Jessie Krebs
Senior Field Guide
Joined Open Sky: January 2010
In Wilderness Therapy since: 2005
Interview with Jessie
February 2010
Q: If you were able to meet anyone (living or dead), who would it be and why?
A: My Grandfather-JD Diehl. He was a huge part of my childhood and I didn't fully realize it until after he died. I was in the military stationed several states away and had tickets to fly home in a couple weeks when mom called and told me the news. It hit me really hard that I didn't get the chance to see him again and really let him know how much he shaped me-Grandpa's lap was the safest place on the planet! I miss him still though that was close to twenty years ago now. "The Leader of the Band" by Dan Fogelberg is my favorite song because it reminds me of him. I'll never forget him playing the the ukulele and singing "You are my Sunshine" without his false teeth! Love you Grandpa!
Q: What are a few of the defining moments in your life and why?
A: Shew, tough question! Firstly, I am a childhood sexual abuse survivor which has stained much of my life-before I was even conscious of it. I have found, however, that by talking about it openly I have begun to heal, and magically have opened doors and found connections with others that suffer as well. Joining the Air Force fresh out of High School was also a huge defining moment. My trainers had to work hard, but they managed to bring a self-confident (OK occasionally even cocky) woman out from a shy girlish shell. I became one of the few, the proud (over the top), female SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) instructors, which has definitely shaped my personality and direction in life. Third, I would have to say my training at Wilderness Quest in June of '05. Chandler (a magnificent woman and counselor) cut through my facade of self-protection with a sharp question: "So, how long have you been using helping people as a defense?" Whew, did that turn my world upside down! It began my trip into Wilderness Therapy and a different kind of travel into my own motivations and hurts. What amazing people I met and worked with there, and I'm eager to continue the journey here at Open Sky!
Q: Who has been your greatest inspiration and why?
A: My Momma! Cheryl Joan Diehl. Where to begin? She has had so many tragedies in her life, so many obstacles to overcome, so much pain, but somehow she always finds the strength and the passion/joy to press on. She is the most insightful, curious, empathetic, loving, warm, adventurous, giving, just all around wonderful woman I know. She's never told me I couldn't do something, but never let me think life would necessarily be easy either. She's been my mirror, my confidant, my therapist (she has her masters in Psyc), my shoulder to cry on, and my most stalwart fan. There are really a slew of incredible people in my family that I have been blessed to have as role models, I love and miss them all when we're apart, so really Momma is just the best of the best! Love you Mom!
Q: What are your unique gifts and/or experiences that help our students?
A: I received the nickname "Momma J" from one of my students several years ago and it caught on. Most often I get comments from students that they feel safe with me around-that I care about them and would never let anything hurt them if it's within my power. I was picked on quite a bit in school and am very sensitive to emotional safety in groups, so I think that combined with my SERE training, which takes care of physical safety, makes me a pretty solid safety net. I think the abuse I suffered helps me to understand the emotional wall many of our students come in with too. We form the wall to help protect ourselves from emotional/physical pain or trauma, and the steps and difficulties in first acknowledging that the wall exists and then the harder work of dismantling it are intimately familiar to me. I know for me it was comforting to know I wasn't alone in those feelings, or lack thereof, because of the emotional wall I'd erected. It's nice now to be able to let others know they aren't alone either, to validate them as an authentic being in their own right. I've also been told I have an energetic presence. I tend to smile and sing a lot and to my surprise most folks are kind enough not to mind! I am high-energy most of the time, which can be contagious or annoying depending on the mood of the group, and the older I get the more willing I am to be goofy for the sake of a good laugh.
Q: Why do you work in wilderness therapy?
A: Mostly because it's where I feel guided to be. I've always had a pretty strong connection to my higher power, and it definitely guided me to this line of work. And really who could ask for a better job???? I am surrounded by amazing coworkers that are each on a wonderful path of self-discovery and are willing to be mirrors for me to help in my own growth. I get to be of service to families-helping them reconnect on a deeper, more meaningful level. My "office" is hundreds of acres of rich, life-filled wilderness that I get to explore and interact with. I get to leave the cauldron of craziness we call the modern world and simplify life to it's most important component, relationships, every week. Need I say more???
Q: Why do you think wilderness therapy works?
A: There is a quote that goes something like: "Adversity is the catalyst for change, without adversity evolution stops." Our greatest growth comes from challenge. When we are in the familiar, the comfortable, the habitual, we have no incentive to grow. There are no escapes when you are stripped down to the bare essentials and placed in the wilderness. You must adapt, you must change to physically and emotionally survive. This creates a new path that can be nurtured and directed to its optimum potential. We will at first try to handle the adversity with our old patterns of behavior, and quickly find they don't work here. We must form new ones. The wilderness (and the guides) do not respond to: kicking and screaming, withdrawal, whining, escapism, bitterness, apathy, self-loathing, poor me, anger, or any other of these negative tactics. The wilderness (and the guides) respond to: respect, speaking up for oneself, courage, questions, self-exploration, honesty, expressiveness, self care, self-motivation, willingness, openness, joy, participation in community, hard work, etc... I guess wilderness "therapy" works because in a basic way it isn't trying to be therapeutic. It just IS. Some folks can run laps around therapists, or are just plain sick of or resistant to therapy. But we can't out wit a thunderstorm, or a simple question that knocks us to our knees. We can't outwit the essential "US" that is laid bare in the wilderness. We are forced to meet our own demons and learn to stop feeding them.
Q: What do you think Open Sky students need?
A: Challenge in a loving, respectful atmosphere. The real beauty of Wilderness Therapy is that the wilderness does most of the work-creating the challenge and the experience. So as a guide, I am free to be as supportive and loving as I am capable of being. I can be on their side, teaching and empowering them to find their inner strength, to learn how to take care of themselves on multiple levels, to find beauty, humor, and joy within themselves.
Q: What do you like to do for fun when you aren't working in the field?
A: Climb Trees, dance, theatre, build my house (OK that's not always fun, but it's rewarding!), watch movies, read books, have in-depth passionate discussions, say yes to random opportunities, engage with my community, sing, journal, swim, boat, travel, and dance some more...
Q: Anything else you want to tell us about yourself?
A: I think Lilacs smell heavenly, I'm mildly allergic to chocolate (it often makes me sneeze), and outside on a warm night is the best place on earth-no matter where I am.
Professional Experience
House Designer/Builder, Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Wilderness Quest, Monticello, Utah
Field Instructor
Chinle High School, Chinle, Arizona
Long-term Substitute Teacher
YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Medford, New Jersey
Challenge Course Director
Education
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona, New Jersey
BA Educational Psychology
United States Air Force Survival School
Survival Instructor (S.E.R.E) Training and OJT
Ropes/Challenge Course Training
Tom Brown's Survival School
Wilderness Medical Associates
Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
