Mary D

Mary (she/her) is native Bostonian who has lived, worked, and studied on 5 continents throughout her adult life. A late comer to the outdoors after growing up in urban spaces, Mary discovered a love for backpacking during college orientation in New Jersey. During the next few years, Mary spent time in the classroom studying and researching global health, gender studies, and African studies, and spent time outside the classroom searching for ways to spend more time running, hiking, yoga, and frolicking in nature around the world.

Upon completion of her Bachelor’s, Mary was awarded a Gates scholarship to pursue a Master’s in history and philosophy of medicine in the United Kingdom. In her dissertation, Mary explored the emotional responses to climate change and how group therapeutic settings can create space for candid discussion on the complexities of climate grief, anxiety, and anger.

Wanting to spend more time outside and work intentionally with new communities, Mary moved to Utah to work in the wilderness therapy space. She hopes to learn, heal, and grow alongside her colleagues and the students.

On her off shifts, Mary runs and cycles around Salt Lake looking for the best thrift finds, views of the mountains, places to read, and grocery stores for fresh produce. In the next few years, Mary plans to attend medical school and integrate her skills developed in wilderness therapy into new clinical settings.