Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
233 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★★ - 70 ratingsStories from the Field: Mental Health in the Outdoors is an authoritative and enlightening podcast that explores the vast landscape of mental health therapies in outdoor settings. Hosted by seasoned mental health professional Dr. Will White, the podcast offers deep insights into outdoor therapies like Adventure Therapy, Eco-Therapy, Wilderness Therapy, and Experiential Therapy, among others.
Dr. White engages with a diverse range of guests, including leading researchers, practitioners, authors, executive directors, guide staff, mental health clinicians, and critics, helping to shed light on the nuances of these unique therapy practices. In addition to exploring the modern implications of these evolving therapeutic modalities, he delves into their rich history, providing a holistic perspective for listeners.
With over 30 years of experience at the juncture of mental health and outdoor environments, Dr. White's expertise is unparalleled. As a co-founder of the pioneering Summit Achievement, an adventure therapy program based in Maine, he has been a guiding force in the field since the 1990s. His scholarly contributions include the book "Stories from the Field: A History of Wilderness Therapy" and a chapter in "Adventure Therapy: Theories, Research, and Practice." His doctorate work, "Stories from the Elders: Chronicles and Narratives from the Early Years of Wilderness Therapy," traced the origins and evolution of this specialized field.
To connect with Dr. White, visit storiesfromthefield.com. Listen to this immersive podcast to understand the power and potential of outdoor therapies in addressing mental health concerns.
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Episodes
181: York Ast, Parent of a Wilderness Therapy Student
January 03, 2023 10:20 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBYork Ast is the parent of a wilderness therapy student and the membership ambassador for Other Parents Like Me (OPLM.com), an online parent support platform. York shares his family's story of how they learned about wilderness therapy after their son had entered his second inpatient psychiatric stay and continued to struggle. His son would enroll in a wilderness program in Georgia in March 2020. York reveals that everything in their family's life changed due to the timing of the enrollment as...
180: Liz Reitman, Parent of a Wilderness Therapy Student and Co-founder of Other Parents Like Me
December 28, 2022 11:21 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBLiz Reitman is the parent of a wilderness therapy student and co-founder of Other Parents Like Me (OPLM.com), a subscription-based online platform for parents of young people struggling with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Liz shares information about the support platform and her personal story about wilderness therapy. Liz reveals how having her son attend a wilderness therapy program changed her life and what she recommends for parents whose teens are in a wilderness therapy...
179: George J. Grinnell, author of "A Death on the Barrens: A True Story of Courage and Tragedy in the Canadian Arctic."
December 12, 2022 22:11 - 1 hour - 74.3 MBGeorge Grinnell is the author of "A Death on the Barrens: A True Story of Courage and Tragedy in the Canadian Arctic" and a retired history professor. George shares the harrowing tale of how, in 1955, at the age of 22, he took part in an epic canoe expedition in the arctic that resulted in a tragedy, redemption and personal transformation. George reveals how the intensity of this rite of passage journey became a spiritual odyssey that changed how he viewed himself and the world. George sh...
178: Why I am leaving Wilderness Therapy
December 06, 2022 10:00 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBIn this special episode, Will White, one of the co-founders of Summit Achievement, a hybrid wilderness therapy program in Maine, and host of the Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy podcast, reveals why, in some ways, he is leaving wilderness therapy. Will hands the hosting duties to long-time friend Patrick McAvoy, the admissions director at New Visions in Wisconsin. Patrick interviews Will about his recent decision to step away from wilderness therapy and his thoughts on...
177: Lisa Sutton, Founder of Sutton Enterprises
November 28, 2022 23:30 - 49 minutes - 45 MBLisa Sutton is the founder and director of Sutton Enterprises. Lisa provides advice and outreach services for several young adult programs, including Bodhi Casa and Passages Alaska. Lisa is an elder in the field with a long list of different organizations she has been part of her over thirty years working in the field. Lisa shares her journey into wilderness therapy, from being raised in New Jersey to working with adjudicated youth on wagon trains in Arizona, where she would work for twe...
