governance decisions, meal plans, and household
budgetary decisions. In addition to teaching functional life
skills, this family-style approach helps girls develop a strong
sense of personal identity, a clear vision for their own life goals
and aspirations, and the confidence to speak with their own voice.
The dinner table is a place for spirited discussion, sharing, and
laughter, while common areas provide quiet places to connect,
deepen relationships, and share with Youth Mentors and therapeutic
staff.
Our milieu provides the ideal setting for natural, but highly
instructive interactions between staff members and students.
Throughout the day, our clinically trained house staff, or "Youth
Mentors," model and coach individualized treatment skills in the
context of trusting relationships. Girls work with their therapist
to identify treatment goals and skills, skills that can be
practiced in the supportive context of our houses. In the context
of daily life, our Youth Mentors are trained to support each girls`
practice of therapeutic skills, which might include: Problem
solving, Emotional regulation, Assertiveness versus aggression,
CommunicationAnger management, Coping with stress and anxiety,
Accepting and implementing feedback, Demonstrating leadership, and
Disagreeing with others appropriately.
Therapy
Students come to Eva Carlston with a wide range of emotional
and behavioral issues. Our students may have experienced
devastating trauma, clinical depression, loss, anxiety, or
personality disorders. Many "act in" by retreating, avoiding, and
isolating, while others may "act out" through defiance,
promiscuity, or substance abuse. But regardless of her struggles,
every Eva Carlston student is capable of healing and thriving with
the right support.
We offer that support in the form of a robust program of
individual, group, and family therapy led by seasoned, licensed
therapists. Our treatment approach is gender-specific, using the
best, research-validated approaches for supporting women`s mental
health. To support and accelerate this work, we incorporate
therapeutic elements into every aspect of our student`s lives. Our
urban location, art therapy, recreation therapy, family meetings,
and Lifestyle-Therapy approach, all give girls a living
environment that supports progress made in treatment.Our goal for
each girl is that her healing process leads to the discovery of her
place, her passion, and her purpose in life. These are the things
that will sustain healing and growth for a lifetime.
Academics
Academics should prepare students for a life of thoughtful and
energetic contribution. At Eva Carlston, we help girls discover the
unique set of intellectual strengths that will fuel those
contributions. Our strengths-based approach to education helps
girls discover and cultivate intellectual passions that will
motivate future efforts, inform career choices, and optimize
lifelong learning and success.
At the same time, our accredited academic program helps
students develop a foundation of basic competence in all academic
subjects and skills. Those skills include written and spoken
communication, reading comprehension, mathematics, critical
thinking, and-increasingly-the ability to function effectively as
part of a team.Whether academically gifted or academically
challenged, we know that all of our students can become capable
learners and contributors. We customize our education plan and
approach to meet each student`s needs and to produce confident,
capable learners. Credits earned at Eva Carlston are fully
accredited and transferable, and are appropriate for college
admissions.
College Preparation
Most Eva Carlston Academy students are college-bound. We
provide opportunities for ACT and SAT preparation classes and all
eleventh graders are encouraged to take both exams. In addition,
our academic team assists with college entrance essays and
applications.
Experiential Learning
Many of our students are, at heart, experiential learners, so
we routinely take learning beyond the walls of the classroom and
out into the real world. This includes monthly visits to Salt Lake
art museums, operas, ballets, and cultural events. In
addition, they participate in educational and adventure activities
throughout the year.
Therapeutic Learning
The classroom provides an excellent therapeutic milieu for our
girls. For some, the traditional classroom is a place full of
triggers, where difficult social dynamics, unwelcome performance
demands, or frustration has been the rule. For others, the
classroom is a welcome opportunity to succeed in the midst of a
life that may otherwise seem painful. Regardless of a student`s
past academic experiences, Eva Carlston has designed its school as
a potent therapeutic milieu. It`s a place where girls can overcome
past fears, develop new areas of confidence, and practice skills
learned in treatment. Our teachers and therapists work as a team to
ensure that each girl`s academic program supports her therapeutic
goals and vice-versa.
Art Education and Electives
Eva Carlston Academy offers a wide variety of elective courses
and a very strong fine-arts program. Art courses include drawing,
sculpture, poetry, drama, photography, painting, and graphic
design. In addition, students create a portfolio that represents
their growth and transformation both creatively and
therapeutically. These portfolios can be used for application to
art programs or can simply serve as a powerful reminder of their
experience while in treatment.
Art for exploration, expression, and healing.
Eva Carlston is equipped to satisfy the educational and studio
requirements of virtually any artist-from a reluctant beginner to
an expert. But the purpose of art at Eva Carlston is not just to
develop artistic talent. Artistic expression-whether painting,
dancing, music, or writing-can also be a potent therapeutic tool,
providing an outlet for emotions and feelings that are too painful
to express verbally.It is not unusual for traumatic events that
have been buried deep in the subconscious to surface through the
art, dance, or recreational activities. Once the emotions have been
released, a therapist can work more effectively with the student
and healing is accelerated.
We provide students with the instruction, studio space, time,
and equipment to engage in a number of artistic pursuits, including
dance, painting and drawing, music, drama, poetry, photography,
poetry, and writing. Each artistic medium has its own special
therapeutic properties and we encourage our students to explore
them all-even as they hone in on the one that might become a
passion.
Our students participate in art therapy once per week (though
they can elect to do more as schedules permit), which includes
instruction, practice, and a therapeutic debrief with our
therapists. Students who wish to pursue a specific art form in a
more in-depth manner may request extra studio time and
instruction.
The experience of having my daughter in treatment was very difficult because we are divorced and don't agree on many things. Our therapist was always an advocate for my child, and she wasn't afraid of saying hard things to me or my ex. Even though I would get frustrated with the complicated relationship, I knew I could trust that my daughter was in a place that was looking out for her best interests all the time. Everyone at Eva was professional and they always let me know what was going on with my daughter. As soon as you set foot into the program you know that it is a good and safe place, I could tell this by the changes in my daughter and also when I met the other girls in her home. Eva is an exceptional program and I am grateful to them for helping my daughter be happy again.
- Posted by Parent - Michael
510/13/2021
I loved my teachers at ECA. The work was really hard, but I got the best grades of my life. I really liked that they gave me the accommodations that I needed and made sure I understood. Paul is the best!
- Posted by Student/Alumni - Lexi J.
59/10/2020
I've been working with Kristi and her team for a decade now. One of the most satisfying parts of this hybrid school, which also provides intensive residential therapy, is the live school experience and how that molds to the individual needs of a student. I am always impressed to see how the Eva Carlston teachers adapt to the accommodations and special needs of the students. It is challenging to teach special needs kids in any setting, let alone residential care. But these teachers are rock stars and I am proud to work with them.
- Posted by Administrator - Steven L.
58/6/2019
Sending our daughter to Eva Carlston Academy was one of the best things we could have done for her and for our family. The staff nurtures and teaches students using an old-fashioned method of earning privileges or consequences, depending on how they respond to daily routines. Over time, the changes in our daughter were remarkable. The staff used empathy and patience in working with her. The therapists were outstanding, with the ability to get to the truth and uncover the source of the problem. My daughter loved the classes at ECA, especially the art classes, and learned to love reading. The art teacher brought out aspects of my daughter that we never knew existed. We are grateful for ECA, Kristi and her team for what they have done for us. Definitely a five-star experience.
- Posted by Parent - Mary V
Endorse Eva Carlston Academy. Endorsements should be a few sentences in length. Please include any comments on:
Quality of academic programs, teachers, and facilities
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The average private school tuition in Salt Lake City, UT is $9,220 for elementary schools and $9,870 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
