Northwoods Clinical Team
Jacob Thomason Family Services Director
Jacob Thomason, MA, LPC is the Family Services Director at...
Sarah Montana, MSW Clinical Support Therapist
Sarah Montana, MSW is a Clinical Support Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. ...
Erin Faehling, MA, LPC-IT, NCC Primary Wilderness Therapist
Erin Faehling, MA, LPC-IT, NCC, is a Primary Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness...
Jacob Smyth, M.S. Primary Wilderness Therapist
Jacob Smyth, MS is a Primary Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. Jacob has...
Rachel Voit, APSW Primary Wilderness therapist
Rachel Voit, MSW, ACSW is a Primary Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. She has worked with...
Jeremiah Johnson, BS, MSW, LCSW Lead Wilderness Therapist
Jeremiah Johnson, BS, MSW, LCSW is a Lead Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods...
Sarah Cupp, MSW Primary Wilderness Therapist
Sarah Cupp, MSW is a Primary Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. She is an...
Jacob Thomason
Jacob Thomason, MA, LPC is the Family Services Director at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. His primary focus is supporting caregivers and siblings of students enrolled at Northwoods.
Jacob graduated from Wheaton College with a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. He has served in various wilderness therapy roles including Clinical Director at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. Jacob has a special interest in work with family systems and is dedicated to expanding family support programming at Northwoods.
In his spare time, Jacob loves being outdoors with his wife and two daughters. His favorite activity is fishing and he is happy to partake in this pastime with companions or on his own. Jacob values connected relationships and is an active member of his community. Jacob and his family spend significant time visiting extended family and friends throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Sarah Montana, MSW
Sarah Montana, MSW is a Clinical Support Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. She plays an integral role supporting both students and staff in the field.
Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Warren Wilson College and a master’s degree of Social Work from Tulane University. Her love of the outdoors has been fostered through years of hiking in the Adirondacks and Blue Ridge Mountains near her home in the Carolinas. Sarah now enjoys exploring the Northwoods of Wisconsin by way of hiking, camping, hunting, and fishing. Her true peace is found on the water in any vessel that floats.
When not in the woods, Sarah can be found writing, lounging with a book, making music with friends around a fire, or crafting things with her hands. She is dedicated to facilitating a meaningful journey for students at Northwoods and has aspirations of becoming a wilderness therapist.
Erin Faehling, MA, LPC-IT, NCC
Erin Faehling, MA, LPC-IT, NCC, is a Primary Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. Erin has a variety of clinical interests including substance use, mood dysregulation, suicidal thinking, learning differences, and familial trauma.
Erin has a bachelor’s degree in English and Music from Luther College and a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adams State University. She is a National Board Certified Counselor with training in TF-CBT, TCTSY, and Brainspotting. Erin has worked in several wilderness therapy programs as both a field guide and a family therapist. Her background also includes work in child and adolescent community mental health.
Erin approaches her work with a profound belief in the healing potential of wilderness therapy. She is deeply committed to making the wilderness therapy experience powerful for both students and their families. In her free time Erin enjoys playing bluegrass fiddle and adventuring outdoors with her beloved husband and charming black lab, Opie.
Jacob Smyth, M.S.
Jacob Smyth, MS is a Primary Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. Jacob has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwest Christian University and a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University. He has prior experience working in residential treatment with adolescents presenting with complex challenges such as suicidal ideation, self-harm, and substance use.
Jacob approaches engagement with students from a strong relational framework. He strives to help students understand their emerging autonomy as adolescents and partners with them to foster empowerment around healthy decision making. He has training in TCTSY and Brainspotting.
Jacob has a lifelong love of the outdoors and enjoys using nature as the backdrop for his healing work at Northwoods. His favorite activities include geocaching, hiking, camping, and rafting. When not in the wilderness with students, Jacob can be found spending time near lakes and beaches with his wife. He is deeply committed to building relationships with his community and spends time volunteering at local youth development organizations.
Rachel Voit, APSW
Rachel Voit, MSW, ACSW is a Primary Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. She has worked with children and adolescents in therapeutic and recreational settings for over 10 years.
Rachel developed her devotion to working with youth in the outdoors by serving in a variety of professional roles. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Educational Studies at Macalester College and began work as a Field Guide for Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. She went on complete a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, followed by a post-graduate fellowship at Yale University’s Child Study Center. While at Yale, she worked as an outpatient therapist for children and families.
Rachel has extensive training in evidence-based practices designed to address attachment and trauma. She draws from Circle of Security and other trainings to support students who have experienced attachment disruption in relationships. Rachel is also a certified yoga instructor and with training in TCTSY. She finds the outdoors to be a uniquely powerful setting, one that supports and encourages significant therapeutic change. When she is not in the woods with students, Rachel is often in the woods with friends or family, hiking and exploring new landscapes.
Jeremiah Johnson, BS, MSW, LCSW
Jeremiah Johnson, BS, MSW, LCSW is a Lead Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to joining Northwoods, Jeremiah was a psychotherapist working with adolescents and families in residential treatment.
Jeremiah grew up in central Wisconsin where he cultivated a love for the woods and for water. This led him to work in the underwater construction industry for a time where he ultimately learned about the field of trauma resolution. After completing his degrees, Jeremiah went on to pursue training in TF-CBT, EMDR, and Brainspotting.
Jeremiah is passionate about helping teens and families develop deeper relationships and resiliency in their lives. In his free time Jeremiah enjoys photography, scuba diving, bicycling, and hiking with his wife.
Sarah Cupp, MSW
Sarah Cupp, MSW is a Primary Wilderness Therapist at Northwoods Wilderness Therapy. She is an Iowa native who now calls Wisconsin home.
Sarah graduated with a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Iowa. Afterward, she worked as a crisis counselor for individuals, adolescents, and families. Sarah became adept at partnering with clients to find common ground and deescalate difficult situations. She worked at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where she received specialized training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Sarah led a variety of DBT groups for adolescents and adults. She also has training in TCTSY and Brainspotting.
Sarah’s happy place is the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota and Canada. She has experienced firsthand the healing rhythm of the outdoors while there. Pairing nature and therapy together excites Sarah as she helps teens to better understand themselves and the challenges they face. The outdoors provides a rich environment for her to support students in making healthy changes in their lives. Away from work, Sarah enjoys spending time with friends and family, yoga, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, cooking, volunteering, and a good nap.