176: Daniel Rogers, Director of CityScape Therapy
November 15, 2022 09:40 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBDaniel Rogers is the Director of CityScape Therapy in New York City, Alumni Coordinator of Legacy Outdoor Adventures in Utah, and a former wilderness therapy client. Daniel shares his journey into the field, from growing up in New York to attending the University of Michigan while struggling with substance use disorder and anxiety. Upon graduation, he worked for a couple of years in New York City and tried to get help at an inpatient treatment program but could not maintain sobriety. Daniel ...
175: Evan Oppenheimer, Primary Therapist at True North
November 07, 2022 21:01 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBEvan Oppenheimer is a young adult therapist at True North Wilderness Program in Vermont. Evan’s journey into the field began at a young age while living on Long Island, N.Y., and heading north in the summers to attend camp. Evan shares why he was drawn to wilderness therapy, his time as a wilderness guide in different parts of the world, and why he decided to leave his busy practice as a psychotherapist in New York City to become a clinician at a wilderness therapy program in Vermont. He ...
174: Mark Oerther, Chief Development Officer at Balance House
November 01, 2022 09:19 - 45 minutes - 41.2 MBMark Oerther is the Chief Development Officer at Balance House, a young adult dual-diagnosis treatment program in Utah. Mark is a person with a purpose: to help young people and their families start the healing process. Mark shares his unique journey into the field, from being a troubled young man following a jam band across the country for over two years to becoming sober and pivoting to follow a path of service to others for over 20 years. Mark tells stories about his time working at vari...
173: Dr. Mona Treadway, Co-founder of Dragonfly Transitions
October 24, 2022 21:55 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBMona Treadway is the Co-founder of Dragonfly Transitions located in Oregon. Mona is an insightful leader in the field and helped Dragonfly grow to have three separate locations where struggling young adults can pursue life goals with support and guidance. Mona shares how she and co-founder Glen White started the program in June 2000, then named Dragonfly Adventures, and that it was initially a wilderness therapy program for adolescents and young adults. Mona shares why they decided to change...
172: Bob Hennen, Primary Therapist at Emerald Arrow
October 11, 2022 10:50 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBBob Hennen is a primary therapist at Blue Ridge Wilderness Therapy's Emerald Arrow, a young adult wilderness program in Georgia. Bob shares his unusual journey into the field, how wilderness therapy helps young people struggling with substance use disorder and how he approaches treatment from a relational perspective. Bob reveals that he initially had concerns about working in wilderness therapy and how those concerns changed after working in the field. Bob discusses why wilderness therapy ...
171: Carson McCord, Former Wilderness Therapy Student and Current Field Guide
October 04, 2022 12:47 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBCarson McCord is a former wilderness therapy student whose struggles with addiction and path to recovery are the subject of the book "Chasing Carson: A Family's Journey through Adolescence, Addiction and Recovery," written by his mother. The book is a powerful memoir about his and his family's experience with addiction and how wilderness therapy helped all of them to heal. Carson shares his perspectives on the book, his recovery process, and how wilderness helped. Carson shares how he decide...
170: Jill Allen, CEO of Brightstone Transitions
September 27, 2022 10:35 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MBJill Allen is the CEO of Brightstone Transitions in Georgia and Brightstone Family of Programs, including Wisdom Ranch in Idaho and Point School in Puerto Rico. Brightstone Family of Programs provides services for young adults in different locations depending on their needs. Many Brightstones Family of Program clients have attended young adult wilderness therapy programs before enrolling. Jill shares her journey into the field, from being raised in Vermont to working at a therapeutic scho...
