131: Research:Transporting Young People to Wilderness: Part 1
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
Release Date: 06/29/2021
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
In this powerful episode Will welcomes Nick Mann—Marine Corps veteran, former wilderness therapy program director, and founder of Dad’s Project—for an honest and inspiring conversation about the mental health challenges men and boys face today. Nick shares his journey from military service to working in wilderness therapy and now coaching fathers, highlighting how leadership, emotional presence, and outdoor experiences can help men reconnect with their purpose. Together, Will and Nick dive into why boys and men are increasingly disconnected from nature and community, and how rites of...
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In this episode Will speaks with Katie Baum Mettenbrink, Director of Risk Management at the ), about the intersection of risk, resilience, and mental health in outdoor education. With over two decades at NOLS, Katie shares her journey from a college backpacking trip to becoming a leader in wilderness risk management. She discusses the importance of balancing challenge and safety in the field, her role in shaping the upcoming Wilderness Risk Management Conference in Portland, Maine, and how outdoor experiences can build clarity, connection, and emotional well-being for participants of all ages....
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In this episode Will speaks with Dr. Neal Christensen, psychologist, researcher, and co-owner of Elements Programs in Utah. With over two decades in the field, Dr. Christensen shares his journey from discovering outdoor experiential work in high school to becoming a leader in wilderness therapy for neurodivergent youth. As co-creator of the Eclipse program at Elements, he discusses how the model intentionally shifts away from traditional primitive skills to better support teens on the autism spectrum, those with ADHD, and other social-cognitive challenges through tailored interventions that...
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In this episode Will speaks with Haley Bezon, founder and executive director of —a nonprofit nature-based wellness organization serving youth in Maine. Drawing on her own lived experience with mental health and a diverse work background in education and wilderness therapy, Haley shares how Hearty Roots was born from a desire to reimagine mental health care for children. Frustrated by the long waitlists and barriers many families face in Maine, she built a program that brings therapy outdoors—where kids heal through connection, movement, and the steady presence of caring mentors. Listeners...
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In this episode Will welcomes Steve Smith, founder of Experiential Consulting and a 30-year veteran in the outdoor education and risk management field. Steve shares his journey from classroom teacher to mountaineering instructor and eventually leading national conversations on risk through roles with Outward Bound, the Student Conservation Association, and the Wilderness Risk Management Conference. Throughout the episode, Steve explains how his thinking has evolved from linear, blame-based models of incident response to a systems-based, learning-focused philosophy that emphasizes psychological...
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In this episode Will talks with Jessie Krebs is a wilderness survival expert, former U.S. Air Force SERE specialist, and the founder of a program dedicated to helping women and marginalized communities build confidence and safety in the outdoors. In this powerful episode, Jessie shares her remarkable journey—from childhood trauma and military service to discovering deep healing through wilderness therapy and survival training. With over a decade of experience in wilderness therapy and appearances on reality shows like Alone, Jessie brings a rare blend of practical skill, emotional...
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In this special live episode Will welcomes his longtime friend and world-renowned adventurer Mark Synnott, a veteran big wall climber, elite alpinist, National Geographic writer, and bestselling author of The Impossible Climb and The Third Pole. Mark joins remotely—from a sailboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean—for a captivating conversation recorded live at the Whitney Community Center in Jackson, New Hampshire. The discussion centers on his newest book, Into the Ice, which chronicles his bold journey through the Northwest Passage and his deep dive into one of history’s greatest...
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In this heartfelt episode, Will welcomes Dr. Jason Frishman, clinical psychologist and founder of the , an organization dedicated to helping fathers foster connection, resilience, and growth through community and mentorship. Jason shares how his years of clinical practice led him to create Journeymen, moving beyond traditional therapy models to build spaces where fathers can share stories, support one another, and rediscover their essential role at home and in their own lives. The conversation explores why so many fathers feel isolated in today’s world, the importance of redefining...
