Episode
306: A Mighty Change in Wilderness Therapy: Larry Dean Olsen, Anasazi, and the 1990s Crisis (Part 2)
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- Mar 25, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3526
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Summary
How did wilderness therapy survive the crises of the early 1990s — and why did some of its earliest leaders continue to believe in the work even as the field faced national criticism? In this episode of Stories from the Field we hear a rare 2008 interview with wilderness therapy pioneer Larry Dean Olsen and his former student and colleague Ezekiel Sanchez. They reflect on Larry's survival courses at Brigham Young University in the late 1960s, where struggling students often returned from wilderness expeditions with new confidence and direction — experiences that helped lead to the founding of the Anasazi Foundation, one of the longest continuously operating wilderness therapy programs in the United States. The conversation also explores the rapid growth of wilderness programs in the 1980s and many of them springing from former students of BYU's survival course, including the development of Challenger Foundation and SUWS, and the intense scrutiny that followed several highly publicized deaths in the early 1990s. Larry speaks candidly about defending the field during that time, arguing that while some programs failed, the core idea — that challenge, responsibility, and time in the natural world can help young people change — remained sound. This episode offers a rare firsthand account from two of the elders of the field. To read the dissertation mentioned in the episode it is available on line- Stories from the Elders: Chronicles and Narratives from the Early Years of Wilderness Therapy I want to thank the Olsen family, Ezekiel Sanchez and Anasazi for letting me share these stories over the years. This podcast is supported by White Mountain Adventure Institute ( wmai.org) , offering adventure inspired retreats for men and facilitated by Will White.