Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

Dr. 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 1988 and the challenges she has faced as a professional and a woman in the field. Maddy shares how Legacy and Juniper Canyon have been working with insurance companies to get reimbursement for services and her thoughts on where the wilderness field is heading. Bio from Legacy Website: Dr. Madolyn ("Maddy") spent her childhood traveling and moving throughout The West. Her family spent time in many of the western states before settling in Southern Utah. Dr. Maddy grew up appreciating the outdoors and spending as much time as possible outside.

She grew up to become an educator, teaching both English and history at a high school in Utah. She loved getting to know her students and was inspired to become a school counselor. While working as a high school counselor, Dr. Maddy started leading short wilderness trips as a drop-out prevention program in 1978. She was struck by the powerful experience her students had in the wilderness and while earning her Ph.D. wrote her dissertation about these "survival trips," noting the positive impact they had on adolescents. What she might not have realized at the time, was that she was developing and shaping what would become the field of Wilderness Therapy.

In 1988, Dr. Maddy was part of the team that founded Aspen Achievement Academy. She was integral in establishing that program and went on to advise the State of Utah as they created systems and regulations for the emerging field of Wilderness Therapy. Over the course of the next several decades, Maddy continued her work in the field, only taking time off to raise her own family.

Dr. Maddy still finds time to get outside herself, and enjoys being with her children and grandchildren.

Dawn 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 treatment, but it was not until completing a wilderness therapy program and an aftercare program that he experienced longer-term sobriety. Dawn also shares her experience of writing the book and starting a parent support organization.

Dawn's Bio from her Amazon Author Page:

Dawn McCord is a wife and a fiercely loyal and protective momma bear of two sons. During their teen years the boys did what most teens do, they experimented with drugs and alcohol. However, one son quickly opened the door to addiction and the chasing began. As her family endured the ups and downs of substance use and the ins and outs of rehab, Dawn wanted to know what in the world was different with this age group and their use and why were overdoses becoming the norm. Dawn has a passion to help other parents not feel so alone in their journey by sharing their story and resources. She greatly desires to continue the conversation on how to educate our adolescents about the disease of addiction. Visit www.adolescentaddictionandrecovery.com

How 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 wilderness therapy.

About the host: Will White is a nationally recognized practitioner, researcher, and speaker on the history of adventure and wilderness therapy. He received his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver and his Doctorate in Leadership from Franklin Pierce University. His dissertation is the first in-depth chronicle of the history of wilderness and adventure therapy. He contributed a history chapter to the book Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. He is the author of the book, Stories from the Field: A History of Wilderness Therapy. He is also the host of the podcast, Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy. He has been profiled in Outside Online, the Today Show as well as Beautiful News.

Will recently founded White Mountain Adventure Institute which provides adventure therapy training, consultation, and therapy.

In 1996 he co-founded Summit Achievement, a hybrid wilderness therapy program in Maine that continues to operate in its original location.

He is a passionate advocate for the use of wilderness/ adventure therapy as a catalyst for change. He has taught Adventure and Wilderness Therapy classes at Plymouth State University for almost two decades.

Will lives in Northern New Hampshire with his lifelong partner and sons.

Tami 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 wilderness therapy.

To buy a copy of the book check out this Link to Amazon.

Here is a synopsis of the book from the Amazon Page:

Taken to a Wilderness Therapy program in the remote canyons of Utah, a struggling teenager named TJ embarks on a life-changing journey. He spends three months off-grid while learning the coping mechanisms to become emotionally resilient.

This intimate and heartfelt memoir, woven throughout with letters and journal accounts, offers a unique view of the wilderness experience that has frequently been shrouded in mystery or misunderstood. The story is told with the hero's journey as a framework while illuminating details of experiential outdoor therapy and its advantages for adolescents and young adults suffering from mental health issues, addictions, or suicidal thoughts.

Written for parents or caregivers who have made, or are considering, the difficult decision to place their child in a Wilderness Therapy program. As a teen, the author's son attended both a wilderness program and a therapeutic boarding school. He and his mom then collaborated on this book to help others learn about the process of outdoor behavioral therapy, which shares his personal story and his family's parallel journey toward healing.

