We aim to provide accessible, quality mental health services for our Summit County community in the great outdoors.

Who we are

I am passionate about supporting people to reach their highest potential, through transforming challenge and pain into healing, strength, and empowerment.  As humans, we tend to carry unresolved, unintegrated issues with us, blocking us from reaching our best selves and our best possible lives. As a therapist, my work is to support my clients to identify these barriers to their personal happiness, heal from that which is holding them back, and begin to actively live the life they strive for.

I work with people of all ages as I find great enjoyment working with people in various stages of life.  I serve children, teens, and adults. This includes children and adolescents experiencing trauma, depression, stress, anxiety, bereavement, eco-anxiety, climate anxiety, solastalgia (distress from environmental change), and ADHD. Part of this work often includes providing parenting support and coaching to help the child reach their highest potential and increase connectedness between children and parents/caretakers.

Additionally, I work with adults healing from complex trauma, eco-emotions, climate distress, anxiety, stress, depression, emotional regulation challenges, and barriers to actualizing their goals.

Trained in many different modalities, I use those which are most appropriate to my client.   I have speciality training in EMDR, Climate-Aware Therapy, Ecotherapy, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Synergetic Play Therapy, Horticultural Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Adventure-Based Therapy, and Animal-Assisted Therapy.  As an EMDR therapist, I am able to help clients reprocess difficult and traumatic memories and experiences which have resulted in maladaptive responses in the present, clearing away stress responses, negative self-cognitions, and maladaptive patterns of behavior.  As a Synergetic Play Therapist, I am able to support children and teens in working through issues, while learning to regulate their nervous system, and subsequently their bodies and emotions. While I use these modalities frequently, I also use DBT and CBT interventions in my work.  Finally, as a yoga instructor, I am passionate about the mind-body connection and integrate mindfulness and body awareness work into sessions as appropriate.

I believe in creating environments which are stress-reducing and inspiring to do this work within, and therefore specialize in creating therapeutic garden and nature settings as my “office space”, which research studies indicate are correlated with a decrease in stress hormones, depression symptoms, a sense of “getting away”, and an increase in an overall sense of wellbeing.  I strive to make these settings an option for those who prefer these environments.

Contact

Phone: (970)-368-2141

Email : kristen@wildnaturesummit.com

Kristen Greenwald

LCSW, SPT, WFR

Wild Youth Passages Clinical Director, Wild Nature Wellness Founder & Individual Therapist

Hello! My name is Melissa and I am a Licensed Social Worker. I am a compassionate and dedicated therapist utilizing a trauma-informed, person-centered approach to the therapeutic process and believe that every individual I meet with holds their own unique potential to overcome life’s inevitable challenges by harnessing inner strengths and resilience. In addition to traditional modes of talk therapy, I am trained in EMDR and believe that a great amount of healing can be done by reprocessing traumas, maladaptive memories, and negative core beliefs that affect us in our everyday lives. 

To give some background on my personal journey as a therapist, I graduated from the University of Denver in June of 2023, earning my Master’s in Social Work with a concentration in Mental Health. Prior to my time at DU, I attended Purdue University, graduating in June of 2020 with a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. While working towards my MSW at the University of Denver, I completed internships providing therapy in a school setting, as well as in an experiential, adventure, and nature-based program for youth.

Since graduating from my Master’s program, I provide women’s DBT groups and serve as a clinician for the Wild Youth Passages Program in Summit County, which is an experiential, adventure and nature-based therapy group for youth experiencing moderate-severe mental health challenges. Along with weekly group therapy sessions, Wild Youth Passages embarks on quarterly nature retreats, including hut trips, backpacking retreats, camping retreats, and rock climbing retreats. 

I’ve found my passion in working with adolescents and adults experiencing complex trauma and other mental health challenges such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, self-harming behaviors, and suicidal ideation. As for my individual client caseload, I am currently seeing adolescents and adults, utilizing therapeutic interventions such as CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, and EMDR. Along with these interventions, I believe that nature can be a strong proponent in an individual’s healing journey so I offer walk-and-talk sessions, as well as sessions taking place along Lake Dillon, depending on client preference.

If interested in either group or individual therapy, please reach out to me at melissa@wildnaturesummit.com to inquire about current availability and to schedule an intake session! I look forward to hearing from you. 

Contact

Email: melissa@wildnaturesummit.com

Hi there! You won’t see me around the office very much as I do much of the behind the scenes work. When it comes to gear, I keep track of who uses what when. Ensuring our equipment stays in good shape allows us to provide teens with anything they are missing that might keep them from getting into the outdoors or trying something new. Additionally, I do a lot of the miscellaneous tasks, including; communicating with our community partners, keeping an on the budget, and obtaining permits/reservations.

I have a background in mental health and outdoor education. I graduated from the University of Missouri-St.Louis in 2017 with a BA in Psychology and a BA in Sociology. Since, I have spent many years as a seasonal employee including several seasons at High Trails Outdoor Education Center in Florissant, CO.  As a field instructor at High Trails, I gained experience teaching, guiding, and supporting kids from three years old to seniors in high school from all over the state, including Summit County School District!

I am passionate about connecting kids to the outdoors and teaching them how to find peace and grounding as they navigate their way through the ever-evolving human experience. My goal is to support the team in all the little ways, so they can focus on helping the clients in big ways, and learning as much as I can as I do. In my free time you will find me on the mountain skiing or hiking or out there somewhere traveling with a good book.

Contact

Email: merikayt@wildnaturesummit.com