Heather Menzie, MA
Family Services Director, Clinical Therapist
Education:
MA, Naropa University, Counseling Psychology & Wilderness Therapy, 2008
BA, College of William and Mary, English, 2000
Grew Up In:
Massachusetts
In Wilderness Therapy Since:
2001
Primary Populations Served at Open Sky:
Families, Adolescent Girls
Areas of Clinical Expertise:
Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, Grief and Loss, Disordered
Eating, Body Image Issues, Adoption/Attachment Issues, Family Therapy
Heather grew up in Westford, Massachusetts and graduated with a BA in English from the College of William and Mary in 2000. After college, she worked as a teacher for students with developmental disabilities, mood disorders, emotional and behavioral issues, and substance abuse issues. Heather moved west to become a river guide, leading trips for all ages focused on team-building, communication skills, and personal empowerment. She spent several summers working for the Women’s Wilderness Institute, a non-profit dedicated to strengthening the courage, leadership, and confidence of women and girls.
In 2003, Heather became a field guide for a wilderness therapy program in southeast Utah and was hooked. She joined Open Sky in 2007 and completed her graduate degree in counseling from Naropa University in 2008. Along with her work with students in the field, Heather directs Open Sky’s family services program. Heather’s passion for family work has been integral in the growing of Open Sky’s family program, making it the most comprehensive in the field of wilderness therapy. Heather has presented at national conferences on disordered eating, body image issues, and adolescent girls’ development.
Heather’s areas of clinical expertise include anxiety, depression, self-harm, grief and loss, trauma, disordered eating, body image issues, adoption/attachment issues, and family therapy.
Her therapeutic and clinical approaches integrate body-centered and experiential psychotherapy and she focuses on teaching clients effective stress management skills and assertive communication tools.
Heather is an accomplished yoga teacher with regular classes in Durango and she is an avid white water rafter. She loves to travel, dance, and play outside with friends and family exploring the wild mountains, rivers, and canyons of the southwest.
