Allison Hinkle
Allison (she/her) comes to Deschutes Wilderness Therapy with a wealth of experience in case management, program design, and recruitment. She has worked locally in the Central Oregon community for the past five years, supporting different non-profit organizations. During this time, Allison gained a strong understanding of community needs and built connections to create accessible resources…
Read MoreLori Vallelunga, PhD
Dr. Lori Vallelunga is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than a quarter-century of clinical and program administration experience. She comes to Deschutes Wilderness Therapy with an adventurous spirit and a passion to help others become their best selves. As Clinical Director of the Adolescent Program, Dr. Vallelunga’s skills in team building, staff communication, and support as…
Read MoreBarbara Lang
Barbara comes to Deschutes Wilderness Therapy with a wealth of experience in the digital entertainment marketing space, where she worked for nationally recognized brands including SPIN, Billboard, and the Hollywood Reporter. It was in those roles that she developed a deep understanding of building trusting relationships and creative marketing strategies. Barbara’s introduction to wilderness therapy…
Read MoreMatt Potako
Matt hails from the woody western suburbs of Philadelphia, PA where he always preferred to play outside. He developed an early love for the ocean, growing up sailing, surfing and kiteboarding. While studying Hydrogeology and Music Technology at Penn State, Matt fell in love with the mountains and land-based activities such as hiking, skiing and mountain biking.…
Read MoreDr. Ryan Patterson
Ryan Paterson attended the University of Vermont School of Medicine and completed his Emergency Medicine Residency and Fellowship in Wilderness/Altitude/Expedition Medicine at Denver Health Medical Center/the University of Colorado, USA. He also holds advanced certifications in Tropical Medicine from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) and in Mountain Medicine (DiMM). He is…
Read MoreAndrew Scott MA
Andrew stepped into the Executive Director role at Deschutes Wilderness Therapy in the Spring of 2015. He started working in the wilderness therapy field around 2012, taking on responsibilities such as leading an inner-city outdoor youth program, working with wilderness immersion students in the field, supporting the admissions process, and other administrative and organizational needs.…
Read MoreSteve Sawyer, LCSW CSAC
New Vision Wilderness, Deschutes Wilderness Therapy, First Light Wilderness Chief Clinical Consultant/Co-Founder Brainspotting International Senior Trainer Heartmath Interventions & Resilient Heart Programs Co-Author Wellbriety Mending Broken Hearts Trainer Steve is a dual-licensed psychotherapist filled with passion and knowledge surrounding the intervention and change process. His experience comes from two decades of intervention with tough-to-reach client…
Read MoreDaryn Reiner
Daryn started her work with therapeutic programs in 2006 after six years in the United States Navy and a year of independent humanitarian work in Zimbabwe. Since then, Daryn co-founded and co-ran Canterbury Academy, a learning differences day school in Seattle. She then served as a team leader at Aspiro Wilderness Program, program director at…
Read MoreOlivia Akana
Olivia came to Deschutes Wilderness Therapy with experience in the facilities and real estate management space. She worked for large biotechnology companies in Boston, MA, and was responsible for new site acquisition, design, build, startup, and operation. In those roles, she developed a deep understanding of administrative and operational leadership to ensure growth and stability…
Read MoreDan Kikkert, MSIOP
As the Associate Executive Director at Deschutes Wilderness Therapy, Dan directly oversees the young adult and family services programs in addition to overall risk management, medical, and quality control systems. He combines his experience in wilderness therapy with his knowledge in organizational psychology to help push DWT in its mission through quality systems, leadership development,…
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