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Pam has worked in the field of wilderness therapy since 1994. Over the years, Pam has helped hundreds of young people and families address and heal from emotional and behavioral issues, including substance abuse and dependence, mood disorders, traumas, learning differences, oppositional defiance, family communication problems, school difficulties and other life challenges. Pam grew up in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. In 1981, she earned a BA in English Literature from Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans. In 1994, she received an MA in Transpersonal Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. In 1994, Pam moved to Southern Utah with her husband, John Dupuy, and spent six months wandering the high desert red rock landscape where she fell in love with the uniquely beautiful area that makes up the “Four Corners” region. During this time she began working for Aspen Achievement Academy as a field instructor; this experience cemented her passion for wilderness and wilderness therapy. In 1995, Pam moved into a therapist role at Aspen and has worked in this capacity for more than ten years. When students are asked to describe Pam, they tend to say that she is honest and direct, yet “cool,” and that she can call them out on their “B.S.” while making them feel genuinely cared about. Parents echo the students’ perceptions of Pam, noting her warmth, easygoing manner, realness, and candor. Pam started the first all girls’ group at Aspen in 1998, and was featured in the renowned book about wilderness therapy, Shouting at The Sky by Gary Ferguson. In 1999, Pam accepted the position of Clinical Director at Aspen, a role she held until 2003. As Clinical Director, Pam helped develop a comprehensive clinical approach to doing therapy in a wilderness setting, integrating traditional clinical services such as psychotherapy, family therapy, psychiatric assessments, and psychological testing. In 2003, Pam became the Executive Director for Passages to Recovery, an innovative wilderness-based recovery program for adults—a program she helped to found. This experience taught her about the nature of addiction and recovery, the incredible challenges families face in coping with this ever growing and horrifying cultural disease, and the power and strength families demonstrate in their recovery. In 2004, Pam co-founded Still Mountain Wilderness Center, an organization devoted to providing educational, empowering and healing wilderness journeys for adults. Also in 2004, after spending a month long retreat at a Benedictine monastery, Pam returned to Aspen Achievement Academy as a therapist and interim Clinical Director until accepting the position of Clinical Director for Open Sky Wilderness Therapy. Pam’s passions include meditation, yoga, drumming, and exploring desert sandstone. A few things people may be surprised to know about Pam is that she volunteered on a kibbutz in Israel for two months; rode across the U.S. on a motorcycle; is a certified arc welder; and served as a neighborhood mediator for a steel mill in California. In 1997, Pam started a weekly meditation group; these weekly meetings have become a place where rural people can build community and focus on spirituality, wellness and ecology . back to Leadership Team --or-- back to Clinical Team
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Pam Parsons