169: Alex Mufson, Founder and CEO of Aspen Growth Coaching
September 13, 2022 10:26 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBAlex Mufson is the founder and CEO of Aspen Growth Coaching, which is a team of "specialized coaches that help turn insight into sustainable action, supporting individuals and families to move towards a healthier life." Alex shares her journey into the field, the history of Aspen Growth Coaching, and how she went from helping animals to helping families. She reveals how Aspen Growth Coaching, with its remote coaching model, filled a particular niche in the field and the differences between ...
168: Patrick Hawkins, Founder of Triple Divide Lodge
August 30, 2022 10:11 - 56 minutes - 52 MBPatrick Hawkins is the founder of Triple Divide Lodge in Montana. Triple Divide Lodge is a 90-day program that combines residential treatment and wilderness therapy expeditions for boys ages 14-19. Patrick founded the program in 2021 and shares how this substance abuse treatment program works and how it differs from other wilderness programs. Patrick talks about what inspired him to work in wilderness therapy, including his over 25 years of working at the first-of-its-kind Wilderness Treatme...
167: Lucy Pritzker, author of “Crisis Interrupted: A Parents Guide to Residential Treatment for Children, Teens & Young Adults"
August 16, 2022 10:50 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBLucy Pritzker is an author, educational consultant, and founder of Elm Street Placements, Inc. Lucy shares her journey into the field which began with one of her children began struggling at a young age. She reveals the challenges the family went through to get the help they needed and how the long and difficult journey resulted in her pivoting in her career to become an educational consultant. After a decade of being an educational consultant, Lucy decided to write a guidebook to help pa...
166. Matt Nannis, Founder and Executive Director of PIVOTpoint
June 15, 2022 10:17 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MBMatt Nannis is the Founder and Executive Director of PIVOTpoint. PIVOTpoint is a non-profit organization that provides outpatient "Therapeutic Adventure Work" through various outdoor programs in and around the Asheville, North Carolina area. Matt shares his journey into the field and how he experienced the power of therapeutic wilderness experiences while going through a healing process for himself. Matt describes what inspired him to start Pivotpoint, why it is a non-profit organization, an...
165. Beth Laughlin, Director of 360 Transition Services
June 08, 2022 10:29 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBBeth Laughlin is the Program Director and owner of 360 Transition Services which "helps adolescents and young adults successfully transition from treatment to home, college, or independence." Beth shares her journey into the field, the history of 360 transitions, and the benefits of coaching for parents and young people. Beth reveals how young people often prefer " therapy incognito," how parents should look at regression after discharge from wilderness treatment, and how the field has chang...
164. Psychological Testing and Wilderness Therapy
June 01, 2022 10:21 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MBDr. Todd Corelli (Drtoddtalks.com) is a clinical psychologist who has been providing psychological testing for young people in wilderness therapy programs for over 20 years. Todd discusses the benefits of delivering testing in wilderness settings, some of the major issues he sees, and how testing results have changed in the last decade. Todd shares how the pandemic and isolation have taken a toll on young people and what helps to get them through it. He reveals an upcoming book and video ser...
163: Mark Adamski, Founder of Wilderness Reboot
May 25, 2022 10:37 - 44 minutes - 41 MBMark Adamski is the founder of Wilderness Reboot, a new "alumni network for students after leaving wilderness therapy." Mark shares his journey into the field, from learning about outdoor leadership in high school to working as an outdoor guide in Norway to transitioning to being a wilderness therapy field guide at Pacific Quest in Hawaii and then working at Pure Life in Costa Rica. When the pandemic began, Mark left wilderness therapy to pursue a graduate school education and started a coac...
162: Shayna Abraham, Founder of Prepare to Bloom and Co-founder of Therapeutic Consulting Association
May 12, 2022 10:50 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBIn this episode, we talk with Shayna Abraham, the founder of Prepare to Bloom, a therapeutic consulting practice, and the Therapeutic Consultant Association (TCA) co-founder. Shayna shares the origin story of TCA, how a Therapeutic Consultant can help parents and each other grow, and how TCA is evolving. Shayna shares her wisdom of almost 20 years in the field, how therapeutic programs are needed now more than ever, and what she would say to a room full of wilderness therapy practitioners. A...
