Family Support Group

Every other month, Hanbleceya hosts a Family Support Group on a Monday night for the families of clients being treated in our program. Led by Clinical Director, Dr. Ian Wolds and Consulting Director, Dr. Karlyn Pleasants, this group intends to help families become more informed about the significant role they play in their loved one's recovery, to provide an additional level of therapeutic assistance in dealing with their loved one's illness, and to help create an even stronger support base from which to access.

This primary purpose of Hanbleceya’s Family Support Group is to provide a supportive environment in which to connect, interact with, and learn from other family members in a way that promotes understanding and healing.  Research consistently shows that social support is a significant factor in determining which families’ loved ones succeed in treatment.  By putting family members in contact with one another, this group provides a unique opportunity for education, guidance, and assistance with how to develop healthy ways of coping with a family member who is ill, how to best support your loved one’s recovery, and how to take care of yourself throughout the process. 

Hanbleceya’s Family Support Group also serves to reinforce concepts and strategies addressed in family therapy as well as the contributions of outside support services such as Al-Anon or NAMI. In this way, the group functions as an ongoing repository of experience, ideas, and support, shared between people who have faced or are dealing with similar challenges and triumphs in their loved one’s journey toward mental health and independence.  Participation in this important part of your loved one’s therapy is a vital component to optimizing the impact of the treatment plan.

Cedarbrook Lodge near Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SeaTac) has been selected as the venue for these bimonthly meetings.  It is, quite simply, the perfect setting for this meaningful event.  This beautiful resort is located 10 minutes from Hanbleceya and 5 minutes from the airport and provides very comfortable, upscale accommodations for our attendees. For your convenience, the Lodge provides a free shuttle to and from the airport.

Each Family Support Group is preceded by a community-wide outing the Friday beforehand. Families are encouraged to arrive to Seattle early enough to attend the outings, which begin at 1 PM. These outings provide a great opportunity for family, loved-one and the rest of the Hanbleceya Community to socialize and actively participate together in a fun and cohesive setting. 

There are a total of six outings per year, typically scheduled for the last Friday of January, March, May, July, September, & November.  Following is a sample schedule of the outings for the next year:

• January: Bowling
• March: Space Needle and Music Center
• May: Pike's Market and Waterfront
• July: Beach BBQ at the Cove & Client/Staff Softball
• September: Beach BBQ at the Cove
• November: Vashon Island Ferry and Lunch