104: Tim Walsh, Founder of Adventure Recovery

Tim Walsh is the founder of Adventure Recovery in CT. Tim's journey into the field started at a young age due to trauma and addiction. Tim shares that in his 20's while in treatment he "walked through fire" to realize that mentors in his life including a mobster, a judge, and a friend's mother had changed the course of his life from going to jail to a path of service. He shares his journey and how he founded Adventure Recovery which is a recovery-focused adventure guide service and so much more. Bio from Adventure Recovery website: Tim is an outdoor educator and recovery coach trainer who specializes in guiding people through the external and internal wilderness. Over the last 25 years, he has founded and lead numerous programs and institutions in the youth development and addictions recovery and prevention fields, as well as offered individualized support for those seeking purpose and spiritual development.  Tim advises and develops experiential education, adventure therapy, and substance abuse awareness programs for private schools, youth development programs, treatment centers, and national conferences. He's a pioneer in the field of adventure-based counseling, he was one of the founding team members of Mountainside Treatment Center. As Founding Director of Adventure-Based Counseling at Mountainside and was eventually promoted to Executive Director. Tim served in this capacity for four years and left to start his own consulting business and successfully create exceptional adventure curriculums for top-tier mental healthcare providers. Tim holds Instructor Trainer levels of certification in ACA whitewater canoe, pro-rescuer first aid & CPR and lifeguarding as well as certifications in advanced whitewater kayak instruction, BCU star 3 sea kayaking, wilderness first responder, recovery coaching and adventure-based counseling. He studies various wisdom traditions and receives healing rites and practical tools from elders and practitioners from both Western and Eastern disciplines. With a deep reverence and respect for ceremony and ritual, he facilitates a tailored approach to the personal transformative process. Furthermore, he provides healing experiences for individuals of all ages. When not on the river, Tim is with his wife and family, exploring the natural world, paddling the New England rivers, working in the garden, playing with their puppy, and creating.