Eva Carlston Academy
Explore the heart and soul of Eva Carlston Academy, nestled in the urban landscape of Salt Lake City, Utah, through this official showcase. Here, we spotlight the academy’s profound dedication to shaping the leaders of tomorrow and its active role in community enrichment. This platform serves as a testament to the academy’s holistic approach to education, blending rigorous academic pursuits with deep emotional and behavioral support. We celebrate the relentless commitment of Eva Carlston Academy to mentorship, community service, and the cultivation of an environment where young women can thrive and contribute meaningfully to society. Join us in honoring the academy’s mission to empower its students with the skills, confidence, and compassion needed to navigate and improve the world around them.
Eva Carlston Academy – Where Healing and Creativity Meet
Eva Carlston Academy is a licensed residential treatment center for teenage girls in the State of Utah, built on the belief that healing, growth, and self-discovery flourish when art and therapy work hand in hand. Nestled in the heart of Salt Lake City, Eva Carlston provides a safe and inspiring environment where young women who have struggled deeply can find their place in the world, uncover a passion that fuels them, and build a life filled with purpose and possibility.
With the guiding motto, “Find your place. Find your passion. Find your life,” the Academy offers a distinctive blend of sophisticated therapy, individualized mentorship, accredited academics, and an arts-centered curriculum. This combination is designed not only to address the challenges students face—such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and low self-esteem—but also to help them grow into confident, capable, and creative young adults ready to re-engage with their families, their communities, and themselves.
Find Your Place
The journey at Eva Carlston Academy begins with creating a sense of home. The program is spread across two elegantly appointed houses in urban Salt Lake City, each carefully designed to be both beautiful and comfortable. With only 12 to 16 girls per house, these spaces encourage an intimate, family-like environment where students feel safe, valued, and heard.
Living in the city gives students access to cultural resources, art galleries, performances, and community events—broadening their horizons and connecting them to a wider world. The small community within each house allows friendships to grow quickly and deeply, giving every girl the opportunity to find her own voice in a place where she truly belongs.
Find Your Passion
Central to the Eva Carlston Academy philosophy is the belief that discovering a passion is essential for lasting healing. Students are encouraged to explore and experiment, with access to a robust program that includes art therapy, accredited academics, life-skills instruction, and therapeutic recreation.
While therapy addresses emotional and mental well-being, art serves as a powerful language for expression and transformation. Whether it’s painting, photography, writing, or another creative pursuit, the arts offer a way for students to process experiences, express emotions, and imagine new futures. For many, this discovery of “what makes me tick” becomes the foundation for lasting self-esteem and motivation.
Find Your Life
Eva Carlston Academy is female-owned and operated, and its leadership and staff are deeply committed to mentoring young women. Highly accomplished therapists, teachers, and staff members bring expertise, compassion, and a genuine passion for their work. They serve not only as guides through the therapeutic process but also as role models—demonstrating resilience, creativity, and professional accomplishment. Male staff members provide a complementary perspective, helping students develop healthy and confident ways of relating to men.
Every interaction at Eva Carlston is intentional. Students are encouraged to face challenges, celebrate progress, and develop the skills they need to transition back into their communities with confidence.
The Team Behind the Mission
- Kristi Ragsdale, MPA, Founder/CEO – Executive Director of Milieu & Admissions
After many years providing leadership to residential treatment programs, Kristi founded Eva Carlston to fill a critical gap she noticed in treatment options for adolescent girls. Kristi’s professional experiences include serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia, working as an educator and admissions director for residential treatment programs, and serving as the program director for a girls’ therapeutic facility. She also spent several years providing family-preservation in-home services. Kristi earned her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Utah and has been certified in the Teaching-Family Model. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, traveling the world, and practicing yoga.
- Corrie Norman, MPA – Executive Director of Academics and Regulatory Compliance
With a career spanning over 20 years working with young people and their families, Corrie has served in a variety of settings, including residential treatment, day treatment, foster care, and in-home family-preservation services. Her professional journey includes roles as a trainer, consultant, business developer, Operations Director, and Academic Director. She brings a personal interest in research and a dedication to employing data-driven best practices to support student growth and program success. As Associate Executive Director, Corrie lends a wide variety of experience and enthusiasm to the team at Eva Carlston. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Utah and is nationally certified as a Teaching-Family Model evaluator and trainer. With four children, her personal interests are happily consumed by family activities. She also enjoys reading, cooking, outdoor adventures, and music.
- Sue Johansen-Hoffman – Executive Director of Clinical Services
During more than two decades working with families, Sue has served as an outreach worker, program director, and executive director in therapeutic programs, including a child-abuse shelter and a women’s substance-abuse program. Since 2005, she has specialized in supporting victims of trauma and abuse in residential treatment. Her education includes a bachelor’s degree in family and human studies, a master’s degree in social work, and clinical licensure. Sue enjoys exploring the cultural and outdoor offerings of the Wasatch Front, bird watching along Utah’s migratory paths, and indulging in her passion for chocolate.
- Ally Jackson – Admissions Director
Since 2013, Ally has worked in admissions and outreach for residential treatment and wilderness therapy programs. Her degree in psychology and her experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate give her a deep understanding of the challenges families face. Ally’s compassion, warmth, and professionalism guide families through the admissions process, helping them feel supported from the very first conversation. - Monica Matthews, CSW – Therapist
Monica brings warmth, skill, and a strength-focused approach to therapy, using evidence-based techniques such as motivational interviewing, CBT, DBT, and solution-focused modalities. She believes in the astounding resilience of the human spirit and is passionate about guiding each student on her unique path to healing. Outside of work, Monica enjoys Utah’s natural beauty, traveling, and spending time with her family. - Giselle Morgan – Art Teacher
With a camera in one hand and a novel in the works, Giselle helps students transform ideas into art. In her classroom, creativity meets context, and every blank page or canvas holds limitless potential. She inspires her students to take bold first steps, embrace experimentation, and trust their creative instincts. - Darren Peterson – Photography Teacher
A lifelong photographer with a talent for helping students see beauty in everyday moments, Darren has been with Eva Carlston since day one. Over more than a decade, he has developed a photography program that teaches technical skills while also encouraging mindfulness, observation, and appreciation of life’s details.
Healing in Community
At Eva Carlston Academy, healing is not an isolated experience—it happens in the context of community. Through group therapy, shared activities, and peer support, students build trust, confidence, and relationships that last long after they leave the program. Staff members intentionally cultivate an environment where students learn to listen, empathize, and encourage one another.
The Academy also integrates animal-assisted therapy into its programming. The gentle presence of an animal can reduce stress, foster trust, and open emotional doors that might otherwise remain closed. These interactions help students connect on a deeper level and explore new ways of relating to the world.
Beyond the Mirror
Eva Carlston Academy’s therapeutic philosophy extends to body image and self-esteem. In workshops and daily interactions, students are encouraged to notice unhelpful thoughts and practice kindness toward themselves. Simple strategies—like pausing before a critical “mirror moment” and replacing it with affirming self-talk—help girls rebuild trust in their bodies and themselves.
A Place of Hope and Transformation
For many families, Eva Carlston Academy is a turning point—a place where the overwhelming challenges of adolescence are met with understanding, structure, and creativity. By the time students leave, they have not only addressed their struggles but also discovered passions, built lifelong skills, and developed a renewed sense of identity.
Whether through the lens of a camera, the creation of a painting, a shared meal, or a moment of quiet reflection, every experience at Eva Carlston Academy is part of a larger tapestry of growth and healing. Here, teenage girls are empowered to find their place, uncover their passion, and embrace a life they can live with confidence, purpose, and joy.