161. What is Coaching, and how does Wonder help families?
May 04, 2022 10:16 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBDave Herz is the founder of Wonder: A Confident Living Company, which "supports families through coaching and therapy in real-life settings." Dave shares a brief history of Wonder, how the organization began and evolved over twenty years and how he met co-founder Willow Rubin. Dave discusses the differences between coaching and therapy and how coaching can help young people and their parents before, during, or after attending a wilderness therapy program. Dave also explores the changes he has...
160. What is a "Therapeutic Consultant" ?
April 20, 2022 10:59 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBJoanna Lilley is the Chairperson of the Therapeutic Consultant Association (TCA) and a practicing Therapeutic Consultant who previously worked in wilderness therapy. In this episode, Joanna shares a brief history of TCA, why the organization began, and how a Therapeutic Consultant can help parents and other caregivers when considering a wilderness therapy program for their teen or young adult. She also dives into the different approaches that a therapeutic consultant may use to help a family....
159: What is "Solutions Parenting Support"?
April 13, 2022 11:28 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBHilary Moses is co-owner and parent coach of Solutions Parenting Support and has a long history of working in wilderness therapy. In this episode, Hilary shares how being authentic and compassionate bad-ass has allowed her to challenge systems, whether it be a parent system or the field of wilderness therapy as a whole. Hilary shares how she became frustrated with how so many young people she worked with as a therapist in a wilderness therapy program in the 2010s went onto residential treatm...
158: Exploring "All Kinds of Therapy"
April 06, 2022 10:54 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBWe explore the All Kinds of Therapy (AKOT) website which provides a resource for those interested in learning more about behavioral healthcare, including wilderness therapy. In this episode, we dialogue with the founder of AKOT, Jenney Wilder, about the intention of the website, the monthly newsletter, program listings, jobs section, blog posts and the Expert Section. Season 13 of Stories from the Field is sponsored by AKOT and will focus on experts who help families navigate treatment opti...
157: Dr. Fred Peipman, Primary Therapist at Second Nature
March 23, 2022 10:23 - 51 minutes - 47.6 MBDr. Fred Peipman is a therapist at Second Nature and works primarily with an adolescent all-gender group. Fred shares his fascinating story of growing up on the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea and leaving there at 15 to go to school in the United States. He reveals his unique path to becoming a psychologist, his research background, and how he learned about wilderness therapy by bringing several private practice adolescent clients in Miami to enroll in different programs in Utah in the...
156: Casie Fariello, Co-founder of Other Parents Like Me
March 16, 2022 10:29 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBCasie Fariello is the co-founder of Other Parents Like Me (OPLM.com), a subscription-based online platform designed to support parents of young people struggling with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Casie shares how she met the other two co-founders of OPLM during one of the most challenging times in their lives when their children were in treatment. She shares how the organization was developed, how it provides daily support groups, weekly speakers, and peer-to-peer help, a...
155: Dr. Thomas Doherty: Ecopsychology Researcher, Therapist and Podcaster
March 09, 2022 11:35 - 57 minutes - 53.1 MBDr. Thomas Doherty is one of the foremost authorities on Ecopsychology and is a widely sought-after researcher and speaker on how climate change impacts mental health. He is the co-host of the new podcast, Climate Change and Happiness, and has a private practice in Portland, Oregon. Thomas shares his early career highlights of being a field guide in a wilderness therapy program for inner-city youth in Arizona and a therapist in a wilderness therapy program in Oregon. Thomas discusses how he...
