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133: Natalia Ruiz de Cortázar Gracia : Psychologist and General Director of Experientia in Spain

Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

Release Date: 07/13/2021

275: Men, Mental Health, and the Wild: Nick Mann on the Power of Coaching and Community show art 275: Men, Mental Health, and the Wild: Nick Mann on the Power of Coaching and Community

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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274: NOLS Risk Management Director on Resilience, Mental Health and the Future of Outdoor Programs show art 274: NOLS Risk Management Director on Resilience, Mental Health and the Future of Outdoor Programs

Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

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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Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

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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272: Nature-Based Therapy for Youth: How Hearty Roots Supports Mental Health in Maine show art 272: Nature-Based Therapy for Youth: How Hearty Roots Supports Mental Health in Maine

Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

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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271: From Shame to Safety: Steve Smith on Building Safer Wilderness Therapy and Outdoor Ed Program show art 271: From Shame to Safety: Steve Smith on Building Safer Wilderness Therapy and Outdoor Ed Program

Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

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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270: Jessie Krebs on 'Alone,' Survival Skills, and Healing Through the Outdoors show art 270: Jessie Krebs on 'Alone,' Survival Skills, and Healing Through the Outdoors

Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

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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269: Into the Ice: Bestselling Author Mark Synnott on Sailing the Northwest Passage and Finding Meaning in Adventure show art 269: Into the Ice: Bestselling Author Mark Synnott on Sailing the Northwest Passage and Finding Meaning in Adventure

Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

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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268: Helping Fathers Thrive: Jason Frishman on Journeymen Foundation, Mental Health, and Outdoor Growth show art 268: Helping Fathers Thrive: Jason Frishman on Journeymen Foundation, Mental Health, and Outdoor Growth

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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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267: The Tragedy on Mount Washington That Changed Search and Rescue: Ty Gagne on “The Lions of Winter” show art 267: The Tragedy on Mount Washington That Changed Search and Rescue: Ty Gagne on “The Lions of Winter”

Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

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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266: Healing in the Wild: Audrey Costa on Nature, Addiction, and Personal Transformation show art 266: Healing in the Wild: Audrey Costa on Nature, Addiction, and Personal Transformation

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Natalia 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 Spanish models.

 

Bio from Experientia

I was born and raised in Santiago de Compostela. From a very young age I learned to live and function in the mountains thanks to my belonging to the scouts, where I acquired values ​​such as companionship, commitment and respect that are still part of me today. As a teenager, it was in nature where I learned to connect with myself and discovered in myself potentialities that school and other environments did not allow me at that time. As an adult, I was a volunteer monitor for several years, an experience that gave me the opportunity to continue growing and acquiring skills such as teamwork and assertiveness.

I travel a lot, although it never seems enough to me. I like the sun and the sea, appreciate the details in the great things and find solutions to the little discomforts in life (and the big ones too). I am creative and resourceful, and I try to make the world a better place.

I graduated in Psychology and did postgraduate studies as an Expert in Family Intervention. I had the opportunity to enjoy a scholarship that allowed me to study a master's degree in "Mental Health Counseling" (Counseling in Mental Health) in New York, USA, for a year and a half. This training deeply enriched me on a personal, academic and professional level.

My professional experience, both in Spain and in the US, revolves around the field of family therapy and mental health counseling, until I heard for the first time the magic words: "Wilderness Therapy". Even without knowing very well what this type of therapy consisted of, at that moment I knew that it was the combination of my two passions: psychology and nature.

I worked for a year in two “Wilderness Therapy” rehabilitation programs in the US, as an educator / mentor and as a family psychologist. For many months, my job consisted of living with a group of troubled youth in the Utah desert. The profound transformation that this experience led to in me, both personally and professionally, makes Experientia a personal project. What I had already learned since I was a little girl in the humid Galician forests through my experiences in the scouts, were confirmed in the arid places of the west: the therapeutic power of the natural environment and the connection with oneself through nature .

If I have learned anything from these experiences, it is that "there is no growth within the comfort zone, and no comfort within the growth zone."

My connection with Experientia arises from my determination to be able to implement Therapy through adventure in Spain. As the association's technical coordinator and secretary, I give training and participate in the design and implementation of our projects with enthusiasm and a team of great professionals and better people.