Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

Will White
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  • Mental Health

Stories from the Field: Mental Health in the Outdoors is an authoritative and enlightening podcast that explores the vast landscape of mental health therapies in outdoor settings. Hosted by seasoned mental health professional Dr. Will White, the podcast offers deep insights into outdoor therapies like Adventure Therapy, Eco-Therapy, Wilderness Therapy, and Experiential Therapy, among others. Dr. White engages with a diverse range of guests, including leading researchers, practitioners, authors, executive directors, guide staff, mental health clinicians, and critics, helping to shed light on the nuances of these unique therapy practices. In addition to exploring the modern implications of these evolving therapeutic modalities, he delves into their rich history, providing a holistic perspective for listeners. With over 30 years of experience at the juncture of mental health and outdoor environments, Dr. White's expertise is unparalleled. As a co-founder of the pioneering Summit Achievement, an adventure therapy program based in Maine, he has been a guiding force in the field since the 1990s. His scholarly contributions include the book "Stories from the Field: A History of Wilderness Therapy" and a chapter in "Adventure Therapy: Theories, Research, and Practice." His doctorate work, "Stories from the Elders: Chronicles and Narratives from the Early Years of Wilderness Therapy," traced the origins and evolution of this specialized field. To connect with Dr. White, visit storiesfromthefield.com. Listen to this immersive podcast to understand the power and potential of outdoor therapies in addressing mental health concerns.

  1. 1d ago

    You Got Sober. Now Scuba Dive? Jason Kaylor on Connection and Life in Recovery

    Getting sober can save your life—but how do you build a life you feel connected to afterward? Jason Kaylor joins Will to share his journey from a life-changing alcohol-related crash and court-mandated treatment to wilderness guiding, recovery coaching, and scuba instruction. Sober since 2008, Jason describes how working on a Colorado railroad, reconnecting with nature, attending Alcoholics Anonymous, and eventually serving others at Open Sky Wilderness Therapy and Legacy Outdoor Adventures helped him find community and purpose. Drawing on his essay "Everybody Shows Up for the Crisis," he explores the loneliness that can emerge after intensive support ends—and why having someone walk beside you still matters. The conversation moves from the backcountry to the ocean, where Jason confronts his own fear and discovers another setting for practicing presence, trust, and navigating uncertainty. He explains how optional scuba experiences can complement coaching through preparation, honest communication, and reflection, while emphasizing consent, safety, and the distinction between a therapeutic experience and clinical treatment. Along the way, Jason shares stories of a young climber who remembered feeling loved and safe years later, and a new diver whose encounter with darkness—and an unexpected sea otter—became a meaningful moment during a life transition. Together, these stories explore how outdoor adventure and human connection can support mental health, addiction recovery, and the work of building what comes next. Jason's website is https://jasonkaylorcoaching.com/  This podcast is supported by the White Mountain Adventure Institute (WMAI.org), where Dr. Will White helps individuals, leaders, and organizations navigate growth, change, and life transitions through coaching, consulting, and retreats

  2. Oct 28

    The Privilege of Breath: A Mountaineer's Story of Caregiving and Survival

    What does it mean to appreciate the privilege of breath when you're climbing the world's highest mountains while your mother is losing her ability to breathe? Nicole LoBiondo, author of Where the Air Grows Thin: Memoir of a Mountaineer, joins Will to share how her Seven Summits quest unfolded alongside caring for her mother during a seven-year battle with ALS. Nicole describes the guilt and loss of identity that can accompany family caregiving—and how outdoor adventure helped her reconnect with independence, purpose, and joy. From confronting dangerous summit fever on Aconcagua to surviving the 2015 Everest avalanche, Nicole reflects on how mountaineering changed her mental health and her understanding of courage. She explores the difference between persistence and pushing too far, the connections forged through shared adversity, and the painful realization that love and determination cannot control every outcome. Their conversation also follows her decision to step back from another Everest expedition to pursue motherhood, and the peace she now finds in local hikes and beach walks. For listeners caring for a parent, navigating grief, or seeking renewal outdoors, Nicole's story offers a reflection on accepting limits while continuing to embrace life. To learn more about Nicole check out her website: https://www.nicolelobiondo.com/about This podcast is supported by the White Mountain Adventure Institute (WMAI.org), where Dr. Will White helps individuals, leaders, and organizations navigate growth, change, and life transitions through coaching, consulting, and retreats.