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In this powerful episode Will sits down with acclaimed author and risk management expert Ty Gagne to discuss his latest book, Ty takes listeners behind the scenes of the tragic 1982 search and rescue mission that claimed the life of volunteer Albert Dow—an event that forever changed New Hampshire’s backcountry rescue protocols. Through gripping storytelling and deep reflection, Ty illuminates the heroism, emotional toll, and legacy of this landmark incident, shedding light on the psychological challenges faced by rescuers and the evolution of mountain safety over the past four decades....
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In this powerful episode Will speaks with Audrey Costa, founder of , about her powerful journey from personal hardship to purposeful healing. Audrey opens up about her struggles with addiction, parenting through adversity, and how turning to nature—and backpacking in particular—transformed her mental health. Through her vulnerability and wisdom, she shares how movement, nature, and creativity became the cornerstones of her recovery and the foundation for her work with others. Audrey also dives into her nature-based offerings, including trauma-informed hiking experiences, Wild Resilience...
info_outlineThis episode examines research studies regarding transporting teens to wilderness therapy programs with Dr. Christine Norton, a research scientist at the OBH Center at UNH. Transporting unwilling participants to wilderness therapy programs has been referred to as "escorting," "gooning," as well as "legal kidnapping" and is one of the more controversial aspects of the field. Dr. Norton reviews transport research studies, how the research can help inform practice, and changes she is seeing in the field regarding this practice.
Dr. Norton's Bio from the OBH Center website:
Christine Lynn Norton, PhD, LCSW, is a Professor of Social Work at Texas State University. She received her Ph.D in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago. She has a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Science in Experiential Education from Minnesota State University-Mankato. She has taught as adjunct faculty at The University of Denver, Prescott College, and Naropa University. Dr. Norton has over 25 years experience working with adolescents and families in a variety of practice settings including community and wilderness-based outdoor behavioral healthcare programs, juvenile justice, youth and family counseling, school social work, and youth mentoring and educational empowerment programs. Her areas of practice and research interest and expertise are in innovative, experiential interventions in child and adolescent mental health; outdoor behavioral healthcare; experiential education and adventure therapy; positive youth development; foster care support in higher education; and international social work. Dr. Norton is a Research Scientist with the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center and she helped launch Foster Care Alumni Creating Educational Success (FACES) at Texas State. She is the Foster Care Liaison Officer to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and is the founder of the Foster Care Adventure Therapy Network, an international group of programs and practitioners who utilize adventure therapy with current and former foster care youth and young adults. Dr. Norton has over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles, has edited three books, and has authored over ten book chapters. She has secured over $3,179,154 in internal and external research funding as PI and co-investigator, and is a leading social work scholar who has presented her research nationally and internationally. Dr. Norton is active in study abroad and service learning on her campus, and is a Fulbright Scholar, having taught adventure therapy in the Department of Civic Education and Leadership at National Taiwan Normal University from January-June 2017. She also served as a delegate for Women4Peace, a U.S. State Department 100KStrong in the Americas grant, working to bring experiential peacebuilding strategies to rural women and girls in Columbia.
Before becoming a researcher and academic, Dr. Norton worked for Outward Bound (OB) as an instructor and a course director for Intercept, OB's youth-at-risk program. She also worked as a clinical social worker with the Journey program, OMNI Youth Services' outdoor experiential therapy program. She has also been active in the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) for over 20 years. She has helped to establish best practices in adventure therapy, and served as the Chair of the AEE Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group (TAPG). She is currently on the TAPG Advisory Council, has assisted with AEE/OBH accreditation site visits, is a member of the TAPG Certification Standards Committee, and is also an ActivatEE team member and speaking coach. For her service and research, Dr. Norton received both the 2014 AEE Servant Leader Award, as well as the 2017 AEE Distinguished Researcher of the Year Award. She also served as one of two U.S. delegates to the International Adventure Therapy Conference (IATC) from 2009-2015. In this role, Dr. Norton convene 7IATC in Denver, in partnership with Dr. Christian Itin, and was an Ambassador for 8IATC. Dr. Norton remains active with the international adventure therapy community, engaging in global research partnerships and trainings.