Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

Misty Blakesley is a Program Manager at The Mountain Center (previously called the Santa Fe Mountain Center) a non-profit community based educational and therapeutic organization that, since 1979, has been dedicated to promoting personal discovery and social change among youth, families and groups through the use of creative learning experiences in wilderness, community and cultural environments.

Misty shares her unique journey into the field and what it is like to work at the Mountain Center.

Will talks with Rick Heizer and Dr. Matt Hoag, Co-Owners and Co-Founders of Evoke Therapy Programs. Rick is the Executive Director at Evoke Therapy Programs while Matt is the Clinical Director of and Therapist at Evoke Entrada. These long time practitioners of wilderness therapy share their journey from working at different wilderness programs to co-founding Evoke Therapy Programs in 2014.

Will interviews Gil Hallows and Derek Daley who co-founded Legacy Outdoor Adventures after working many years in the wilderness therapy field. Gil had been executive director of Aspen Achievement Academy from 1996 until it closed in 2011. He tells his story of the day that he was told Aspen Achievement Academy was going to be closed by the company and how he responded by starting Legacy Outdoor Adventures. Derek shares his story on how he worked at numerous wilderness therapy programs in Utah and Colorado and ended up joining with Gil to start Legacy.

Will interviews Lynette Spencer and Ryan Bromberek from Adventure Works, a non-profit, community based, accredited outdoor behavioral healthcare program located in DeKalb, Illinois. Lynette and Ryan share their journeys into the field and why they feel community based programs are the next growth area for the field.

Will talks with Lynn Smith, Co-Founder and Director of Family Services of Elements Wilderness Program. Lynn shares his journey from growing up in California to joining Aspen Achievement Academy in 1994 to co-founding Elements Wilderness in 2008.

Will visits with Greta Lutman, Family Services Director at Greenbrier Academy. Greenbrier Academy is an emotional growth boarding school for girls. Greta has been a clinician and clinical director in many wilderness programs in the Southeast region of the United States. Although not an "outdoor person" Greta tells how she fell in love with wilderness therapy and how it helped her see how change can really happen outside the office.

Will visits with Leah Madamba, Director of Vive Family Services, a family support program that operates throughout the country. Leah elaborates on her long history in wilderness therapy in a variety of positions including clinician, guide and program director.

Will interviews Krissy Pozatek, author of the book "The Parallel Process," about her journey from growing up in New England to working as a field guide at Aspen Achievement Academy in Utah. Krissy recounts going back to school and getting her MSW and returning as a clinician at Second Nature. She would leave that position and return to the New England to write "The Parallel Process" a book that she was inspired to write after years in the field. "The Parallel Process" is used by many wilderness therapy programs to as a curriculum for parents.

Will talks with Nichol Ernst, Executive Director and Co-Owner of Summit Achievement, a hybrid wilderness therapy program in Maine. Nichol shares his unique journey into wilderness therapy including his time as a concert pianist, world class sailor and his challenges when getting an ivy league education. Nichol reveals how he first found out about Summit Achievement and went from being a field guide to clinician to clinical director to executive director and, now, owner.