  3. Oct 20

    Nature-Based Therapy for Trauma: EMDR and Somatic Work with Chelsea Kendrick

    How can therapists integrate nature-based therapy into trauma treatment? Chelsea Kendrick, LCSW, founder of Headwaters Mental Health in New Hampshire, joins Will to discuss combining outdoor psychotherapy with EMDR, somatic therapy, and parts work. Drawing on nearly 15 years in outdoor education and her experience in community mental health, Chelsea explains how she adapts treatment to each client's needs, preferences, and mobility. From walk-and-talk sessions to nature-based imagery in the office or telehealth, she shares ways to incorporate nature into clinical practice while supporting client choice, grounding, and emotional regulation. For therapists, clinical social workers, and other mental health professionals interested in taking therapy outdoors, Chelsea discusses informed consent, confidentiality in public spaces, accessibility, and safety considerations. She also describes her Shadow Side group for people navigating trauma and loss in outdoor settings, including the grief of losing a climbing partner or mentor. The conversation explores EMDR and nature-based therapy intensives, clinician training and consultation, and how small, regular adventures help Chelsea cultivate distress tolerance and stay present in her own life and clinical work. To learn about Chelsea's practice and training check out her website: https://www.headwatersmentalhealth.com/ This podcast is supported by the White Mountain Adventure Institute (WMAI.org), where Dr. Will White helps individuals, leaders, and organizations navigate growth, change, and life transitions through coaching, consulting, and retreats.

  4. Oct 13

    From Big Wall Climber to Social Entrepreneur: Peter Mayfield on Nature as Medicine

    How does a young climber who made first ascents on Yosemite's El Capitan become a social entrepreneur focused on nature and mental health? Peter Mayfield joins Will to trace that journey, from the climbers who mentored him to founding CityRock and Gateway Mountain Center. At Gateway, he developed a clinically supervised, nature-based therapeutic mentoring program that brought support to young people outdoors while keeping them connected to their families and communities. Peter explains the program's Four Roots approach—authentic relationships, nature connection, embodied challenges, and helping others—and reflects on Gateway's closure and his own mental health and recovery. He also introduces NatureUp Health, his new venture developing a voice-guided AI tool to help more people find and engage with nature. Along the way, he shares an unforgettable encounter with hundreds of bats during a ten-day climb on El Capitan and how that impacted his mental health This podcast is supported by the White Mountain Adventure Institute (WMAI.org), where Dr. Will White helps individuals, leaders, and organizations navigate growth, change, and life transitions through coaching, consulting, and retreats.

  5. Oct 6

    Hurricane Helene at Foundations Asheville: Young Adults, Trauma, and Resilience

    How do you keep young adults safe after a hurricane cuts off water, power, and communication—and your own home has been crushed by trees? Adam Ray joins Will on the second anniversary of Hurricane Helene to recount what happened at Foundations Asheville, a transition community for young adults ages 18–25 that Adam was executive director at the time. With roads blocked and families unable to reach their children, Adam and his colleagues checked on students across the program's houses, filtered water, found generators and satellite internet, and eventually arranged temporary housing outside Asheville. Adam reflects on the young adults and alumni who stepped forward to help, the staff who cared for students while facing losses of their own, and the difficult decisions he made as executive director. He also speaks candidly about grief, exhaustion, and the anxiety that remains two years later. Their conversation explores what a disaster revealed about community and resilience—and why growth through hardship should never erase the real cost of that hardship. To learn more about Foundations Asheville- Foundationsasheville.com This podcast is supported by the White Mountain Adventure Institute (WMAI.org), where Dr. Will White helps individuals, leaders, and organizations navigate growth, change, and life transitions through coaching, consulting, and retreats.

  6. Sep 29

    Awakening Wildness: Can Nature Help Us Through Grief? With Dr. Christy McConnell

    Can stepping into the wild help us navigate grief, find healing, and truly reconnect with who we are? In this moving episode, Will sits down with Dr. Christy McConnell, author of the transformative new book Awakening Wildness: Reconnecting with Nature and Ourselves. Christy opens up about how her father helped her rediscover her direction during a difficult period by teaching her to rock climb—and how his sudden death just six weeks later irrevocably shaped her life's work, leading to decades of research into meaningful outdoor experiences. Together, Christy and Will dive into her five core pathways to a deeper ecological connection—sensory awareness, adventure, flow, spirituality, and community. They explore how nature provides an anchor through loss, why simply telling someone to "just go outside" often falls short, and practical ways parents, educators, and mental health professionals can foster presence and wonder outdoors. Whether on a remote wilderness trail or in your own backyard, Christy shares actionable insights to cultivate awe, restoration, and wildness wherever you are. To find out more about the book and Dr. McConnell- https://awakeningwildness.com/ This podcast is supported by the White Mountain Adventure Institute (WMAI.org), where Dr. Will White helps individuals, leaders, and organizations navigate growth, change, and life transitions through coaching, consulting, and retreats.

