Kate Zorensky

Why do you work in wilderness therapy?
After working as an outdoor educator for a number of years I had a specific student who was extremely gifted as a leader but addicted to pharmaceuticals. I was aware that what he needed was beyond my own skills and the scope of the program in which he was immersed. I rowed him 30 miles down river to meet up with his father and the next day he was enrolled in a wilderness therapy program. He found success in the program and it sparked a realization in me that I was more compelled to work with the population that he represented. I came to work for Open Sky specifically because of the holistic approach to health…physical, mental, emotional , and spiritual. It closely mirrors my own values and offers a paradigm for evolution that I feel our culture badly needs.

Why do you think the wilderness works?
It is a setting that quickly strips one of superficial realities and attunes one into what is really important. There is little room for distraction, and the challenges presented in living in a wilderness setting enable one to come into direct contact with individual m.o.s that have shape one’s life. In this setting one has an opportunity to see what has worked , what is still working, and what needs to be evolved in order to be functional and thriving in life. Penetrating presence is more easily reached in a natural environment…that presence which enables one to see through the veil of illusion into the heart of what is real.

What are your unique gifts, experiences that help other students?
As a 33 year old who has lived hard, played hard, and searched hard for her own meaning and place in the world, I feel I draw upon a deep well of life experience that helps me connect with students. I’ve worked for Outward Bound for 5 years, lived in a Zen Monastery for one year, had a professional Rolfing practice for 6 years, and taught yoga for 3 years. All of these experiences have enabled me unique opportunities to learn about myself and others through transitions and challenging times.

What do you do for fun?
Backcountry trips in remote places…rock climbing, mountaineering. I love to ski. I love riding my bike. I love being physical, challenging my body in skill and endurance, and being outside. I love learning new things. I love doing these things with good friends.

Who is a person that has inspired your life?
My grandmother who first sparked my own wildness through walks in the wilderness…as a child we would take walks in the woods in Maine and pet moss and lichen, listen for woodpeckers, and watch caterpillars transform into butterflies. Later we travelled yearly to Alaska to observe the grizzly in the spring. She has always lived with a sense of reverence and wonder for nature.

If you could meet anyone, who would it be?
The Dalai Lama

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