Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

In this episode, we are joined by Michael Wejchert, author of "Hidden Mountains: Survival and Reckoning After a Climb Gone Wrong." Michael's writing about adventure has been featured in various publications, including the New York Times, Adventure Journal, Climbing, Ascent, Alpinist, and more. He shares the fascinating story behind "Hidden Mountains," which recounts a harrowing climbing expedition...

Ryan DeLayna shares his life experiences and the journey that led him to co-write his memoir with his father, "Without Restraint." Ryan shares how he spent most of his academic career in therapeutic schools due to behavioral challenges where he experienced various medications and restrictive interventions, including regular physical restraints. After voluntarily committing to a psychiatric hospita...

In this special episode, we discuss the recent announcement that two long-standing and accredited Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council member programs - SUWS of the Carolinas in North Carolina and Aspiro in Utah will soon close. We will dive into the potential impacts of these closures on the greater field and the historical significance of the events. We'll examine the reasons behind the closure...

Tammy Marks is the parent of a former wilderness therapy student who enrolled in a program at 12 years old. Tammy shares her family's story of how her son struggled with his mood and behavior from an early age and how they tried to help him. When her son was in his later elementary school years, he was often suspended from school for oppositional behavior toward teachers and coaches. He brought he...

Jen Murphy and Hilary Moses are the co-authors of "H.O.M.E.: Strategies for Making Home a SUCCESS During and After Treatment."   Jen and Hilary discuss that after years of working together at Solutions Parenting Support, they wrote a book about the many issues they address when coaching parents whose teens and young adults are in wilderness therapy.   "H.O.M.E." offers profound insights into the j...

Marcie Steinberg is the parent of a former wilderness therapy student and peer parent at Other Parents Like Me ( OPLM.com ). Marcie shares her family's story of how her son struggled with substance abuse disorder in his teens, the different interventions they tried to help him, and how Marcie and her husband ultimately decided to have their son transported to a wilderness therapy program in Georgi...

Carrie McLaughlin is the parent of a former wilderness therapy student. Carrie shares her story about the family's struggles when their son, while in his teens, battled with substance use disorder. She shares incidents of her son refusing school, a mobile crisis unit, and a house party that went out of control. Carrie discusses outpatient and residential treatment and how her son wouldn't particip...

Jon Fariello is a former wilderness therapy student who was transported to a wilderness therapy program as a teenager. He shares his thoughts and feelings about being transported to a wilderness program and an earlier transport to a residential treatment center. Jon talks about his life before going to the wilderness and his experiences in aftercare at a therapeutic boarding school. Jon reveals ho...

Casie Fariello co-founded Other Parents Like Me ( OPLM.com ), an online parent support platform, and is the parent of a former wilderness therapy student. Casie reflects on this podcast's last episode, which featured her husband, Mike Fariello, who shared his version of their family's story of behavioral healthcare treatment, including wilderness therapy, and his thoughts on Casie starting OPLM af...

Michael Fariello is the parent of a wilderness therapy student and a peer parent at Other Parents Like Me (OPLM.com) , an online parent support platform.  Michael shares his family's story of how they learned about wilderness therapy after their son went through outpatient therapy, intensive outpatient therapy, and a residential treatment center with little success in addressing his son's substanc...

Richard Curtis is a Certified Clinical Interventionist, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and Parent Coach who helps parents and their teens and young adults through in-home interventions. Richard shares how his intervention style focuses on connecting with parents and their teens when they are in one of the most challenging spots in their family's life and helping them all make changes for the be...

Michelle King is the co-author of the new book, "Into the Wilds: A Mothers Guide to Wilderness Therapy" and parent of a wilderness therapy student.  The book includes the stories of Michelle enrolling her son in a wilderness therapy program and comparing it with her co-author, Jenny Prince's, account of enrolling her daughter in the same program.  One parent chose to bring their teen to the progra...

York 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....

Liz 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 pro...

George 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 j...

In 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 podcas t, 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...

Lisa 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 J...

Daniel 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...

Evan 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 psychot...

Mark 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...

Mona 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 wil...

Bob 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...

Carson 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 pers...

Jill 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 sha...

Alex 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 , w...