Leadership

Nicole Prescott, LPC, LCPC, is the Clinical Director at New Vision Wilderness Therapy.  She has worked with children and adolescents in a variety of settings including wilderness therapy programs, residential treatment centers, community mental health agencies, and private practice. After her years as a Lead Therapist for NVW, she naturally grew to the role of Clinical Director, now support all the therapists within the program.

Nicole earned a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology specializing in Child and Adolescent Therapy from University in IL.  She holds certifications in Equine Assisted Therapy, Brainspotting, and Grief Recovery from the Grief Recovery Institute.  She is also training in EMDR.

Nicole has always been passionate about incorporating nature into her work.  She especially appreciates both the elements of challenge and solace that the outdoors provide.  When away from her work, Nicole can be found reading books, taking hikes, or enjoying the company of good friends.

Emily is an Iowa native that now calls the Northwoods of Wisconsin home. As an undergraduate, Emily double majored in Exercise Science and Human Performance and Fitness, then went on to pursue her Masters in Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation. Emily fell in love with working outside during graduate school while managing a challenge course and climbing tower at Horn Field Campus. Emily’s graduate course work also led her on a variety of other adventures including backpacking a section of the Ozark Trail in Missouri and sea kayaking in the Apostle Islands. After working as a Recreation Therapy Intern at Lurie Children’s Hospital inpatient psychiatric unit, Emily knew she needed to get back outside. New Vision Wilderness Therapy was the perfect fit combining the population of students she loved serving and being outside. Emily is a certified therapeutic recreation specialist and is passionate about incorporating this skill set into her time with students in the woods and educating students through experiential activities. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading, paddling, traveling and spending time with family, friends and her dog Diesel.

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 a practicing, board-certified Emergency Physician for Kaiser Permanente at St Joseph’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado, USA, and associate professor at the University of Colorado in the Department of Emergency Medicine section of Wilderness, Environmental and Expedition Medicine.

In leisure, Ryan loves to spend time outdoors with his spouse and two children. He is an avid traveler, climber, and a former distance athlete.

Dr. Paterson is the founder and director of Emergency Medical Providers (EMP) a leader in the provision of remote medical support and expedition medical direction. Ryan is co-founder and former director for the Wilderness Medical Society Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) course. Ryan also has significant experience in large-race/event medical management. He serves as medical director for GlobalLimits and has medically-directed multiple GlobalLimits events. He is the current United States delegate to the International Society of Mountain Medicine (ISMM). Ryan founded the FLuME foundation and serves as medical director for Kolkata City Mission (KCM) working through both organizations to establish sustainable development solutions in education, health, women’s empowerment, micro-enterprise, and public-health for informal communities in and around Kolkata, India. Combining all of his training and passion, Dr. Paterson has worked in Disaster Relief efforts in both post-earthquake Nepal and with the UN in Iraq. Additionally, Dr. Paterson is an altitude researcher, expedition physician, mountain emergency medicine educator, and guide.

After graduating from University Kaci worked in health care for 15 years in Emergency Medicine and Cardiology. As her two sons entered High School, she began looking for a deeper connection to the service industry. Honored to be part of the development of a new University collaborative program, Kaci continued her education in Community Health and Wellness. With her extensive knowledge of the medical environment and passion for the outdoors, wilderness therapy became the perfect fit. Finding New Vision Wilderness has allowed her to bring her outdoor adventures to work right here in the north woods.

Steve Sawyer is a licensed psychotherapist filled with passion and knowledge surrounding the intervention and change process. His experience comes from over a decade of intervention with tough-to-reach client populations in therapy settings ranging from residential, community-based, outpatient and wilderness therapy. Steve currently serves on the board of The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping (NATWC).

Steve is trained in several unique therapeutic models including somatic trigger release, multiple levels of brainspotting, traumatic memory reprocessing, and HeartMath. Through his experience he has authored two books, co-founded Wisconsins only wilderness therapy program, New Vision Wilderness, and works as a core therapeutic training development staff with the Institute of HeartMath. He was an author in the innovative and comprehensive HeartMath Interventions Establishing a New Baseline for Sustained Behavioral Change therapist training Module that revolutionizes modern therapy interventions through an emotional physiology approach.

Steves largest project has been the development of NVWs Trauma Informed Care model in the wilderness setting that has challenged the entire wilderness therapy industry on making healthier interventions with their clients. Steve’s trainings are recognized nationwide for cutting-edge therapeutic techniques and inspiration.

Patrick McAvoy is the Admissions Director at New Vision Wilderness Therapy.  Throughout his career Patrick has helped adolescents and their families find solutions in times of crisis. 

Patrick has a bachelor’s degree in Management of Music and Communications, and then began his work in wilderness therapy by providing care and field coordination to students entering treatment.  Since then he has served in Admissions Director, Program Director, and Executive Director roles.  Patrick has additional experience in admissions at a therapeutic boarding school and was a founding member of two treatment programs for at-risk teens. 

In his free time, Patrick can be found outdoors hiking, kayaking, and skiing with his family.  He is a bass player who dreams of one day starting a family band with his wife and two kids.