  7. Sep 22

    Can Woodworking Transform Addiction Recovery? Jeremy French and Making Whole

    What if addiction recovery isn't simply about stopping drugs or alcohol, but about learning new ways to solve problems, face uncertainty, and build a life worth living? In this episode Will speaks with Jeremy French, founder of Making Whole in Asheville, North Carolina. Drawing on three decades of his own sobriety, Jeremy challenges conventional ideas about addiction and treatment. He argues that drugs and alcohol often become powerful because, for a time, they work—they provide solutions to pain, fear, discomfort, and other problems. Recovery, then, requires developing new solutions for navigating the human condition. Making Whole approaches that challenge through a classical woodworking apprenticeship where men recovering from addiction work alongside experienced craftspeople creating studio-quality furniture. But Jeremy isn't primarily trying to create woodworkers. Through complex projects, apprentices learn to ask better questions, tolerate uncertainty, solve problems, experience failure, develop agency, and discover who they want to become. Jeremy and Will explore mentorship, purpose, intimacy, community, the limitations of traditional addiction treatment, and the parallels between apprenticeship and experiential approaches such as wilderness and adventure-based programs. It's a provocative conversation about what can happen when recovery moves beyond treating addiction and begins helping people learn how to live. Jeremy's bio: Across three decades of sobriety, Jeremy French has built some inspiring things: a meaningful marriage, curious children, furniture, art, a love of soccer, and a few thriving businesses. Along the way, he's crafted deeper questions, informed solutions, and confronting dialogues. This podcast is supported by the White Mountain Adventure Institute (WMAI.org), where Dr. Will White helps individuals, leaders, and organizations navigate growth, change, and life transitions through coaching, consulting, and retreats.

  8. Sep 15

    Can Adventure Help Young People Grow Up? The Mountain Goat Movement

    What happens when young people step away from their phones, leave behind an increasingly automated world, and enter experiences that require them to be fully present? In this episode Will speaks with Greg Morrissey, founder of the Mountain Goat Movement, an adventure travel and outdoor education organization serving high school and college students. A former literature teacher, Greg explains why he left the classroom to create outdoor experiences that combine skiing, surfing, trekking, environmental learning, digital detox, and long-term mentorship. Greg shares stories ranging from students attempting to order Uber Eats in the Adirondack backcountry to a reluctant 14-year-old hiker who eventually summited Mount Kilimanjaro. He describes how Mountain Goat Movement partners with schools, educators, explorers, and outdoor brands to help young people develop resilience, confidence, community, and a stronger sense of purpose. Although Mountain Goat Movement is not a therapy program, the conversation explores how adventure, trusted mentors, self-authorship, and time away from technology can provide something deeply therapeutic—and help young people become the authors of their own lives. Check out the: https://www.mountaingoatmovement.com/ This podcast is supported by the White Mountain Adventure Institute (WMAI.org), where Dr. Will White helps individuals, leaders, and organizations navigate growth, change, and life transitions through coaching, consulting, and retreats.

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About

Stories from the Field: Mental Health in the Outdoors is an authoritative and enlightening podcast that explores the vast landscape of mental health therapies in outdoor settings. Hosted by seasoned mental health professional Dr. Will White, the podcast offers deep insights into outdoor therapies like Adventure Therapy, Eco-Therapy, Wilderness Therapy, and Experiential Therapy, among others. Dr. White engages with a diverse range of guests, including leading researchers, practitioners, authors, executive directors, guide staff, mental health clinicians, and critics, helping to shed light on the nuances of these unique therapy practices. In addition to exploring the modern implications of these evolving therapeutic modalities, he delves into their rich history, providing a holistic perspective for listeners. With over 30 years of experience at the juncture of mental health and outdoor environments, Dr. White's expertise is unparalleled. As a co-founder of the pioneering Summit Achievement, an adventure therapy program based in Maine, he has been a guiding force in the field since the 1990s. His scholarly contributions include the book "Stories from the Field: A History of Wilderness Therapy" and a chapter in "Adventure Therapy: Theories, Research, and Practice." His doctorate work, "Stories from the Elders: Chronicles and Narratives from the Early Years of Wilderness Therapy," traced the origins and evolution of this specialized field. To connect with Dr. White, visit storiesfromthefield.com. Listen to this immersive podcast to understand the power and potential of outdoor therapies in addressing mental health concerns.

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