148: After Wilderness Therapy
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
Release Date: 12/07/2021
162: Shayna Abraham, Founder of Prepare to Bloom and Co-founder of Therapeutic Consulting Association
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
In this episode, we talk with Shayna Abraham, the founder of , a therapeutic consulting practice, and the (TCA) co-founder. Shayna shares the origin story of TCA, how a Therapeutic Consultant can help parents and each other grow, and how TCA is evolving. Shayna shares her wisdom of almost 20 years in the field, how therapeutic programs are needed now more than ever, and what she would say to a room full of wilderness therapy practitioners. is sponsoring Season 13 of the podcast and will focus on experts who help families navigate treatment options. You can find Prepare to Bloom in the...
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161. What is Coaching, and how does Wonder help families?
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
Dave Herz is the founder of , which "supports families through coaching and therapy in real-life settings." Dave shares a brief history of , how the organization began and evolved over twenty years and how he met co-founder Willow Rubin. Dave discusses the differences between coaching and therapy and how coaching can help young people and their parents before, during, or after attending a wilderness therapy program. Dave also explores the changes he has seen in the field over his 23 plus years of coaching and where he thinks the field is going. is sponsoring Season 13 of the podcast and will...
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160. What is a "Therapeutic Consultant" ?
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
Joanna Lilley is the Chairperson of the (TCA) and a practicing Therapeutic Consultant who previously worked in wilderness therapy. In this episode, Joanna shares a brief history of TCA, why the organization began, and how a Therapeutic Consultant can help parents and other caregivers when considering a wilderness therapy program for their teen or young adult. She also dives into the different approaches that a therapeutic consultant may use to help a family. is the sponsor of Season 13 which will focus on experts who help families navigate treatment options. You can find a T and on...
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159: What is "Solutions Parenting Support"?
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
Hilary Moses is co-owner and parent coach of and has a long history of working in wilderness therapy. In this episode, Hilary shares how being authentic and compassionate bad-ass has allowed her to challenge systems, whether it be a parent system or the field of wilderness therapy as a whole. Hilary shares how she became frustrated with how so many young people she worked with as a therapist in a wilderness therapy program in the 2010s went onto residential treatment or therapeutic schools and how she started to question that approach. She and the other powerful women teammates at have...
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158: Exploring "All Kinds of Therapy"
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
We explore the (AKOT) website which provides a resource for those interested in learning more about behavioral healthcare, including wilderness therapy. In this episode, we dialogue with the founder of , Jenney Wilder, about the intention of the website, the monthly , , , and the . Season 13 of Stories from the Field is sponsored by AKOT and will focus on experts who help families navigate treatment options. Link to
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157: Dr. Fred Peipman, Primary Therapist at Second Nature
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
Dr. Fred Peipman is a therapist at and works primarily with an adolescent all-gender group. Fred shares his fascinating story of growing up on the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea and leaving there at 15 to go to school in the United States. He reveals his unique path to becoming a psychologist, his research background, and how he learned about wilderness therapy by bringing several private practice adolescent clients in Miami to enroll in different programs in Utah in the early 2000s. Fred shares how he found his calling in wilderness therapy by working with gender-expansive,...
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156: Casie Fariello, Co-founder of Other Parents Like Me
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
Casie Fariello is the co-founder of Other Parents Like Me (), a subscription-based online platform designed to support parents of young people struggling with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Casie shares how she met the other two co-founders of during one of the most challenging times in their lives when their children were in treatment. She shares how the organization was developed, how it provides daily support groups, weekly speakers, and peer-to-peer help, and why she decided to start OPLM. Casie reveals how having her son attend a wilderness therapy program changed...
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155: Dr. Thomas Doherty: Ecopsychology Researcher, Therapist and Podcaster
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
Dr. Thomas Doherty is one of the foremost authorities on Ecopsychology and is a widely sought-after researcher and speaker on how climate change impacts mental health. He is the co-host of the new podcast, , and has a private practice in Portland, Oregon. Thomas shares his early career highlights of being a field guide in a wilderness therapy program for inner-city youth in Arizona and a therapist in a wilderness therapy program in Oregon. Thomas discusses how he transitioned to Ecopsychology and dives into the differences between Ecotherapy, Wilderness Therapy, and Adventure Therapy and how...
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154: Trauma and Wilderness Therapy
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
How can wilderness therapy help young people suffering from trauma? Is transporting young people to wilderness therapy traumatizing? We explore these topics and more with Steve Sawyer, Co-Founder/Chief Clinical Consultant of . Steve has been a long-time champion of trauma-informed care and entered the wilderness therapy field when there was little discussion about trauma in behavioral healthcare. Steve shares his thoughts about trauma-informed care versus trauma-responsive care and how wilderness therapy programs have evolved in their approach to trauma over the years. Steve also dives...
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153: The Legacy of Adam Tsapis
Stories from the Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
In this special episode, we honor and explore the legacy of the late Adam Tsapis, co-founder, tall ship captain, father, partner, friend to all, and advocate for wilderness therapy in its many forms. The first segment features archival audio recordings of Adam sharing some stories about his life and the early years of Summit Achievement with other Summit co-founders. The second segment is an interview with Tobie Feigenbaum, Adam's widow, on what she sees as Adam's legacy and how he impacted others. The final piece is a summary of Adam Tsapis's life story. In 2015 the was set up by his...
info_outlineWhat 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.