Meet The Team

Jamie Kaczmarek, LCSW

Vantage Point Males/Females, Ages 13-17

Master’s in Social Work from the University of Utah
Licensed Clinical social Worker in the State of Utah
Bachelors in Psychology and Outdoor Recreation from Indiana University
Clinical emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorders encompassing Cognitive, Solution focused, Collaborative Problem solving, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapies.

Also specializes in: Autism Spectrum Disorders / NLD / Family Systems / Depression Attachment / ADHD / Mood Disorders / Anxiety

As a youngster, Jamie was climbing trees and catching fireflies in the outskirts of Chicago, Illinois. Her love for the wilderness influenced her decision to obtain a B.S. in Outdoor Recreation with an emphasis in Environmental Education from Indiana University in 1999. With the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Baja, Mexico, Jamie was educated in leadership and team dynamics through an experiential adventure approach. She then began her career in 2000 serving adjudicated youth in the wilderness working for Alternative Youth Adventures (AYA), in South Central Utah.

Caitlin Galt, LCMHC

Vantage Point Males/Females, Ages 18-26

Graduate Degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology W/emphasis in wilderness therapy from Naropa University
Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Chicago
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in the State of Utah
Clinical emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorders encompassing Cognitive, Collaborative Problem Sound Mind/Body Practice therapies.

Also specializes in: Autism Spectrum Disorders / NLD / Family Systems / Anxiety / Identity Issues / Mood Disorders / Trauma / Addictive Behaviors / ADHD

Caitlin received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago focusing on Art therapy, sculpture, and painting. In 2008, she merged her love of art therapy and the outdoors by earning her graduate degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, with an emphasis in Wilderness Therapy from Naropa University in Colorado.

Hannah Eckert, CSW

Vantage Point Females, Ages 13-26

Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Utah
Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver: Psychology, with minors in Leadership, Spanish, and Environmental Science
Experience working with clients challenged with anxiety, depression, traumatic grief & loss, ODD, and ASD

Originally from the Adirondacks of Northern New York, Hannah attended the University of Denver where she graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. Her passion for the outdoors and working with adolescents translated well for her start at Aspiro as a field guide in the spring of 2015. In that position, Hannah fell in love with the field of wilderness therapy. After leaving to work at a therapeutic boarding school and gaining a broader perspective of the therapeutic field, she returned to Aspiro where she worked as a therapist intern before completing her Master’s Degree and working as a clinician herself. She also has done therapy at a grief support center for kids, where she did counseling and led grief groups, furthering her knowledge about grief counseling and complicated bereavement. A main focus for Hannah is working with girls who have ASD, a neuro-atypical presentation, or who have a difficult time with social integration. She also has experience working with oppositional behaviors, anxiety, depression, addiction, and finds value in incorporating experiential modalities such as adventure therapy, art therapy, and recreational therapy.

The beautiful desert landscapes of Utah drew Hannah to this part of the country. She now spends most of her free time canyoneering and exploring these areas with her dog, Saranac.

Carl Smoot, PhD

Assoc. Clinical Director Research & Program Evaluation

Ph.D. Psychology
M.A. Philosophy
B.A. Philosophy/B.S. Psychology, Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude
Licensed Psychologist
Clinical focus on Psychological Evaluation, Supervision, Developmental Disorders, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Group Therapy

Carl began working in mental health in 1990 and soon thereafter entered a Ph.D. program in Psychology at the University of Utah. After completing his degree, he supervised three school-based mental health programs around the island of O’ahu. Carl moved back to Salt Lake City because of his love of the outdoors and opportunities to work in wilderness programs completing psychological evaluations. He has an in-depth knowledge of learning and developmental disorders, as well the ways they interact with mental health and other adjustment problems. At Aspiro since 2012, Carl runs a weekly supervision meeting, mentors field guides, consults on difficult cases, and completes psychological evaluations.

Away from work, Carl enjoys fly fishing and duck hunting. He has been married for twenty years to Dr. Tracine Smoot. Together they have three children and one grandchild.