154: Trauma and Wilderness Therapy
February 23, 2022 12:11 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBHow can wilderness therapy help young people suffering from trauma? Is transporting young people to wilderness therapy traumatizing? We explore these topics and more with Steve Sawyer, Co-Founder/Chief Clinical Consultant of New Vision Wilderness. Steve has been a long-time champion of trauma-informed care and entered the wilderness therapy field when there was little discussion about trauma in behavioral healthcare. Steve shares his thoughts about trauma-informed care versus trauma-responsi...
153: The Legacy of Adam Tsapis
February 16, 2022 11:14 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBIn this special episode, we honor and explore the legacy of the late Adam Tsapis, Summit Achievement co-founder, tall ship captain, father, partner, friend to all, and advocate for wilderness therapy in its many forms. The first segment features archival audio recordings of Adam sharing some stories about his life and the early years of Summit Achievement with other Summit co-founders. The second segment is an interview with Tobie Feigenbaum, Adam's widow, on what she sees as Adam's legacy a...
152: Dr. Madolyn Liebing, Clinical Director of Legacy Outdoor Adventures and Juniper Recovery Center for Women
February 09, 2022 11:27 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBDr. Madolyn ("Maddy") Liebing is the Clinical Director of Legacy Outdoor Adventures and Juniper Recovery Center for Women. Maddy is a historical figure in wilderness therapy and has worked in the field since the 1970s. She was the first licensed psychologist to work in a primitive skills-oriented wilderness therapy program and helped develop many accreditation standards. She shares several stories, including the co-founding Wilderness Academy (later known as Aspen Achievement Academy) in 198...
151: Dawn McCord, author of "Chasing Carson: A Family's Journey through Adolescence, Addiction and Recovery"
January 26, 2022 14:20 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBDawn McCord is the author of the new book, "Chasing Carson: A Family's Journey through Adolescence, Addiction and Recovery," a powerful memoir about her family's experience with addiction, which includes participating in a wilderness therapy program that helped them all begin to heal. Dawn shares the story of how her son, Carson, a natural athlete and risk-taker and, by high school, progressed to having a substance use disorder. They had tried outpatient, inpatient, and residential treatme...
150: How is the Wilderness Therapy Field Changing?
January 18, 2022 11:01 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBHow is the field of wilderness therapy changing, and is it changing faster than ever before? In this special 150th episode, we will explore these questions by looking at the impact of the controversies related to the field and how the pandemic is changing many aspects of providing services. This episode will dive into different episodes from the podcast to reveal which interviews and topics were the most downloaded in the series and how those conversations may reflect changes related to wild...
149: Tami Ann, author of "A Wilderness Journey: The Story of a Teen’s Road to Healing"
December 15, 2021 12:10 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBTami Ann is the author of the new book, "A Wilderness Journey: The Story of a Teen’s Road to Healing" which is a heartfelt memoir about her son's and her family's wilderness therapy journey at a primitive skills-oriented wilderness program. Tami describes the writing of the book, the influence of Joseph Campbell on the framework, and how she involved family in the process. Tami shares what she learned about herself while writing the book and recommendations for parents of young people in wil...
148: After Wilderness Therapy
December 07, 2021 12:09 - 28 minutes - 26 MBWhat happens after a young person discharges from a wilderness therapy program? Do they transition home, therapeutic boarding school, or to a traditional school environment? This episode discusses aftercare planning at wilderness therapy programs for teens and how it has changed over 20 years, with more young people returning home or other traditional settings with support from coaches and outpatient therapists. We dive into this topic with Nichol Ernst, Executive Director at Summit Achieve...
147: Learning differences and Wilderness Therapy
November 30, 2021 13:09 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBWilderness therapy programs have evolved over the last twenty years to better help those with learning differences that impact mental health. Many young people who enroll in wilderness therapy programs have undiagnosed learning differences, including dyslexia, ADHD, etc., that need to be addressed for a healthy change to occur. In this episode, we dive into this topic with Sanford Shapiro, a learning specialist at Evoke, and Anson McNulty, Operations Director at Summit Achievement, who has ...
