Pursuits

What is a Pursuit?

Pursuits are designed for high-functioning adolescents, young adults, or families looking for an exciting once-in-a-lifetime experience and healthy adventure. Our trips provide incredible adventures that inspire and motivate participants to develop greater personal vision and life-long goals. Pursuits offer the highest level of programming and adventure facilitated by experienced and certified outdoors guides. This experience includes an extensive safety focus with individually tailored goals and daily process groups.

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Backpacking Adventure

Learn the basics of backpacking and develop current skills while exploring several miles of Utah's most scenic backcountry. During this three-day trip you will learn technical backpacking skills such as packing, backcountry cooking, and wilderness navigation with map and compass. Light therapeutic elements will be naturally incorporated into each trip through use of journaling, meditation, psycho-education, and group work. Self-efficacy and teamwork will be fundamental tools taught throughout this course. Each participant will be asked to meet new challenges as they work together to follow through on goals.

Cost: Three-day Southern Utah Cost: $5,155

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Basecamp Adventure

Designed to fill your summer with meaning and adventure, this multi-sport program weaves together several activities such as day hiking, mountain biking, fishing, glass blowing, and yoga. With each activity, we will start with the basics and progressively move to more advanced skills so that we meet each individual where they are are at. Communication and team support will be important as you experience each element of this program. Several times each day, you will be given time to practice mindfulness and to learn new therapeutic skills. With the basecamp model, days will be spent exploring the area and participants will return to a single family home environment in the evening. Modern conveniences such as beds and running water will prepare you for a restful night. All costs listed for three participants:

Cost: Three-day Northern Utah: $6,000
          Five-day Southern Utah: $10,950
          Five-day Northern Utah: $10,500

Custom Trips Are Also Available

Contact us to start planning your experience. We have the flexibility to create three to 30-day programs within the US. Please allow us at least a two-week lead time to create a custom trip for you. Due to the pandemic, we are currently postponing all international trips at this time.

Contact us to Schedule. Phone: 866-411-6600, Email: Pursuits@evoketherapy.com

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Our Participants

Some of the reasons for participating in a Pursuits trip include:

  • Seeking a memorable adventure
  • The need for recharging or rejuvenating
  • The desire to gain greater personal awareness or self-confidence
  • A quest for change, even if that change is still to be determined
  • To encourage family connection
  • The need to schedule activities during a school break
  • To help support sobriety
  • Evoke alumni and families looking to reconnect with wilderness
  • Just to step out of your comfort zone

Evoke Therapy Pursuits is not a fit for those with recent suicide or self harm attempts, a history of violent behavior, chemical dependency, or serious eating disorders. Please contact us if you or your child is not eligible for this program due to the aforementioned and we can assist you in seeking appropriate treatment.

Our Guides & Safety

Our Pursuits leaders and staff are extensively trained and experienced outdoor guides as well as therapeutic mentors and teachers. All lead Pursuits guides have at least four years of experience in group facilitation and leading adventure trips. All Pursuits guides maintain certification as Wilderness First Responders, and training in wilderness risk management, Leave No Trace ethics, communication skills, therapeutic mentoring, and group facilitation. We contract with established local professionals to help navigate all local considerations. Evoke’s own Support Team is on-call 24/7 during all Pursuits trips and is dedicated to ensuring quality programming with acute attention to safety for all participants. Our on-site Pursuits leaders honor each individual’s journey, enhance everyone’s emotional security, and are there to help facilitate the most meaningful experience.

Contact us to Schedule. Phone: 866-411-6600, Email: Pursuits@evoketherapy.com

"The most impactful part of our Pursuits trip was the opportunity to listen to our son, and his willingness to be open and share his feelings with us. From the impromptu conversations around the kitchen table, to our session with a therapist along the Virgin River in Zion, this was the most meaningful time I have spent with my son in my memory. Through our work at Evoke, I am now able to hear my son. Thank you." -Family Pursuit participant

"We are thrilled with our decision to take an Evoke pursuits trip during our son’s transition from the wilderness program to therapeutic boarding school. We appreciated the therapeutically-supported reunion full of meaningful conversations, check-ins, experiential processing, and ceremony. We got to see him bust a fire and glow with pride as he led us on a cross-country hike through the beautiful Utah desert. We had the chance to practice our new skills and deepen our connections with each other. Our whole family was transformed by his stay with Evoke, and this trip was a crucial step in weaving it all together. This was a top-notch and very impactful experience for us!" -Blake and Monica

"This trip exceeded all of my hopes. The staff were kind, compassionate, and capable." -Layla