Dr. Nathan Barusch

Psychiatrist

Dr. Nathan Barusch earned his medical degree at Creighton University and his Masters in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where he did research on the impact of technology use on the mental health of adolescents. He completed his psychiatry residency at the University of California-Davis and is pursuing advanced training in integrative psychiatry at the Integrative Psychiatry Institute

Nathan believes in compassionate, holistic, and evidence-based care. He emphasizes environment, lifestyle, personal history, spirituality, and biology when developing a personalized treatment plan designed to prepare clients to reach their full potential.

He is a member of the Clinical TMS Society and has completed their training in the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, a powerful tool for the treatment of depression and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Dr. Barusch actively practices Zen medication, is an avid skier, and loves exploring the mountains with his dog Jasper.

Leah Shingler

Admissions Counselor

Leah is a graduate of Sterling College, where her passion for outdoor education and wilderness therapy truly began. She joins the Aspiro team with over 20 years of experience in the field of Wilderness Therapy where she has worked in various capacities, ranging from Field Guide to Director of Admissions and Outreach. Leah brings with her a genuine passion for assisting families and referring professionals in finding the best possible solutions for the difficult situations they face. Leah is dedicated to helping students, families and employees achieve growth, healing and personal well-being. Her professional and caring approach instantly fosters trust and connection for those with whom she works. While she has lived in many beautiful regions of the country, Leah grew up in Western Massachusetts and still remains a New Englander at heart. When she is not working Leah enjoys spending time with her husband, friends and fur baby, Josie. She also loves watching most sports, eating most foods, playing golf, road biking, adventuring to new destinations and finding new home-improvement projects to do.

Ally Jackson

Admissions Counselor

Ally is a Denver, Colorado native and has lived in Utah for nearly 15 years. Ally has been working with families in crisis since 2013, facilitating admissions and outreach roles at residential treatment and wilderness therapy programs. Ally has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Utah Valley University and four years of experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children. Ally is passionate about what she does and has a gift of connecting with families and helping them feel supported while navigating the admissions process. Because of her experience in a treatment program as an adolescent, Ally brings an extraordinary amount of warmth, compassion, and hope to the families she works with. Ally fully believes in and is passionate about Aspiro’s Adventure model and the fantastic team she works with daily. Outside work, Ally holds the title of “Favorite Aunt” to her three nieces, loves to be active, practice yoga, and spend time with family and friends. She also has a sidekick that goes everywhere with her-her Goldendoodle named Sadie.

David Mayeski, LCSW

Family Services Director

University of Maryland, College Park Bachelor of Arts Government and Politics 1993
University of South Carolina, Columbia Master of Social Work 1997
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, 2003 Licensed Mental Health Counselor Supervisor
17 + years experience in Residential Treatment settings
Family Systems Trainer
Clinical Supervisor

Also specializes in: Family Systems Work / Understanding Family Roles, Dynamics and Power Struggles / Genograms

David comes to Aspiro with almost 20 years of experience working with families in therapeutic programs. Originally David received his Bachelor’s degree in Government and Politics and went on to earn his Master of Social Work.

Prior to joining Aspiro, David served in many capacities at highly respected residential treatment centers as a primary therapist, Admissions Director, and Clinical Director. After working as a primary therapist for two years, he was awarded his License in Clinical Social Work (LCSW) in 2003 and has continued practicing therapy with students and their families. His desire to help families heal and overcome obstacles, his years of experience, and his clinical sophistication, make him the perfect match as the Family Services Director where he continues to help families heal through parent coaching, therapy sessions, webinars, and during groups over Aspiro’s Parent Seminars.

David is passionate about helping others and guiding families through their journey of connecting and healing as a system. David enjoys talking politics, playing a round of golf, and especially cherishes time with his beautiful wife and three children.

Kate Crowell

Family Services Coordinator

Kate has worked in the wilderness industry for over twelve years, spending the majority of that time with Aspiro. Kate has gained vast experience in numerous departments including working as a field guide, logistics coordinator, purchaser, accountant, and now as the Family Services Coordinator. The different roles she has played at Aspiro plus her great attention to detail and organization, make her an incredible asset to the Family Services team as she has an in-depth knowledge of the details of each department and of wilderness therapy as a whole. Kate’s experience allows her to easily arrange details for clinicians and families when organizing Family Days, and to answer questions for parents on all of the aspects of Aspiro. Kate enjoys gardening, reading, knitting, and spending time with her husband, two little girls, and three dogs.

