{"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":"314: Nature Deficit or Mental Health Crisis? Scott Shepherd on Reconnecting Young People with the Outdoors","slug":"314-nature-deficit-or-mental-health-crisis-scott-shepherd-on-reconnecting-young-people-with-the-outdoors","published_at":"2026-06-02T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-the-field-mental-health-and-the-outdoors-7027882/314-nature-deficit-or-mental-health-crisis-scott-shepherd-on-reconnecting-young-people-with-the-outdoors","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-the-field-mental-health-and-the-outdoors-7027882","url":"https://storiesfromthefield.libsyn.com/314-nature-deficit-or-mental-health-crisis-scott-shepherd-on-reconnecting-young-people-with-the-outdoors","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/storiesfromthefield/Scott-Shepard-SFTF_1.mp3?dest-id=803158","summary":"What happens when a generation grows up more connected to screens than to the natural world? In this episode, Will sits down with outdoor educator and Wildward Institute founder Scott Shepherd to explore the growing disconnect between young people, nature, and one another. Drawing from more than 15 years of experience in outdoor, environmental, and experiential education, Scott explains why time outside is no longer just recreation—it has become an essential component of mental health, emotional regulation, resilience, and healthy youth development. Scott shares his own transformative journey sailing around the world as a teenager, discusses the challenges facing outdoor education today, and examines how screens, overprogrammed childhoods, and reduced opportunities for unstructured play are impacting young people. Together, Will and Scott explore the role of nature in supporting neurodiverse youth, building self-confidence, fostering environmental stewardship, and helping young people develop the skills they need to thrive in an uncertain future. This conversation is a powerful reminder that connecting youth to the outdoors may be one of the most important mental health interventions of our time. Here is the Wilderward Institute Website. This podcast is supported by White Mountain Adventure Institute ( wmai.org) , offering adventure inspired retreats and coaching for men and facilitated by Will White.","meta_description":"What happens when a generation grows up more connected to screens than to the natural world? In this episode, Will sits down with outdoor educator and Wil…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2542,"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/314-nature-deficit-or-mental-health-crisis-scott-shepherd-on-reconnecting-young-people-with-the-outdoors/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-7027882/314-nature-deficit-or-mental-health-crisis-scott-shepherd-on-reconnecting-young-people-with-the-outdoors.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}