Also called: Adventure-Based Counselor, Outdoor Behavioral Health Therapist
A licensed counselor who uses rock climbing, ropes courses and backpacking as part of therapy for teens and adults.
On a climbing wall, she belays a teen who panics halfway up, then talks with him on the ground about how that same fear shows up at school. Later she writes therapy notes and meets the group around a campfire to talk through the day.
Estimate; field-based clinicians may earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 8 years after high school. Master's in counseling or social work plus a state license; outdoor skills and Wilderness First Responder training.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, Outdoor Recreation.
Growing faster than average. Mental health counseling jobs overall are projected to grow much faster than average.
Low risk for 10 years. AI may help write therapy notes; leading therapy on a rock wall or trail stays human.
Classes: Psychology, PE or outdoor education, Biology.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.