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We are delighted to have Nichol, the Executive Director of Summit Achievement wilderness therapy program in Stow, ME, on our show. He is truly someone who \u201cgets it\u201d and does great work with autistic and neurodiverse clients. Nichol shares some great nuggets of insight and approaches like the concept of \u201csafe struggle\u201d from his experience working with this population that you will want to start using.

If you are unfamiliar with what wilderness programs are, this is a great introduction to one of the best for serving our communities\u2019 young people. We discuss when a wilderness therapy program is appropriate for neurodiverse young people, especially when an outpatient clinical or residential setting isn\u2019t working.

Listen in this week on our discussion and learn from Nichol\u2019s great perspectives from years of experience and passion for his work.

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

• The benefits of working through \u201csafe struggle\u201d to overcome challenges.
• Why the \u201coutdoor effect\u201d accelerates results.
• Why we don\u2019t change when were comfortable.
• The advantage of wilderness therapy for neurodiverse young people.
• How the Summit hybrid wilderness model helps clients take what is learned outdoors and apply it in real life settings.
• Teaching \u201ctone, tact and timing,\u201d improving executive functioning skills and handling transitions.
• Why pot vaping can be attractive to neurodiverse young people

Featured on the Show:

• Nichol Ernst, LCSW
• Visit Summit Achievement to learn more about Nichol\u2019s wilderness treatment program and Summit Traverse to learn more about their short-term therapeutic boarding school program.
• Link for Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH)
• Link for National Association for Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP)
• Visit NeuroDevMentoring.com to learn more about out our specialized program for neurodiverse young adults.
• Follow Debbie on Instagram!