As John reflects on his early wilderness experiences and his transition into mental health coaching, he recognizes the profound impact those years spent in nature had on his personal and professional growth. Coming from a family where addiction was a constant undercurrent, the wilderness provided both the healing and challenge he needed, serving as a refuge that shaped who he would become.

In the mid-1990s, his experience at the Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS)—first as a student, then as an intern and field instructor—revealed to him the transformative power of wilderness, not just in his own life but in the lives of others. While BOSS wasn’t explicitly therapeutic, he witnessed undeniable shifts in people over the course of their wilderness journeys, sparking his passion for guiding others through life’s toughest transitions.

In 1998, he began working as field staff at Aspen Achievement Academy (AAA), a therapeutic wilderness program for struggling adolescents. Those teens mirrored the challenges he had faced at their age, allowing him to connect deeply with them. Over the next decade, he spent over 1,000 days in the field, learning how wilderness could serve as both a mirror and a catalyst for healing. His ability to connect with these teens laid the foundation for his future work as a life coach, wilderness therapist, and now, the owner of Aspen Growth Coaching.

In 2008, he transitioned into coaching young adults as they left wilderness programs and returned to everyday life—home, school, or college. This experience honed his skills in guiding individuals through pivotal life transitions. During this time, he pursued a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah and later earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Westminster College. Now a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) in North Carolina, he also holds certifications in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and is a certified Prosocial Matrix facilitator.

His professional development extended to cutting-edge modalities, including psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Having completed training with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy, he is currently enrolled in the Integrative Psychiatry Institute’s Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy certification program. He sees immense potential in this next evolution of therapy.

Mindfulness and meditation, rooted in his immersion in a Zen Buddhist community, continue to influence his work, bringing depth and presence to each client interaction. His time working at the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute (UNI) further strengthened his ability to support individuals with complex mental health challenges.

By 2013, he felt a calling back to wilderness therapy and worked as a psychotherapist at Evoke Therapy Programs, where he built a reputation for helping young adults access their motivation, often buried under anxiety, depression, substance use, or trauma. Combining his years in the wilderness with his expertise in coaching, he created Red Cedar Transitions to support adolescents and young adults through challenging life transitions, bringing the best of both worlds—nature and psychology—into their personal growth journeys, later expanding with AGC to provide that same level of care wherever people need it.

Today, Aspen Growth Coaching & Red Cedar Transition together stands as a culmination of his nearly three decades of work in wilderness therapy and coaching, where he guides clients through profound transformations, helping them rediscover themselves and navigate life's challenges with resilience and purpose.