Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors

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 Achieveme

Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors is a health podcast hosted by Will White, with 325 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 86. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Will White hosts Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors, a health show with 325 episodes published.

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  Episode #325

  325: NatureDose: Can Tracking Time Outdoors Improve Mental Health?

  Aug 18, 202644 minS8

  How much time in nature do we need to improve our mental health? And how can we track and quantify our exposure to it? In this episode, Will speaks with NatureQuant co-founder and CEO Jared Hanley about the science of nature exposure and its relationship to stress, mood, sleep, and overall well-being. Jared explains how NatureQuant uses satellite imagery and data science to measure health-supporting nature through NatureScore , while its free NatureDose app tracks the time people spend outdoors and in natural environments. Jared discusses why even a 20-minute nature break may be beneficial, what emerging research suggests about spending up to 300–400 minutes in nature each week, and how nature prescriptions could become part of routine mental healthcare. The conversation also explores America's growing "nature deficit," equitable access to parks and urban tree cover, data privacy, AI-powered health coaching, and NatureQuant's vision of making nature exposure a standard health measurement alongside exercise, sleep, and heart rate. 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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  Episode #324

  324: Decolonizing Ecotherapy: Laura Marques Brown on Nature, Healing, and Liberation

  Aug 11, 202645 minS28

  What does it truly mean to practice ecotherapy? In this episode Will welcomes ecotherapist and founder of Natureza Therapy and Natureza Coaching Collective , Laura Marques Brown, for a thought-provoking conversation about the evolving field of nature-based mental health. Laura shares her journey as the daughter of Brazilian immigrants, how her search for belonging led her into the mountains of Colorado and graduate training at Naropa University, and why she believes nature became the one place where she never had to hide who she was. Together, they explore the foundations of her work in decolonized ecotherapy, her framework of Land, Lineage, and Liberation, and how reconnecting with the natural world can help people heal trauma, restore belonging, and rediscover their relationship with the living world. The conversation also examines some of today's biggest challenges facing therapists and mental health professionals, including burnout, the mental health impacts of climate change and social instability, and what Laura describes as our current polycrisis. She explains why nature should be understood as a relationship rather than resource, discusses building sustainable private practices that support both clinicians and clients, and offers practical ways anyone can begin reconnecting with the outdoors. Whether you're a therapist interested in ecotherapy training, a mental health professional seeking a more holistic approach to healing, or someone curious about the intersection of psychology, nature, mindfulness, and environmental wellbeing, this episode offers a compelling vision for the future of nature-based therapy and 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. Guest information: Laura's Website: https://naturezacoachingcollective.com/ *People can book a free discovery call if they are interested in her programs and ready for change Instagram: naturezacoachingcollective Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rootedpractitionercollective *free resources, trainings and community of liberated therapists!

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  Episode #323

  323: Bringing Mental Health Treatment Home: The PRN for Families Model

  Aug 4, 202647 minS28

  What happens after a young person returns home from wilderness therapy or residential treatment and begins to struggle? In this episode, Will sits down with Charles Elias, founder of PRN for Families , to explore an innovative model that brings mental health treatment directly into the home. Drawing on more than four decades in behavioral healthcare, Charles explains why lasting change requires working with the entire family, how home-based wraparound services strengthen the transition from higher levels of care, and why family preservation may represent the future of behavioral healthcare. Charles also shares his remarkable journey from England to Colorado, his years as a wilderness therapist at SUWS, his service as a U.S. Navy Corpsman during the Iraq War, and how those experiences shaped his approach to helping families in crisis. Together, Will and Charles discuss the evolution of wilderness therapy, the power of family systems, resilience, and why innovation in behavioral healthcare increasingly means helping families heal where they live. 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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  Episode #320

  322: The Future of Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare: The LifeWays Model

  Jul 28, 202651 minS28

  Can outdoor behavioral healthcare (aka wilderness therapy) evolve beyond crisis intervention and become a model for prevention, community, and long-term wellbeing? In this episode Will welcomes Chris Brown and Danny Frazer to explore how LifeWays is redefining Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH) through an innovative blend of nature-based therapy, therapeutic guiding, outpatient mental health services, community partnerships, and wilderness experiences. Rather than waiting until individuals reach a mental health crisis, LifeWays is helping children, adolescents, adults, and families access the healing power of nature earlier through prevention, early intervention, and relationship-centered care. Chris and Danny discuss the lessons they carried forward from their years at Open Sky Wilderness Therapy and how those experiences inspired a more accessible and sustainable model for the future of Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare. They share how LifeWays combines grant-funded community programs, insurance-based outpatient therapy, Wilderness Mental Health First Aid training, and therapeutic outdoor adventures to expand access to care while maintaining the transformational power of nature. Whether you're a mental health professional, educator, outdoor leader, parent, or simply interested in the future of wilderness therapy, nature-based mental health, outdoor behavioral healthcare, and preventive mental health care, this conversation offers an inspiring look at where the field may be headed next. 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. Both guests have previously been featured in as individual episode mentioned in episode: Episode 284: Nature-Based Mental Health: The Lifeways Approach Episode 252: After Open Sky: How Danny Frazer is Shaping the Future with Gain the Ridge

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  Episode #321

  321: Beyond the Therapy Office with Josh Wayne

  Jul 21, 202649 minS27

  Can psychotherapy become more effective when it moves beyond the therapy office? In this episode, Will sits down with Atlanta psychotherapist Josh Wayne, LMSW, MPH , to explore nature-based psychotherapy and walk-and-talk therapy. Before becoming a therapist, Josh spent more than fifteen years as a naturalist, teaching people about wild plants, mushrooms, and ecology. Today, he integrates those experiences into his private practice, helping clients facing anxiety, grief, depression, chronic illness, and life transitions reconnect with themselves through meaningful experiences outdoors. Josh also shares how his background in public health, foraging, and ecology has shaped his approach to mental health, along with insights into green burial, the connection between physical and emotional wellbeing, and why the natural world can become an important partner in healing. Whether you're a therapist, mental health professional, graduate student, or someone curious about outdoor therapy, ecotherapy, and the relationship between nature and mental health, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what lies beyond the therapy office. 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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