Whitney Fox

Administrative Assistant

Born and raised in Utah, Whitney joined the Aspiro team in early 2018. Whitney’s study of the arts has allowed her to look at systems with a creative and fresh perspective, making her an integral part of Aspiro’s office management team. She is eager to jump into new projects and broaden her understanding of the inner workings of Aspiro. Whitney’s attention to detail and family focus has enriched the family services department and added an important element of attention and care to everyone she works with. Whitney enjoys spending her free time with her daughter and camping with her friends, family, and dogs.

Mark Widmer, PhD

Independent Research Director

Dr. Mark Widmer is a tenured professor of therapeutic recreation at Brigham Young University. He has conducted research in the area of Wilderness and Adventure Therapy for 18 years. He is a licensed recreational therapist who conducts and published research in refereed journals. He has several ongoing research projects with leading therapeutic outdoor programs.

Adam Balls, MD

Medical Director

Dr. Adam Balls is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who is actively practicing in the Salt Lake City area for Utah Emergency Physicians. He obtained his MD degree from Georgetown University in 2004. In 2007, Dr. Balls completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ where he also served as chief resident. After his residency, Adam and his family relocated to San Antonio Texas where he served on active duty for four years as an EM physician at Wilford Hall Medical Center, a Level 1 Trauma Center and EM Residency Program. During his time in the Air Force, he served as a team leader for a Critical Care Aeromedical Transport Team on deployments to Iraq, Germany, and Afghanistan.

Adam currently resides in Salt Lake City with his wife and three children. He serves as Medical Director for Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, a Level 1 Trauma Center and the largest ED in the state of Utah. He also works as Medical Director for Murray Fire Department. Adam is passionate about delivering excellent patient care in the Emergency Department and enjoys training and teaching. He is excited to support the needs of Pure Life in his Medical Director role. Outside of his clinical work, Adam enjoys the outdoors in Utah, supporting his children in their various sports and school activities, and living life through travel experiences around the world.

Lizzie Madloch

Medical Coordinator

Lizzie’s experience as a field guide adds to her understanding and knowledge as she cares for Aspiro students. She has an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician certification with over four years of experience providing direct patient care in this role. She was a Crew Chief for the Skidmore College Emergency Services and served as a member of their board of directors. Lizzie has a degree from Skidmore College and graduated summa cum laude majoring in biology and chemistry. Lizzie has been an instructor for the Stop the Bleed program. This program is intended to teach people how to recognize life-threatening bleeding and how to intervene effectively. Lizzie enjoys being outside and reading. Some of her favorite activities include backpacking, hiking, climbing, and skiing.

Nick Pelleteiri

Associate Program Director

After earning a degree in Forestry and Recreation Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin, Nick took his first wilderness therapy job in Utah. Nick started as a field staff, and throughout his 7 years working for that company, he took on roles in staff development, program leadership eventually becoming a field director. In 2014 Nick switched to the nonprofit world where he helped improve access to the outdoors to people from various backgrounds. He continued to grow as an industry leader in experiential, and adventure education before his love of wilderness therapy drew him back to the industry in early 2020.

Nick’s passion for the outdoors began when he was a child growing up in Wisconsin as he spent time outdoors camping, hunting and fishing with his Dad. When Nick is not working, you can find him snowboarding on the slopes, hiking through the forest, or camping with his wife and son.

Trevor Ahlquist

Associate Operations Manager

Trever Ahlquist is Aspiro’s Associate Operations Director. In this role, Trevor oversees Aspiro’s expeditions and weekly staffing needs. Trevor has held many roles within the Aspiro group since he started as a guide in 2006. These include being a lead field guide, the logistics coordinator, and an in-field trainer. In addition to his work at Aspiro Adventure, Trevor also has experience as a shift lead at a residential treatment center and spent a year in Costa Rica working as a guide at another adventure-based wilderness program. Trevor is excited about his new role as Associate Operations Director at Aspiro as he enjoys the company culture and believes in the work that Aspiro does. Trevor’s favorite outdoor activity is backpacking and in his free time, he enjoys going disc golfing and exploring new restaurants.

