Our Mission

Pathway Partners is dedicated to finding solutions that provide hope for families and individuals for whom traditional routes have not been leading to success. By integrating treatment modalities with experiential approaches, including community, nature, and education and work, young people who are struggling and suffering can develop a sense of well-being and become active members of society. We provide close support and individualized care. We work with parents and professionals so that children, adolescents and young adults can develop self-efficacy, overcome their challenges, discover their passions and strengths, and build healthier relationships with peers, teachers and family members.

How We Work

We know it is not possible for families and even therapists and educators to thoroughly know and differentiate the variety of programs and approaches that exist and that are powerful in helping people find their strengths and get their lives back. We are here to help you navigate the maze of choices.

We continually investigate and assess programs throughout the United States and neighboring countries so we are able to develop an effective plan for each client based on our extensive knowledge of programs.

We meet and interview families and clients to help them clarify their needs and goals. We then compile information, ascertain possible placements, and guide families to determine the best match. We follow the progress of each individual and their entire family throughout the process.

Our Shared Journey

Many families are in crisis when they begin the search for an appropriate placement for their child or teen who is stuck in some way, struggling or suffering. The stress of trying to find solutions can feel frustrating and overwhelming and that affects everyone in the family. The emotional and financial investments families must make are enormous.

Pathway Partners knows the placement options. We are a team of professionals who specialize in educational alternatives, therapeutic treatments, transitional placements, and crisis interventions. We are here to help you navigate the many options.

Pathway Partners helps you successfully place your family member through our ability to recognize underlying behavioral and emotional issues. We identify the immediate and future needs of the individual and family to develop and pursue a well-orchestrated plan. Our first hand understanding of schools and programs for specific behavioral and emotional needs gives our clients the opportunity for the best placements.

Our expertise in program assessment, working with clients, and understanding and helping families will enable your family member to embark on a path leading to success as well as to create a sense of well-being for the entire family. Our commitment to each individual combined with our intense ongoing research to discover and review state of the art alternatives enable Pathway Partners to provide caring and focused guidance for families.

Pathway Partner Responsibilities

Pathway Partners guides families who are stuck, struggling, and seeking practical steps to move forward. Our expertise in navigating the complex and often overwhelming process of finding an appropriate program for an adolescent or young adult enables us to identify the best options.

We visit, research, and critically evaluate hundreds of programs across the United States and neighboring countries to ensure we have both an in-depth understanding of the places we recommend and key relationships with staff who work with our clients. Our approach is involved, intensive, and comprehensive. We play an active role with the academic and therapeutic teams to make sure the needs of the family and client are being met. The intensive and involved approach we take is significant to our clients.

Our staff includes young adults who have been through the treatment process themselves and have since supported families and clients. We use their first-hand experience to communicate with our clients what it means to get support and what the student experience is in programs. We involve adolescents and young adults in the decisions that affect their lives as much as possible and aim to empower students while they receive support and take alternative routes to becoming successful.

Our Process:

We meet (in person or on phone) and engage the client and family
We collect and organize background information (family and client history)
Based on the information, family goals and needs, and professional insight, we develop a list of best options
We facilitate the review of options and coordinate application
We coordinate the ongoing involved of reffering clinicians, educators and other professionals
We stay involved throughout the program span and then manage transition after
We follow up and always are available to any client or family in need of support

Who We Are

Our team has extensive experience supporting therapeutic processes for individuals and families. We combine clinical expertise with experiential practices to ensure that our clients improve relationships, gain intrinsic motivation, and become more productive in their lives.

Cynthia Cohen - Founder and Director

MSPH Harvard

Cynthia has a Master’s Degree in Public Health and has had extensive leadership experience in healthcare, including mental health, and in education. She established an educational consulting practice focusing on alternative therapeutic programs after her entire family experienced the life changing effects of wilderness therapy. Cynthia believes in the power of strength-based programs, with change and growth coming from within each person. She has made it her life’s work to support those most in need and has become a leader in the world of educational consulting. She is distinguished for her expertise in supporting families through difficult times, bringing forward discussions of significant issues within the field, and in developing efforts to increase clients’ voices in the process of treatment.

Lian Zeitz - Associate

BASc Quest Universty

Lian brings a unique set of skills from his personal experience going through therapeutic programs and work in adolescent mental health, community healing, international development and global health. Lian has toured hundreds of programs across the United States and evaluated each from both student and consultant perspectives. Lian serves as a relentless advocate and companion for our clients, making sure that each individual’s needs are met. He supports families in various ways and brings a valued perspective to every educational and clinical team we work with.

Adam Cohen-Congress - Associate

BASc Quest Universty

Adam recently graduated from Quest University Canada, where he studied psychology and philosophy. Through his work with Pathway Partners, Adam has visited numerous alternative educational and therapeutic programs across the US and neighboring countries. Adam brings a strong awareness of the needs of students in programs and has a critical eye for understanding student experiences. He brings a deep connection to youth and their struggles. Adam operates from a place of compassion for every person. His warm personality and vast knowledge of the field make him a valued member of our team.

Services

There are innumerable modalities for addressing the mental health of children, adolescents and young adults. Pathway Partners works with clients and their families to discern the best options. We travel throughout the United States and neighboring countries to assess programs and learn how they help people grow and change so we can help professionals and families make choices. These brief descriptions represent some of the types of programs which have proven to be successful alternatives to traditional environments and approaches.

