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
Release Date: 05/06/2025
296: Is Wilderness Therapy Like Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy? A Conversation with Dr. Sandy Newes
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
Does wilderness therapy create an altered state similar to psychedelic-assisted therapy? And what can both approaches teach us about trauma, embodiment, and lasting change?In this final episode of Season 25, Will sits down with Dr. Sandy Newes, a psychologist, educator, and longtime experiential practitioner whose career bridges wilderness therapy, trauma-informed care, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. A 2025 recipient of the Association for Experiential Education Michael Stratton Practitioner Award, Sandy reflects on decades in the field—exploring how experience, embodiment, and...
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295: Wilderness Isn’t the Problem
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
What do decades of practice in wilderness therapy reveal about ethics, transport, and change? In this episode, Will talks with Paula Leslie—former Aspen Achievement Academy field guide, therapist, accreditation reviewer, and longtime educational consultant—for a rare and reflective conversation about the evolution of the field. First introduced to many readers through Gary Ferguson’s book Shouting at the Sky, Paula looks back on her formative years, the core lessons that still endure, and the ethical blind spots that only became clear with time. From learning to “do hard things” to...
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294: The Most Controversial Wilderness Therapy Program? (Part 1)
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
What is the most controversial program in the history of wilderness therapy? Some might say it’s the very program podcast host Will White was compelled to attend as a teenager. In this deeply personal and historical episode, Will shares—for the first time in full—the origin story that shaped his life and ultimately his 35-year career in mental health treatment in outdoor settings. Sent by his parents at fourteen to a “wilderness therapy program” long before the field formally existed, Will describes how the experience built him, challenged him, and exposed him to both mentorship and...
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293: The Parallel Process Updated: What Parents Need to Know
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
How can parents grow alongside a struggling teen or young adult without getting pulled into their anxiety, shutdown, or refusal? In this episode, Will welcomes back Krissy Pozatek to discuss the updated edition of her influential book, The Parallel Process: Growing Alongside Your Adolescent or Young Adult in Treatment. Krissy explains how the mental health landscape has shifted—more anxiety, school refusal, neurodivergence—and why parents can no longer rely on old models of detachment or over-involvement. She outlines her expanded five principles, including her new emphasis on reframing...
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292: The Anti-Program Approach: Belay Life’s Immersive Adventure Model
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
What happens when a wilderness guide, therapist, and seasoned mentor decides that traditional treatment programs no longer fit the needs of young adults? In this episode, Will speaks with Andrew “Chappy” Chapman, an innovator who has blended decades of guiding, wilderness therapy work, and young adult mentoring into something entirely new: one-to-one immersive adventure model. Chappy traces his path from SUWS of Idaho to the early days of True North Wilderness Program and later to New Summit Academy in Costa Rica, each step shaping his understanding of how young adults learn, struggle,...
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291: Rethinking Therapeutic Consulting: A Conversation with Amanda Thomas
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
What if “consulting” in mental health meant more than just placement? In this episode Will speaks with Amanda Thomas, founder of , about how she and her team are reimagining therapeutic consulting for families navigating complex emotional and behavioral challenges. Their clinically informed, team-based approach blends therapy, coaching, and systems navigation to meet families where they are—often before residential or wilderness treatment becomes necessary. Drawing on her deep background in wilderness therapy and outdoor leadership, Amanda shares how Cobalt bridges the gap between...
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290: The Truths about Wilderness Therapy: What Outcome Research Shows
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
What do wilderness therapy outcomes really tell us? In this episode, Will talks with researchers Dr. Joanna Bettmann Schaefer and Dr. Laura Mills, two leading researchers studying outcomes in wilderness therapy and residential outdoor treatment. Drawing on data from thousands of adolescents across multiple programs, they reveal what the evidence shows about who benefits most—and who may not—from outdoor behavioral healthcare. Their conversation explores why family engagement is such a powerful predictor of success, how adopted and neurodiverse adolescents often experience different...
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289: Prescribing Nature: How to Be an Eco-Therapist
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
Dr. Patricia Hasbach of Northwest Ecotherapy joins Will to explore how clinicians can bring the healing power of nature into their therapeutic work. Drawing from her new book Patricia shares her journey from traditional therapy settings to incorporating the natural world as an active partner in treatment. She explains the concept of the “ecological self” and how reconnecting clients with nature can reduce anxiety, depression, and stress while deepening connection and meaning. Patricia also offers practical guidance on writing “nature prescriptions,” navigating ethical considerations,...
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288: Kids These Days: Rethinking Youth Mental Health
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
Why are so many young people struggling—and are adults partly to blame? Dr. Will Dobud and Dr. Nevin Harper return to Stories from the Field to talk with Will about their bold new book, Kids These Days: Understanding and Supporting Youth Mental Health. Building on their past appearances, they explore why youth mental health keeps declining despite unprecedented access to therapy, medication, and awareness—and what adults can do to change the story. Drawing on decades of research and global experience, they challenge the assumption that kids are the problem, pointing instead to the...
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287: The Nature Fix: The Science of the Outdoors and Mental Health
Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
Journalist and bestselling author Florence Williams joins Will to explore how time outdoors can transform our minds and bodies. Drawing from her acclaimed book The Nature Fix and her retreats around the world, Florence shares what first inspired her to study the science of nature’s impact on mental health — and how awe, quiet, and sunlight can rewire our brains for calm and connection. They discuss the “three-day effect,” the power of forest bathing, and simple daily practices anyone can use to bring more nature into life — even in cities. Whether you’re a reader of The Nature Fix...
info_outlineIn 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 polar mysteries: the lost Franklin Expedition. Along the way, Mark shares raw reflections on risk, family, storytelling, and why the hardest paths often offer the greatest rewards.
This episode is a wide-ranging exploration of what it means to pursue adventure as a way of life. From living in a cave in Yosemite to crossing the Arctic by sail, Mark offers gripping stories of survival, curiosity, and devotion—to his craft, his family, and the wild places that continue to call him. Whether you're drawn to extreme expeditions, compelling historical mysteries, or simply navigating uncertainty with purpose, this conversation will leave you inspired to embrace the unknown and chart your own course.
This episode was supported by:
White Birch Booksellers- (a great place to buy Mark’s new book!)
Mark’s previous episodes on Stories from the Field were: