Robin Brodsky, MA, LPC, CAC
Senior Field Guide
Joined Open Sky: May 2006
In Wilderness Therapy since: 2000
Interview with Robin Brodsky, MA, LPC, CAC I
May 2010
Q: If you were able to meet anyone (living or dead), who would it be and why?
A: 1. Mother Theresa. She never asked WHY people were poor, she just fed them and loved them as directed by God. 2. Jesus Christ. I want to find out if he was real or just a conspiracy theory. 3. Martin Luther King, Jr. He questioned the dominant paradigm of the time and challenged us to look deeper into our beliefs. 4. George Burns. He was a very funny man.
Q: What are a few of the defining moments in your life and why?
A: The day I quit drinking alcohol and using drugs. The moment was key in the decision to work toward a more spiritually directed life. Receiving my M.A. from Prescott. It was a huge accomplishment. Completing my first long distance bicycle trip (800) miles. Proof of my determination.
Q: Who has been your greatest inspiration and why?
A: I teach skiing in the winters for the Adaptive Sports Association and I have skied with folks who have traumatic brain injuries, amputations and severe spinal injuries. They never give up and there are too many to list.
Q: What are your unique gifts and/or experiences that help our students?
A: I am direct and have an ability to cut through the games people play and get to the point. I also have an excellent sense of humor. There is not too much they can tell me to shock me but I am also capable of great compassion and kindness.
Q: Why do you work in wilderness therapy?
A: I did not choose Wilderness Therapy, Wilderness Therapy chose me.
Q: Why do you think wilderness therapy works?
A: See my Master's thesis, Telemark Skiing and it's Impact on Self Concept: An Exploration of Adventure Therapy and Somatic Psychology. You can find it online at the Prescott College library.
Q: What do you think Open Sky students need?
A: Firm boundaries, loving kindness and positive direction.
Q: What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t working in the field?
A: I wait for it to snow...In the meantime, I ride my bicycle...a lot...I read lots of fiction...I am an avid birder. And when it does snow, I hoot and holler and jump up and down with joy and put on my skis and lunge my way to Nirvana praying for powder......................
Q: Anything else you want to tell us about yourself?
A: I believe that all life is a gift and we are here to have a good time and practice love and kindness.
Professional Experience
Wilderness Treatment Center, Marion, Montana
Counselor Intern/Field Staff
Voyageur Outward Bound School, Red Lodge, Montana
Outdoor Educator
Southwest Colorado Mental Health, Detox Unit, Crisis/Transitional Housing, Durango, Colorado
Chemical Dependency Counselor
Mental Health Care Worker
Wilderness Quest, Monticello, Utah
Chief Instructor
Education
MA, Adventure Based Psychotherapy
Prescott College, Prescott, Arizona
BA, Humanities
Friends World College, Long Island University, Long Island, New York
Outdoor Leadership
National Outdoor Leadership School
Certified Emergency Medical Technician
CPR for Healthcare Provider
Nationally Certified Firefighter I
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC I)
