Kristi Miller

Q: Why do you work in wilderness therapy?
A: The wilderness has been incredibly healing for me. It’s the place that brings my soul to life. I became interested in wilderness therapy because I love to teach and to spend time with young people and introduce them to the beauty and wonder of nature. I also believe in the value of therapy to heal our wounds, help us communicate, and express ourselves to the ones we love. To me, the combination of wilderness and therapy is groundbreaking. I feel honored and grateful to be able to help in this process.

Q: What do you believe our students need? 
A: I believe our students need support and guidance in their journeys and with their issues. They need the tools to identify their feelings and needs and to be able to express them to others. They need emotional safety as well as peers and guides that will hold them accountable. I also think they need role models, which I try my best to be.

Q: Why do you think the wilderness works? 
A: I think the wilderness works because it takes the person out of the environment that encouraged their troubles. By removing them from peer pressure, societal pressure, and so forth, students can come to terms with who they are, what they have been through, and what is important. This differs from non-wilderness environments because the students learn to work together by taking care of themselves in a very basic and primal way. When all the other stuff in life doesn’t get in the way things become clearer and simpler.

Q: What are your unique gifts, experiences that help our students?
A: I love people and I love life. I have been through my own trials and tribulations, yet I think life is such a gift. This passion defines my uniqueness. I love to teach and I also am intrigued by what makes us each who we are. I believe that the interactions we have with others is what makes being human so special.

Q: What do you do for fun?
A: Just about anything that involves being outside. I love to play in the mountains and in the rivers. Fly fishing, mountain biking, and snowboarding are some of my favorite things to do. I also love to travel and see new places as well as just sit and chat with good friends.

Q: If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
A: That is a very difficult question. I would choose Amelia Earhart. She was an inspiring woman who didn’t let gender roles or societal pressures determine who she was. She followed her dreams and her heart, which is inspiring to me, especially given the age in which she lived.

Q: What is one of the defining moments of your life that has led you to where you are today?
A: I backpacked the Shenandoah National Park section of the Appalachian Trail when I was just eighteen. I had never spent time in the mountains before that. I was struck by the beauty and serenity as well as the camaraderie of people we met on the trail. I set out into the world to travel, see more places, and meet more people. I was enthralled with the diversity in the United States and the world. The mountains remain very special to me and I felt as though I were coming home when I moved to Colorado thirteen years ago. Since then I have traveled and explored many beautiful places, but the southwest has held me tight, keeping me content.

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