146: Margo Kelly, Course Leader/Therapist at True North
November 16, 2021 15:23 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBMargo Kelly, MSW, MEd (they/them/theirs) is a course leader/therapist at True North in Vermont. Their journey to wilderness therapy began on a backpacking trip on the Long Trail when they came upon three different people who pointed them in the direction of True North. Margo was intrigued with an offer to be a therapist for the all-gender team and took the job. Margo shares their gender journey, their recommendations for treatment with trans and non-binary youth, and why wilderness therapy ...
145: Jamila Minnifield: Primary Therapist at First Light Wilderness Therapy
November 09, 2021 11:23 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBJamila Minnifield is a therapist at First Light Wilderness in Georgia. Jamila shares the story of her unusual journey to becoming a wilderness therapist, from her serendipitous learning about wilderness therapy on a backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail to being a field guide for over two years, although having already achieved her masters in counseling. Jamila is a trailblazer as she is the second black woman therapist in the field, and she is the first who was a field guide before bein...
144: How to get Insurance Reimbursement for Wilderness Therapy
November 02, 2021 10:34 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBMary Covington is the President of Denials Management, a healthcare advocacy firm specializing in mental health billing, claims, and appeals. Mary explains the critical steps in getting insurance reimbursement for wilderness therapy and how to appeal a denied insurance claim. Mary shares how insurance companies view outdoor behavioral healthcare and how Denials Management has helped parents recoup over 12 million dollars in reimbursement from insurance companies for wilderness therapy treatm...
143: Financial Help for Wilderness Therapy Treatment, Part 2
October 27, 2021 11:02 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBThe cost of wilderness therapy treatment is expensive, yet several organizations will help. In this second of two episodes, we hear stories from leaders of non-profit organizations that help families by providing funds to help pay for wilderness therapy treatment. We talk with John Hunt from Jason William Hunt Foundation, Liz Bounds from the Parker Bounds Johnson Foundation, and Derek Daley from the Loa Fund. We will hear about the history of the organizations, how to apply for funds, and ot...
142: Financial Help for Wilderness Therapy Treatment, Part 1
October 19, 2021 20:39 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBThe cost of wilderness therapy treatment is expensive, yet several organizations will help. In this episode, we hear stories from leaders of non-profit organizations that help families by providing funds to help pay for wilderness therapy treatment. We talk with Debbie Roelands from Skys the Limit Fund, Brad Matheson from Choose Mental Health, and Miriam Miller from Charles N Miller Scholarship fund. We will hear about the history of the organizations, how to apply for funds, and other resou...
141: Philip Stallard, Founder of New Wave Wild Project in Ireland
September 21, 2021 11:07 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBPhil Stallard is the founder of the New Wave Wild Project in Ireland. Philip is the first person outside of the U.S. to become a Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist. Philip's journey into the field was filled was paved with the intention of legitimizing the Adventure Therapy profession in Ireland. He shares his story of how he became interested in the field and why he choose to become a clinical social worker. He goes into the evolution of New Wave and why he was awarded Entrepreneur of t...
140: Harpa Erlendsdottir: Manager of the Icelandic Adventure Therapy Association.
September 14, 2021 10:45 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBHarpa Erlendsdottir is a clinical occupational therapist and the General Manager of the Icelandic Adventure Therapy Association. Growing up in the majestic beauty of Iceland inspired Harpa to become involved in the field. She shares her story of being involved in Scouting and learning about Experiential Education. She would travel to the U.S. to take a course at Project Adventure to learn more. She shares stories about her experiences in the field and the Gathering of Adventure Therapists in...
139: Andy Hardie: Clinical Manager at Venture Trust in the United Kingdom
August 24, 2021 11:29 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBAndy Hardie is the Clinical Manager of Venture Trust in the United Kingdom. Andy shares his journey into the field, which began when heading to the only university that accepted him to study Outdoor Leadership. He would go onto work at the original Outward Bound school. Andy shares how Venture Trust began as a 21-day “boot camp” style wilderness therapy program and has evolved to be a social change agent, including providing Outdoor Therapy for free to young people age 16-25 and ex-service m...
