279: Anxiety, Connection, and the Outdoors: How Dr. Jack Hinman Helps Struggling Young Adults at Engage Transitions

In this insightful episode Will talks with Dr. Jack Hinman, co-founder and executive director of Engage Transitions, shares his personal path from a chaotic childhood in Memphis to launching a young adult transition program in the red rock and pine-covered terrain of Cedar City, Utah. Engage Transitions supports young adults facing anxiety, depression, executive functioning struggles, and social isolation—many of whom are also neurodivergent. Jack opens up about his own healing journey through friendship, therapy, and the outdoors, and offers a powerful reminder to parents: anxiety is not something to eliminate but a necessary part of growth. He challenges the cultural instinct to remove discomfort, noting how overprotection from the physical world—and underprotection from the online one—may be delaying critical development in young adults. Jack passionately explores how time outside—on a mountain bike trail, in the snow, or simply hiking—can unlock self-confidence, connection, and emotional regulation. He believes that unstructured outdoor play builds resilience and identity, especially for young men struggling with motivation or vulnerability. Movement-based activities create opportunities for co-regulation, mirror therapy modalities like EMDR, and offer a space where conversations can flow more naturally than in a clinical office. Jack emphasizes that mastery of the outdoor environment, whether navigating rocky terrain or managing ski gear in cold weather, helps young people begin to feel mastery over themselves. In a world where many young adults are lost in digital disconnection, nature can be the place they finally begin to grow. Stories from the Field is undwritten by White Mountain Adventure Institute: https://www.wmai.org/