Shayne Gallagher – Executive Director

For the past 19 years, Shayne has been working with students and families in providing a wilderness experience that influences teens and families to heal from within. With his deep passion and understanding of the innate therapeutic effects of a wilderness experience in the lives of young people, Shayne has become a recognized leader in teen treatment.

Shayne began working with adolescents in 1986, designing a program for students which focused on principle centered leadership, building self-esteem, and sustaining a positive peer culture. This led him to begin working with teens in the outdoors in 1990 as a “Field Instructor”. With over 1400 days in the field, Shayne understands how the wilderness affects change. This “in-field” experience launched his career as a Trainer, Program Developer, Field Director, Program Director, and now Executive Director, and has put him on a short list as one of the most experienced outdoor professionals in the history of the wilderness industry.

Shayne has presented at professional conferences including NATSAP, NATWC, and Naropa, on the subjects of Ethics in Counseling; Intervention without Coercion; Mentorship in Wilderness Settings; Making Primitive Musical Instruments; The Use of Metaphor in Wilderness Therapy; and Inviting Inquiry.

Shayne’s life and career has been devoted to helping students and families find hope for the future. As testimony to this ability one student stated “Shayne found a way to impact my life more than any other person I encountered on the trail. He is the kind of person who is truly gifted at reaching inside a teen’s soul and bringing to light its innate greatness.”