What 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 Achievement.

Nichol's Bio from Summit's Webpage:

Nichol is a lifelong Mainer. He was born in Portland. Nichol spent his childhood enjoying all that the ocean and mountains of Maine have to offer. Nichol has only once lived out of the state to pursue his undergraduate degree at Brown University. Nichol then fulfilled his lifelong dream of moving west by migrating west of Portland toward the border of New Hampshire, where he now lives.

Nichol spent many years as a field guide at Summit, beginning in the fall of 2003. Inspired by his work at Summit, Nichol received his Masters In Social work from the University Of New England. He began working full-time as a therapist at Summit in 2008.

Later, Nichol became the Clinical Director of Summit Achievement. He served in that role for many years, though now he is currently the Executive Director of Summit Achievement. While he loves his leadership role, he still carries a small caseload as a therapist. Nichol's areas of expertise include cognitive-behavioral therapy, family systems theory, and social coaching. Additionally, Nichol is certified in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy) and Mindfulness. In 2018 Nichol became a co-owner of Summit.

Nichol and his certified therapy dog, Baxter, are often found walking through the woods with students or joining them on their wilderness expeditions. When not working with students and families, Nichol can be found working on his small farm in Western Maine with his family cultivating therapeutic metaphors.

Wilderness 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 dyslexia.

Sanford's Bio from the Evoke Website: Sanford Shapiro, M.Ed

Learning Specialist & Executive Consultant for Evoke Therapy Programs

Sanford Shapiro is a learning disabilities specialist who is a highly sought after trainer and speaker, noted for his ability to bridge gaps between therapy and cognitive science. He has been interviewed on TV and in print for his insights into learning differences and social-emotional concerns.

Education & Prior Work Experience

Sanford has had an extensive career as a teacher-trainer, school director and special needs consultant. Sanford's knowledge is steeped in research and heart, born from personal and family experience as well as professional and clinical work. Known for his success with dyslexic learners, gifted students and those on the autism spectrum, Sanford's mission has always been grounded by sharp insights about the day-to-day lives of children and adults who learn differently.

Strengths

Sanford has lived abroad in Australia as well as the west coast and mountain ranges of the northwestern U.S. Sanford was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and lived and worked in Appalachia and New England. These diverse experiences have reinforced the idea that different cultures are to be celebrated and yet always finding the joy in common ground.

Interests

Sanford and his wife Debbie, parents of two young adult sons currently live in the beautiful UNESCO world heritage city of Cuenca, Ecuador. This is their current base of operations and life, and enjoy traveling back to the USA for friends, family, and work.

Sanford is also the author of two children's books, A Light Within (2017) and A Light Within My Dyslexia.

Anson's Bio from the Summit Website:

Anson grew up in the West Village of New York City, where he got to experience the vast culture and diversity the city has to offer. As Anson is dyslexic, he went to a special boarding school in midstate New York where he started to develop his love for nature.

Anson attended Unity College in Maine where he received a Bachelor's degree in Outdoor Recreation Administration. Anson first discovered Summit Achievement shortly after graduating college. He was drawn to this work as it allowed him to be outside and give back to youth. He experienced so much support in his journey through dyslexia, and Anson wanted the opportunity to provide that same support to young people.

Anson has worked at Summit Achievement since 2002. Since starting out as a guide, he's held multiple roles at Summit. Currently, Anson serves as the Operations Director, as well as being a co-owner. Anson is responsible for hiring and training guide staff and for overseeing the general day-to-day operations of the program. In addition to his education at Unity College, Anson is also certified as Wilderness First Responder, CPR Instructor, and CPI (Crisis Prevention and Intervention) Instructor.

When Anson is not at Summit, which isn't often, he likes to spend time with his family on the Saco River and enjoys the scenic roads of New Hampshire and Maine on his motorcycle.

Margo 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 works so well.