WILDERNESS PROGRAMS

Therapeutic wilderness programs serve children, adolescents and young adults. Such programs are often the first step for many clients. Wilderness programs offer a life changing opportunity to develop self-efficacy, motivation, openness to new possibilities, and accountability, enabling participants to embrace their strengths and deal with their challenges. Participants live in nature, often in breath taking settings, together with a community of adults and peers. Participants experience a break from familiar emotional triggers, life without technology, and the opportunity to work together closely with others. Such programs are an extremely effective step in helping clients to find their strengths and become ready to address the issues they truly need to face in order to establish a sense of well-being.

RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT AND THERAPEUTIC BOARDING SCHOOLS

These options are geared to help children, adolescents or young adults who need additional therapeutic interventions either after an initial intensive placement or sometimes as a first step. All of these schools are quite distinct, offering different levels of clinical work, educational support, and other programming and we recommend particular placements for our clients, depending on what the presenting issues are.

BOARDING SCHOOLS

Many adolescents who are struggling at home can function very well in small, supportive boarding schools. There are a multitude of excellent schools which provide educational alternatives and support – whether for learning challenges, social issues or a need for specialized programs.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION

Some programs are specifically directed to helping people who are struggling with substance abuse and addiction. These programs help people address underlying issues that have led them to abuse a variety of substances and sometimes to become addicted.

TRANSITIONAL PROGRAMS

These programs are often oriented to help young adults who have been in other treatment settings and are ready to learn and practice life skills, including living on their own, attending college, and working. Transition programs often provide comprehensive, individualized support that works to build off of an individual’s strengths.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Pathway Partners can help you put together the right mix of community support and treatment options either from the start, to enable a client to stay at home and progress, or after treatment, to support a transition which enables the client to maintain and enhance the gains made in treatment. We also support families in building community and establishing networks of support.

Experiential Services

Testimonials

If all parents could have the incredible luck to find Cynthia Cohen for their first experience they could sleep well at night knowing that their child was in safe hands and would have the very best opportunities for healing and growth in a knowledgeable and caring environment.
-New York ParentClient

When we realized our son needed help beyond what we could provide, we became overwhelmed by the choices. Cynthia has incredible insight and compassion into the problems of both parents and teens. Our experience and the resulting change in our son could not be more positive. We would strongly recommend Pathway Partners to any parent. It will be the smartest decision you will ever make.
Chicago ParentClient

It’s been 5 years since we met Pathway Partners and our son went to Wilderness. It feels like a lifetime but also feels now like it is in the past. I really could not be happier. But my best friend from high school just lost her nephew to heroin at age 21. And that makes me want to scream. Tough times for kids now. Thank you so much for everything. Your work is so very important. There is no way our son would have gotten to where he is now without your help. I wish there was a way I could help other kids and families; it’s a national health crisis, it seems to me.
New YorkClient

We were confused and scared. Pathway Partners moved quickly, professionally and with compassion to match our son with a program that could give him the help he needed. Any parent who is needing assistance with choosing the best possible program for their child and who desires comprehensive and unbiased direction on where to turn for help, should definitely talk with Pathway Partners before making any decisions.
-Colorado ParentClient

Pathway Partners provided us with extremely helpful advice and direction when we were confused and concerned about what kind of school and therapeutic environment would be best for our teenage son. Based on Pathway Partners’ recommendation, he began attending a school where his emotional and academic issues are addressed far better than they were ever addressed before. Pathway Partners has made an invaluable contribution to the well being of my son and of our entire family.
-New York ParentClient

NEWS

Pathway Partner Activities and Publications:

News:

Past Presentations and Publications:

~Young Adult Transition Association (YATA) conference October 19-21^st 2016~

Activating Client Voices

Dan Hanks, Adam Cohen-Congress, Cynthia Cohen, Lian Zeitz

“Is the voice of students heard in young adult treatment programs? What lessons can be learned from current and past students? These questions are the genesis of our presentation that will examine the value of bringing the client voice into the open, significant in their own treatment and program development. A team of current and past clients, program heads, and consultants will spearhead a panel discussion that opens a dialogue on how to activate the client voice to improve treatment and programs. Our experiences participating in programs, visiting and running programs has highlighted the importance of considering these questions. We aim to work together to enhance community – treatment, decision making, and integration back into the community by harnessing the voice of clients and alumni.”

~Wilderness Therapy Symposium August 25th-27th~

The Family Experience: Before, During and After Wilderness

Cynthia Cohen

The Family Throughout the Therapeutic Wilderness Process: Our Stories

“This article explores the experiences of families that have sent struggling adolescents to therapeutic wilderness programs. We employ a modified case study approach, in which we, the participants, are also observers of the experiences of our entire families. The article begins by explaining what wilderness therapy is and offering an overview of research that has examined the effectiveness of therapeutic wilderness programs. We delineate the process of seeking, selecting and participating in wilderness therapy as well as the role of an educational consultant in facilitating this. We describe our experiences from (1) the time we realized and accepted that our children were struggling and suffering to (2) considering sending our children to wilderness therapy to (3) the stresses of the decision making process to (4) what the experience was like for us including participating in a parent workshop to (5) planning the next steps and discharge, and finally to (6) seeing and living the results over the next few years. Areas of growth and struggle are noted. Our children’s perspectives on our families’ development over time and the interactions among us are also discussed.”

Contact Pathway Partners

(917) 754-5284

Cynthia@pathwaypartners.info