138: Cindy Ross, author of "Walking Toward Peace-Veterans Healing on America's Trails"
August 18, 2021 11:24 - 40 minutes - 36.6 MBCindy Ross is the author of the new book, "Walking Toward Peace- Veterans Healing on America's Trails," which profiles combat veterans who found healing through the outdoors as well as long-distance expeditions. She shares her journey of writing the book and what she learned from veterans. Cindy Ross has written numerous articles and books, including "The World is Our Classroom- How One Family Used Nature and Travel to Shape an Extraordinary Education" and "A Woman's Journey on the Appalac...
137: Jorge Venceslau, Co-founder of Age of Discoveries in Portugal.
August 11, 2021 12:19 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBJorge Venceslau is the program director and co-founder of Age of Discoveries, located in Portugal. Jorge's journey into the field began in his early 20's when he struggled with several issues and found wilderness to be a place of healing. He would become a recovery coach and worked in programs worldwide, including The Crossroads Center in Antigua. He always dreamed of starting his own program, and in this episode, he shares the joys and challenges of creating the first adventure therapy prog...
136: Dr. Virginie Gargano, Founder of Dehors and Professor of Social Work
August 04, 2021 17:36 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBDr. Virginie Gargano is the founder of Dehors an adventure therapy training program located in Quebec, Canada. She is also a professor of Social Work at Université Laval and is a researcher, teacher, and practitioner of adventure therapy. Virginie shares her journey from being a guide at a program that worked with adjudicated youth in the outdoors to going on to get her Masters and Doctorate in Social Work. Virginie also shares her involvement in the International Adventure Therapy Conferenc...
135: Graham Pringle, Program Director of Youth Flourish Outdoors in Australia
July 27, 2021 21:35 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBGraham Pringle is the program director at Youth Flourish Outdoors (YFO) in Australia. Graham shares his story of how he became involved in outdoor therapy after a stint in the military and why it is referred to as Bush Adventure Therapy. Graham compares the similarities and differences in how outdoor therapies are practiced in his country versus the US. He shares how YFO works with traumatized youth in outdoor adventure settings as well as how the organization functions with little governmen...
134: Ray Burke: Founder and CEO of Active Connections in Ireland
July 20, 2021 13:27 - 45 minutes - 41.2 MBRay Burke is the founder of Active Connections in Ireland. Ray shares his story of growing up in Dublin and finding solace in the woods from the challenges of the city. He would venture to the US to work at summer camps and Outward Bound in Oregon. He learned about wilderness therapy at Catherine Freer Wilderness and returned to Ireland for more education so he could bring adventure therapy home. Ray tells the story of starting Active Connections over a decade ago to help transform lives thr...
133: Natalia Ruiz de Cortázar Gracia : Psychologist and General Director of Experientia in Spain
July 13, 2021 22:09 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBNatalia Ruiz de Cortázar Gracia is a psychologist and general director of Experientia located in Spain. Natalia shares how she first heard about wilderness therapy when she was a graduate student in the U.S. and describes how she worked at Wingate and Anasazi. After two years she returned to Spain to work at Experientia. Natalia describes how Experientia is helping young people with mental health challenges with outdoor treatment as well as differences and similarities between the U.S. and S...
132: Research:Transporting Young People to Wilderness: Part 2
July 06, 2021 16:39 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBThis second research episode examines a recently published qualitative study regarding transporting teens to wilderness therapy programs with the researcher Dr. Will Dobud, an affiliated research scientist at the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center at the UNH. The study is titled "Experiences of secure transport in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare- A Narrative Inquiry." Dr. Dobud talks about this study through a social work and a trauma-informed lens and shares its implications for the field. ...