A journey shaped by nature, growth, and the deep work of becoming
I believe that healing and growth are natural processes—ones that unfold most fully when we reconnect to our inner life, our relationships, and the living world around us.
Professional Journey
My journey as a therapist, guide, and educator has been shaped by both academic rigor and lived experience. I hold a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of West Georgia, a program known for its innovative yet grounded approach to humanistic and depth psychologies. I also earned my Master of Social Work from the University of Utah and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Georgia and Utah.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked across a wide spectrum of therapeutic environments—from wilderness therapy in Utah’s deserts and mountains to recreational therapy at boarding schools to traditional outpatient settings. I’ve also led rites of passage in nature and international adventure therapy excursions that blend deep psychological work with cultural immersion and ethical reciprocity.
As a lifelong adventurer, backpacker, and seeker, I have come to see nature as both a mirror and a mentor. It is in wild places—through moments of awe, solitude, challenge, and beauty—that I have been initiated into deeper ways of being. These experiences have taught me resilience, humility, reverence, and an abiding trust in the cycles of growth, loss, and renewal that shape all of life.
Guiding Values
Authenticity — Meeting each moment with honesty and presence.
Courage — Leaning into the unknown with openness and strength.
Reverence — Honoring the sacredness in life’s visible and invisible threads.
Service — Offering my work in devotion to growth, healing, and wholeness.
Therapy—and life itself—is an adventure in becoming. Not a project of fixing, but a process of remembering: who we are beneath the noise, what we carry in our depths, and how we are intimately woven into the greater tapestry of life.
SPECIALTIES/TREATMENT MODALITIES
Areas of Specialty
Anxiety
Depression
Grief/Bereavement & Loss
Life Transitions
Mood Disorders
Parent Coaching
Spiritual/Faith/Religious Transitions
Treatment Modalities
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Existential Psychotherapy
Jungian
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
Depth Psychology
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Mindfulness
Sandplay Therapy
Licenses + Education
Education
Ph.D. Psychology - University of West Georgia: Psychology of Consciousness of Society Program
Master of Social Work (MSW) - University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) - University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Licenses/Certifications
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). State of Georgia
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), State of Utah
Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist Certificate - Skylight Psychedelics
Proud clinical provider for the USA Cycling’s Well-Being Program - an initiative created to provide mental, emotional, and physical health for their national athletes.
Research Interests
My research centers on the transformative processes that foster a deeper, more connected sense of self—what thinkers in deep ecology and spiritual ecology have called the ecological self.
My earlier academic work focused on how cross-cultural immersion during emerging adulthood can act as a catalyst for profound personal development. Through qualitative and quantitative research, I explored how immersive experiences in different cultural settings enhance resilience, cultivate problem-solving capacities, and help individuals articulate a clearer sense of life purpose and direction. These findings highlight how stepping beyond familiar environments can spark authentic growth and meaning-making during critical stages of identity formation.
Building on this, my research has also examined the broader societal forces that contribute to disconnection—from each other, from community, and from the natural world. Using a critical lens, I have investigated how modern cultural systems often fail to support the embodied, relational, and ecological development of children, adolescents, and young adults. This disconnection, I propose, is a root cause of many contemporary experiences of loneliness, alienation, and psychological suffering.
Across these domains, my central inquiry remains the same: how can we foster the growth of the ecological self?
An ecological self is not defined in isolation but in relationship—to others, to nature, to the living systems that sustain us. As this sense of connected identity deepens, individuals naturally embody greater empathy, resilience, and consciousness, not only toward other people but toward the Earth itself. Cultivating the ecological self, I believe, is vital—not just for personal flourishing, but for addressing the larger ecological crises we collectively face.
In addition to my earlier publications, I am currently expanding my research into the intersection of psychedelics, nature, and ecological identity. Specifically, I am investigating how psychedelic experiences, when facilitated in natural settings, can accelerate the development of the ecological self. Early insights suggest that these experiences may deepen biophilic connections, dissolve anthropocentric worldviews, and catalyze profound shifts in relational consciousness—offering new pathways for ecological awakening and personal healing alike.
My ongoing research aims to contribute to a growing field of inquiry that bridges psychology, ecology, spirituality, and conscious development—seeking ways to reconnect the human soul with the living world to which it has always belonged.
Experiential Therapy
The eco-integrative approach I use today—grounded in nature immersion, cross-cultural encounters, and adventure-based activities—was not conceived in theory alone. It was forged through nearly two decades of professional work, personal exploration, and a deepening relationship with the living world.
My path into experiential therapy began in the backcountry of Utah’s deserts and mountains, where I trained and served as a wilderness therapy guide. It was there, among vast and untamed landscapes, that I witnessed firsthand the profound ways nature can heal, challenge, and awaken. These early experiences shaped my enduring belief in the therapeutic power of wild spaces and affirmed my commitment to a life centered around supporting others in their growth.
From there, I moved into recreational and adventure therapy roles within therapeutic boarding schools, working closely with adolescents and young adults. Through shared activities like climbing, mountain biking, skateboarding, and skiing, I saw how adventure invites vital developmental experiences—flow states, emotional regulation, creative problem solving, relational trust, and a deepened sense of agency.
Yet experience alone was not enough. Guided by a call to refine and deepen my work, I pursued advanced academic study—earning a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of West Georgia. There, I immersed myself in the study of depth psychology, ecopsychology, and cross-cultural healing practices. My research explored the psychosocial and spiritual impacts of cultural immersion on young adults and laid the foundation for the eco-integrative model of care I use today—a model that honors the interdependence of personal, ecological, and communal well-being.
Today, the integration of nature, culture, and adventure into my work is both a clinical method and a personal homage. It is a return to what the ancient Greeks called oikos—the original home, the source from which our vitality and belonging arise.
Outside of my professional life, I remain passionately engaged with the natural world and global cultures. Whether exploring remote wilderness regions, traveling to learn from indigenous wisdom traditions, or simply sharing local adventures with my wife and three children, I strive to live the values I bring into my work. Weekends often find me supporting my kids' passions—whether it's cheering at a football game, riding mountain trails, spotting a new climbing route, or celebrating small victories at a local skate park.
In all aspects of my life, the spirit of adventure—curiosity, courage, reverence, and connection—remains my guide.