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Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors


Feb 25, 2020

Dr. Brad Reedy is the Clinical Director/Co-Owner of Evoke Therapy Programs. Brad discusses his long career as a wilderness clinician as well as his newest book, "The Audacity to be You." He shares his remarkable journey from being a high school drop out in California to earning his Ph.D. at Brigham Young University to getting hired as a clinician at Aspen Achievement without any wilderness experience. Brad went on to join Second Nature Wilderness as a clinician and then to be a co-founder of Evoke.

From Evoke's webpage: Dr. Reedy began his studies at Brigham Young University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Family Science. Next, he attended Loma Linda University where he received an M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy and then returned to B.Y.U. and completed his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Brad's research and clinical experience includes parenting issues, family trauma, treatment with sexual abuse victims, domestically violent offenders, adults/adolescents with substance abuse issues, eating disordered patients, sexual perpetrators, attachment issues, developmental psychology and children suffering with grief and loss. Brad works with a variety of populations that often include students with dual diagnoses and gifted intelligence. He has served on the board of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs and the Utah Department of Child and Family Services.

After years as a parent educator having broadcast over 1000 webinars on parent and family issues, Brad released the book, The Journey of the Heroic Parent: Your Child's Struggle and the Road Home. Using his personal story and stories from thousands of clients, he shares wisdom on how to think about parenting. Parents are asked to shift from relying on experts for advice to learning how to think about parenting questions by truly understanding themselves and doing their own work. Miles Adcox, Onsite CEO, praises the work as a "must-read for any parent" and Harriet Lerner, author of The Dance of Anger, calls Brad a "gentle, authentic and wise guide."

Most recently, (with his partners Rick Heizer & Matt Hoag), Brad envisioned a company that focused on the whole health of the people it served as well as it's employees. In this spirit, they founded Evoke Therapy Programs where Brad now serves as Clinical Director. He travels the country lecturing, running parenting workshops, and hosting weekly webinars to support parents and families. These broadcasts are also available on your podcast app. His parenting book is used as a foundational principle in the Evoke Therapy Programs model and is also used industry-wide to educate and support families.

Born and raised in Orange County, California, the middle of three boys, Brad was raised by his mother. He grew up surfing, listening to Bob Dylan, and causing his mom a great deal of grief. Brad is married and has four children. He is an avid fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Angels and can be easily engaged in a debate on any sports-related topic.