{"podcast":{"title":"Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors","slug":"stories-from-the-field-mental-health-and-the-outdoors-7027882","podcast_index_feed_id":7027882,"rss_url":"https://rss.libsyn.com/shows/131706/destinations/803158.xml","website_url":"http://storiesfromthefield.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/d/e/2/a/de2a85da199a6759d959afa2a1bf1c87/StoriesFromTheField.jpg","author":"Will White","episode_count":319,"summary":"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 Wildernes…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-14T20:19:22.737142+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-the-field-mental-health-and-the-outdoors-7027882"},"episode":{"title":"300: Wilderness Therapy Is Growing?! What 300 Episodes Reveal","slug":"300-wilderness-therapy-is-growing-what-300-episodes-reveal","published_at":"2026-01-27T11:11:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-the-field-mental-health-and-the-outdoors-7027882/300-wilderness-therapy-is-growing-what-300-episodes-reveal","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-the-field-mental-health-and-the-outdoors-7027882","url":"https://storiesfromthefield.libsyn.com/300-wilderness-therapy-is-growing-what-300-episodes-reveal","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/storiesfromthefield/Episode-300.mp3?dest-id=803158","summary":"Wilderness therapy isn't dying. It's growing. In this milestone 300th episode of Stories from the Field, host Dr. Will White sits down with guest host Jake Weld to reflect on nearly a decade of conversations exploring wilderness therapy, outdoor behavioral healthcare, and the evolving relationship between mental health and the outdoors. Drawing from hundreds of interviews, download data, and personal experience, Will examines why episodes centered on controversy, trauma, and program closures continue to draw the most attention—and what those patterns reveal about public perception of the field. But this episode isn't an obituary. It's a reassessment. Will argues that while traditional long-term wilderness programs for adolescents have narrowed, outdoor mental health is quietly expanding through outpatient care, coaching, retreats, community-based models, and new hybrid approaches. Episode 300 offers a rare long-view perspective on how definitions, power, and practice have shifted—and why reports of wilderness therapy's demise may be missing the bigger story. This podcast is supported by White Mountain Adventure Institute ( wmai.org) , offering adventure inspired retreats for men and facilitated by Will White.","meta_description":"Wilderness therapy isn't dying. It's growing. In this milestone 300th episode of Stories from the Field, host Dr. Will White sits down with guest host Jak…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2743,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/stories-from-the-field-mental-health-and-the-outdoors-7027882/episodes/300-wilderness-therapy-is-growing-what-300-episodes-reveal/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-the-field-mental-health-and-the-outdoors-7027882/300-wilderness-therapy-is-growing-what-300-episodes-reveal.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}