Chris was born in a densely populated area in North Carolina. From a young age he found any opportunity he could to get into nature; even if it meant sneaking into someone's backyard to play in their creek. As an adult, playing in strangers' backyards became more frowned upon and it became obvious that he would have to live somewhere with more public land.
This quest led him to live in many different wild places over the years; Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Washington, New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina to name a few. In these places, Chris found ways to make money working in the outdoors and then found some creative ways to make that money last (a-lot of times this involved living in a truck or van down by the river). All of this was to be able to continue finding connection to self, others, and the world around him through nature. Not only did he find the connection that he needed in these places, but he found more ways to recreate outside than he ever knew existed; This is what led him to settle in The Gorge; where more outdoor sports are available for a larger portion of the year than anywhere else in the world!
As a Psych major in college, but a raft-guide/kayak-instructor to pay the bills, Chris found himself in search of a field of work that combined his passion for mental health with his passion for the outdoors. This led him to wilderness-therapy, eventually back to grad-school to pursue a Masters in Social Work, and most recently, to CultureSeed as a therapist.
Fresh to the world of clinical-therapy, but seasoned in the transformative power of the outdoors, Chris aims to help youth navigate the challenges and complexities of life while also encouraging them to utilize our vast outdoor playground to explore their own connections to self, others, and the world around them.
“I draw from Solutions-Focused Therapy, CBT, DBT, Narrative Therapy and am always learning new models that help to find a path forward that fits your unique needs. I pride myself in finding creative solutions to problems and will never be offended by being told that something is not working for you. It is way less about what works for me, and way more about what works for you.
Finding a path forward can be challenging at times, but as we continue to navigate together, you will find that you’ll quickly accumulate tools for overcoming any obstacles in your way."