Margo's bio from the True North Website:

Margo (they/them/theirs) was born and raised in Chicago. They spent their childhood swimming in Lake Michigan, road tripping with their family, and camping throughout the Midwest. They received a bachelor's degree from University of Washington in Seattle, studying Early Education and Anthropology. Margo then traveled to Romania to work with children living in group homes, gaining insight in how environments influence children's resiliency and practicing a strength-based approach within a different worldview. Margo returned to Seattle and spent 8 years working in public schools to build students' social emotional skills and provide wrap-around services for families.

Margo went on to work with clients in crisis who were experiencing sexual assault or domestic violence. This work propelled Margo to earn their Master of Social Work and Master of Education in Human Sexuality from Widener University in Philadelphia, PA. In graduate school, Margo gained valuable experience at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia within the Gender and Sexuality Clinic and Adolescent Health fellowship. They have experience supporting adolescents and young adults with anxiety, depression, disordered eating, gender variance, relationship health, and neurodiversity. Margo specializes in gender and sexuality development, identity formation, and sexual and relationship health.

Margo approaches therapy from a relational, trauma-sensitive, and strengths-based perspective and believes the wilderness offers experiential learning that cultivates growth within the mind, body, and spirit.

Throughout all their work, Margo maintained a strong connection to the outdoors in their personal life, backpacking throughout the pacific northwest, west coast, and now the northeast. Margo continues to enjoy the outdoors through hiking, camping, biking, or snowshoeing. They can also be found puzzling, dancing, rollerblading, cooking, or stooping on their front porch.

For more information about Margo and their group at True North, please take a moment to watch this brief video.

Jamila 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 being a therapist.

Bio from First Light Website:

Jamila joined the First Light Wilderness clinical team in 2021. She is primarily focused on working with our younger students, both male and female. Jamila earned her undergraduate degree at Georgia Southern University and her master's degree in Counseling at Argosy University.

Jamila's clinical experience is extensive, and she is well-versed in working with a a broad range of clinical and family issues, having worked in Georgia's foster care system with complex medical and mental health diagnoses, focusing on family reunification and adoption. Jamila's desire to increase family engagement in therapy led her to incorporate the outdoors and physical movement in order to increase impact and improve outcomes. After 8 years of clinical and case management experience, she immersed herself in wilderness treatment for 2 years, working in direct care with students, as well as facilitating family intensives.

Jamila is passionate about working with younger boys/girls/non-binary students, with individuals with Autism Spectrum diagnoses, learning disabilities, transracial and intercultural adoption, and both episodic and systemic trauma. Her approach is playful and creative, and she is intensively trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and Mindfulness, as well as in non-violent crisis prevention and de-escalation techniques, parent coaching, grief/loss, complex trauma, and sexual trauma.

Jamila is also passionate about increasing BIPOC representation and promoting increased diversity in the field of wilderness therapy, and hopes to have an impact on those who might not otherwise feel represented. She actively works to address the complex issues related to trans-racial adoption and is highly proficient in teaching healthy boundaries, family conflict resolution and positive communication. In her free time, you will likely find Jamila hiking with her dogs or fly-fishing.

Mary 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 treatment.

Mary's bio from Denials Management webpage: Mary Covington is the President of Denials Management, Inc., a healthcare advocacy firm specializing in medical billing, mental health billing, claims and appeals. Mary's experience in healthcare spans 45 years. She began working in the healthcare industry in 1970 and was employed with two major insurance companies through the 1980's. Mary now works primarily with families facing challenging insurance issues related to long-term mental health claims associated with adolescent/young-adult residential and outdoor behavioral health treatment programs

The 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 other resources.

Organizations in this episode have specific guidelines for funding. Please check their websites and donate if you can.

The Jason William Hunt Foundation provides funds for wilderness therapy for teens and young adults from all over the country.

The Parker Bounds Johnson Foundation provides funds for young people ages 10-30 who live in the States of Oregon and Washington for wilderness therapy treatment all over the country.

The LOA Fund provides funds for young adults (ages 18 to 30) to attend wilderness therapy treatment.