Joanna Bettmann PhD LCSW
Research Director

Dr. Bettmann has worked in the wilderness therapy field since 1994 as a director, researcher, therapist, and field instructor. She worked as a field instructor at Aspen Achievement Academy from 1994 to 1995 and as a residential staff at Aspen Ranch from 1995 to 1996. Dr. Bettmann subsequently held positions as a clinical social work intern at a child day psychiatric hospital in Denver, Colorado and a community mental health center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Bettmann received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Utah Graduate School of Social Work in 1999. She then worked full time as a Field Therapist and Assistant Clinical Director at Aspen Achievement Academy in Loa, UT.

Dr. Bettmann earned her PhD from Smith College School for Social Work, graduating in 2005. Her dissertation research explored shifts in the attachment relationships of adolescents in a leading wilderness therapy program. During her doctoral study, Dr. Bettmann worked as a senior social worker and received advanced clinical training at the University of Utah’s Counseling Center.

Along with her work with Open Sky, Dr. Bettmann holds a position as an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah College of Social Work. There she teaches clinical practice and psychological theory courses to master’s level students and continues to research wilderness therapy outcomes as well as attachment issues in a variety of populations. Dr. Bettmann’s recent publications include articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Clinical Social Work Journal and Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. She has presented her research at numerous national and state conferences: the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the New Haven Psychoanalytic Research Training Program at Yale University, and the Utah Counseling Centers Conference.

A licensed clinical social worker since 2001, Dr. Bettmann loves working with adolescents and families in wilderness settings. Wilderness therapy combines her passion for clinical work with her love of the outdoors. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing and photography. Spending time with family and friends in the outdoors is her idea of a good time.

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