2025 Wilderness Risk Management Conference

Name: When the River Takes: Navigating Crisis, Trauma and Loss in the Outdoors
Start: 2025-10-02T13:00:00-0400
End: 2025-10-02T14:30:00-0400

Main Conference: Tuesday, September 30 - Thursday, October 2, 2025

Preconference: Monday September 29 - Tuesday, September 30, 2025

*Schedule subject to change.

Thursday October 2, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm EDT

Connecticut / Rhode Island

The outdoors can push us to our limits—sometimes beyond them. Whether caught in an avalanche, pinned in a kayak, or watching a friend fall, these moments don’t just disappear. They shape how we think, how we move, and whether we return at all. We prepare for worst-case scenarios, and what happens in the moment when everything goes sideways? How do we function through fear, keep others calm, and make critical decisions under stress? And after the crisis, how do we process what happened—the near-miss that could have ended differently, the trauma of what did, or the loss of someone who didn’t make it to takeout? Debriefs often focus on technical skills and leadership decisions, but the emotional impact of trauma is often overlooked. Understanding how stress, fear, and trauma shape others and ourselves is essential for long-term well-being in outdoor spaces.Through case studies from whitewater kayaking, avalanche terrain, and remote expeditions, this session explores how trauma manifests in real-time, how to manage a crisis as it unfolds, and how to work through these experiences in a way that fosters resilience, not isolation. The way we process these moments matters—for ourselves, for our teams, and for returning to the wild places we love in healthy ways.

Speakers

Kallie Kurtz

Behavioral Health Clinician, PeaceHealth & Trauma Psychotherapist, Peak Psychological Wellness

Kallie Kurtz is a Behavioral Health Clinician specializing in trauma and crisis response in emergency departments, individual therapy, and public health policy. An avid whitewater kayaker and mountain enthusiast, she has been exploring the outdoors for over 30 years. A Wilderness... Read More →

Thursday October 2, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm EDT
Connecticut / Rhode Island Holiday Inn By the Bay:88 Spring St, Portland, ME 04119

Mental Social Emotional Health, Breakout Session

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2025 Wilderness Risk Management Conference

Kallie Kurtz

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