Ian hails from the heavily wooded sprawl of the New York suburbs where he was lucky enough to have a larger than average patch of forest behind his house. As William James wrote, the world often feels like a blooming, buzzing confusion, but in Ian’s little patch of forest, the blooming and buzzing made a little more sense. People can be fickle, things constantly change, but the trees were always there, the consistent changes and lessons of the forest seemed a little more reliable, somehow. Ian spent his most meaningful moments in that forest. Fast forward to Ian’s education and career and the same tension of a forest in the suburbs was reflected in his choices. Ian received a bachelor’s in philosophy, a master’s in psychology, and became a computer software project manager, in the thick of the buzzing and dinging confusion, but always taking jobs in some of the country’s most beautiful locations. After six years, Ian realized the natural world needed to take a higher position in his list of priorities.

When Ian first heard about wilderness therapy, he just knew it was for him. Wilderness--check. Therapy--check. What an incredible combination. They seem almost meant for each other, naturally intertwined, and certainly, Ian is meant for wilderness therapy. In working with students, Ian draws from his personal experience of feeling conflicted about life’s competing priorities, and seeks to help students connect with what is most important to them so that they can discover their own way forward. Ian has identified that some of his strongest feelings are shrouded in a fear that prevents them from being shared, and Ian tries to empower students to work through the fear and discover the beautiful rewards of showing yourself to other people. Additionally, Ian loves to find creative ways to relate his love of the natural world, psychology, and philosophy, to the students he works with.

Outside of the field, Ian loves tending to his garden, reading, writing, and climbing the biggest, most exciting mountains he can find--anything that ignites his passion for life.