Kip Swem

Associate Field Director

Kip grew up in eastern Washington where he quickly found a love for the outdoors. After going to school at Central Washington University, he traveled to Honduras to volunteer as an English teacher and manage a program on proper nutrition for the local youth. It was in Honduras that Kip learned that service was his passion, thus leading him to wilderness therapy. Kip has been with Aspiro since early 2016. He started out as a field guide where he was able to develop a diverse skill set to help our unique and complicated students. Following that, he transitioned into the role of recruiter where he discovered our staff and helped them develop to a high standard which Aspiro holds. As an associate field director, Kip now manages Aspiro’s field staff and focuses on training them to be as effective as possible. Kip can likely be found visiting student groups in the field, hiking into a backcountry lake, or planning his next adventure.

Rick Meeves, PhD, LMFT

CEO

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
PhD, Marriage and Family Therapy, Brigham Young University
BS, University of Nebraska

Professional Experience

Practicing therapist since 1997
Vice President and National Director of Clinical Quality, CRC Health Group
Founder, Outback Therapeutic Expeditions (2001)
Primary Therapist, Second Nature Wilderness Programs
Clinical Director, Aspen Achievement Academy and Aspen Ranch

Katie Thoma

CFO

Katie graduated from University of Northern Iowa and brings over 18 years of experience in accounting and business management to the Aspiro Group. Katie has been with the Asprio since 2013 and oversees the company’s financial planning and management. She is a valuable member of the leadership team and brings her business management knowledge, as well as her insight and practical viewpoints, to the planning and oversight of the company. Katie enjoys running, biking and spending time with family.

Josh Watson, LCSW

CMO

Masters in Social Work from the University of Georgia
Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University
Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Utah and North Carolina
Trained/experienced in CBT, Family Systems therapy, Adlerian therapy, Strengths-based therapy, Crisis and Risk Assessment

Also specializes in: crisis de-escalation / anxiety resolution / frustration tolerance / verbal de-escalation / CBT/DBT / interpersonal relationships/leadership development

Josh has been working with adolescents, young adults, and their families since 2001. As an original member of the Aspiro Leadership Team, Josh has fulfilled several roles at Aspiro including Clinical Wilderness Therapist, Clinical Supervision, Admissions Director, Strategic Development, and currently serves as the Chief Marketing Officer. He is passionate about carrying out the mission of Aspiro and creating the best possible experience for our clients. When Josh is not at work he enjoys traveling, cooking, outdoor adventure (of course!), golf, and spending time doing just about anything with his wife and two daughters.

Kayleen Richter, PHR

HR Director

Kayleen Richter, Human Resource Director for Aspiro Group, is an HR professional with over 11 years of experience in the public and private sectors. She is certified through Human Resource Certification Institute as a Professional Human Resource Manager. Kayleen has been with the Aspiro team since April 2013, managing employee relations, training, recruiting, compensation, performance management, employee engagement, compliance, workers compensation, benefits and more. She has been a Society for Human Resource Management Member since 2015. Kayleen loves working with people and helping employees have a great experience while employed at Aspiro. Kayleen enjoys running, volleyball, camping, boating, and most of all spending time with and raising 6 beautiful children.

Audrey Stewart

Digital Marketing Specialist

Audrey started at Aspiro in 2014 as a field guide. After working in the field, Audrey transitioned into the Logistics department where she primarily facilitated student intakes and departures. After several years, Audrey was promoted to Logistics Manager and joined the Senior Management team. Most recently Audrey has moved over to the Admissions team where she currently works as an Admissions Coordinator. Throughout her time at Aspiro, Audrey has worked in many roles but has always maintained her passion for helping students and their families. Audrey’s educational background includes a degree in Child, Adult, and Human Services from Iowa State University in addition to a Paramedic Specialist Certificate. She previously worked in a pediatric emergency room and brings her medical background with her to work every day. She is committed to being a life long learner and is currently working towards a marketing certificate. Her love for the outdoors and desire to help others has never waned and she believes strongly in the healing properties of the wilderness and of high adventure activities like mountain biking, skiing, and rock climbing, which she pursues in her own time.

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