Letter to the Open Sky Community January 12, 2024 Dear Open Sky community near and far, Persevering in the face of adversity is part of the magic of what Open Sky students do when learning to live outdoors, and something we have done as an organization since our inception in 2006.  We now find ourselves facing adversity we have never experienced. By the end of next month, all of our teams – early adolescents, adolescent boys, adolescent girls, and young adults – will be down to just one, two, or three students. With this, we have come to the heartbreaking conclusion that February 14, 2024, wil ..read more

Danielle DiPiro, MA, LPCC originally joined Open Sky as a field guide in 2015, intending to learn more about wilderness therapy. Eight years later, Danielle continues to embrace the healing power of nature and create lasting change for the whole family as a Clinical Therapist for adolescent girls. Get to know Danielle in the Q&A below!  How did you develop a passion for mental health, working with young people, and their families? As a teenager and young adult, I spent my summers working for a small nonprofit summer camp. Each summer, this camp hosted a group of young women who ha ..read more

  Holidays in wilderness are an important time for students and field staff alike. They are fun and filled with joy; they offer unique moments to reflect on love and gratitude for family and the simple things in life. Staff put a lot of intention into programming for the holiday season. And it all starts with team collaboration. The students play an important role in co-creating what the day will look like. Thinking about how to prepare the special holiday feast, honor traditions, and give gifts is truly a team effort, making the experience that much more meaningful to each individual. E ..read more

When many people hear the world “mindfulness,” they instantly think of meditation and yoga. These are indeed two prominent and beneficial practices to support mindfulness. There are, however, a multitude of ways to live intentionally, become centered, and develop mindful patterns. Through breathing and centering exercises, you can integrate an awareness of the body, heart, mind, and soul to promote holistic health. Subsequently, these practices support communication skills, emotional regulation, and relationships as well!  In this post, we aim to walk you through useful skills and resour ..read more

Since our inception, mindfulness has been a cornerstone of Open Sky’s holistic approach. Each day in the field, students take time to meditate, helping them incorporate a variety of powerful benefits into their lives.  In fact, a recent study found that mindfulness was as effective as a standard drug for treating anxiety. Mindfulness can also help:  manage stress,  promote relaxation,  regulate emotions,  increase self-awareness and understanding,  improve self-esteem and confidence, and  reduce symptoms of depression.  In this article, we examine the ..read more

In this blog, Clinical Therapist Maura Nolan, LPC, LCMHC, NCC explains what post-traumatic somatic growth therapy is as well as how she uses it in a wilderness setting to help students connect to their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and build a well of resilience.   What is post-traumatic somatic growth therapy? Post-traumatic somatic growth therapy (PTG) includes both developing qualities within us that lead to expansion—such as stretching the capacity to feel good—as well as focusing on regulating our nervous system. It focuses on:  increasing strength and sense o ..read more

Through our evidence-based practices, diverse team dynamics, and emphasis on healthy living, Open Sky offers highly effective programming for students with neurodiverse profiles, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In responding to needs of young people and families coming out of the pandemic, Open Sky has focused on refining and enhancing our programming to meet the needs of students with general social skills challenges as well as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This has included more specialized clinical training and field guide training, as well as supporting the recent Autism Sympos ..read more

Jacob* walked onto Open Sky’s base camp with a lot of optimism. He was 18 years old, hoping to go to college soon, and determined to address his autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms that he had long ignored. Like many young people with ASD, Jacob struggled to make and keep friends, had a hard time with social nuance, was often emotionally dysregulated, struggled with breaks in his routine, and wasn’t taking good physical care of himself. Over the following months, Jacob worked in a group with both neurodiverse and neurotypical peers to build social skills, improve self-care, learn to bette ..read more

In this blog, Clinical Therapist Mark Sobel, LCSW shares the causes and impacts of codependency and enmeshment in family relationships as well as how he works with parents to manage their own uncertainties while supporting their child’s healthy development.  What is enmeshment? Within the context of interpersonal relationships, enmeshment occurs when the boundaries between two or more people become diffuse or even non-existent. Often, those in an enmeshed relationship will feel each other’s feelings and ride the emotional rollercoaster of the other person. They become emotionally intert ..read more

Empathy and Empaths Empathy is the ability to attune to the emotions and feelings of others. Empaths are people who can feel other people’s emotions on a deep level. They sense the tension between people in the room; can tell if you are sad, happy, or anything in between; intuit the emotional experiences of the people around them, and care greatly for the well-being of others. Some empaths are also highly sensitive to smells, sounds, and their surroundings. Crowds or busy venues like weddings and conferences are often overstimulating for empaths.    Do you find yourself crying d ..read more