Foundation Program is an online guidance course to help teenagers struggling with challenges such as executive functioning, substance abuse, failure to launch patterns, and many other issues.

The Program

The Foundation Program is a psychoeducation guidance course to help teenagers traverse the many pitfalls of adolescence. It equips them with the mental and emotional tools to face difficult challenges in their life, find happiness and successfully launch into adulthood. It is largely based on one simple premise; learn and integrate healthy coping strategies now before you actually need them. Why wait until you are in a crisis to learn the tools to get through a crisis? The typical school system focuses on basic education, regular skill development and intelligence building, but it lacks education in emotional intelligence to help teenagers better deal with the mental challenges of personal, academic, and professional life. On top of that, society, in general, places an over emphasis on external resources, such as; technology, material possessions, alcohol, drugs, movies, music, celebrityhood, glamour, and appearance, as ways to “improve” one’s life or have “better” experiences. 

External resources can only distract us so much before our internal issues need attention. This is why the best tools one can develop to overcome hardship are internal resources. Foundation Program not only teaches teenagers how their mind and emotions work, and what tools will help them cope and strive, but also teaches them how to master tools that will allow them to draw on their internal resources to get through tough times and  make good decisions which will help them avoid a crisis and trauma. It also allows them to build confidence and reasoning skills to better execute plans and succeed at whatever they set their mind to. There are many layers to each course; students will receive psychoeducation, group support, and individual sessions. Through each of our courses, students will learn different areas that will teach and strengthen their knowledge, coping skills, mood, aptitude, awareness, compassion, and executive functioning, and provide them with a healthy foundation that they can rely on for the rest of their life.

Wes Whittaker, MA, CPC
Founder

Wes Whittaker is the Founder and Key Facilitator of Foundation Program. He has been working in the mental health field for over 10 years. He has worked with adults, couples, families, teenagers and kids, helping them with a wide range of issues including; depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, and executive dysfunction. He specifically has experience working with teenagers while they are in a crisis or recovering from one. For several years, Wes worked as a Primary Therapist at Red Mountain Sedona, which is considered one of the top treatment facilities for young adults in the United States. He holds a Master’s degree in Contemplative Psychology from Naropa University where he studied both Western and Eastern approaches to psychology with a strong emphasis on cultivating mindfulness and compassion along with learning many leading-edge Western techniques of psychotherapy. His clinical approach draws on mindfulness principles which have been shown effective in the fields of psychology and neuroscience after many scientific studies validating their effectiveness in helping people cultivate good mental health. He also received his Life Coach certificate from Fowler International Academy, where he learned tools to help clients develop skills and mindsets to achieve goals and improve their lives. 

Our minds are absolutely brilliant when we are teenagers, but, as in any stage of life, without the right coping skills, our emotions can cloud our ability to tap into that brilliance, which would otherwise allow us to more easily shine.

-Wes Whittaker

Courses

Foundation Program’s innovative approach provides a rich experiential process to help our students effectively learn and integrate the lessons and tools that will help them to lead a happy and fulfilling life.

Foundation 1

  6 Weeks               Online via Zoom
  Next Course Starts: Nov 1st, 2022

In Foundation One we teach you essential lessons, emotional intelligence and tools to help you handle challenges, make informed choices, build healthy relationships, accomplish goals, and be happy.

Program Includes
Weekly 60 min Psychoeducation Class
Weekly 90 min Power Group Session
Weekly 30 min One-on-One Session

Foundation 2

  4 Weeks               Online via Zoom
  Available After Foundation 1

In Foundation Two we introduce new concepts and tools to further develop your ability to manage stress, overcome obstacles, master confidence, and achieve success.

Program Includes
Weekly 60 min Psychoeducation Class
Weekly 90 min Power Group Session
Weekly 30 min One-on-One Session

Foundation 3

  4 Weeks               Online via Zoom
  Available After Foundation 2

In Foundation Three we give advanced teachings on emotional intelligence and teach you mind & brain training tools to help you realize your greatest potential.

Program Includes
Weekly 60 min Psychoeducation Class
Weekly 90 min Power Group Session
Weekly 30 min One-on-One Session

Who is this program for?

This program is for all teenagers from ages 13-19, but especially those that are exhibiting risky behavior, mood changes, emotional outbursts, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, teenage substance abuse, poor executive functioning, failure-to-launch patterns, or other major shifts in behavior. If you are looking for schools for troubled teens, then you should consider Foundation Program. While it is an excellent teenage program to help equip any teenager before major issues arise, it is also great for those that are currently going through a major difficulty, or recently went through a life crisis and need tools and support to better regulate emotions, deal with problems and find more balance. It can also be a useful program for teenagers who recently went through a therapeutic wilderness or treatment program and need more time to further integrate coping strategies and develop healthy patterns.