NEW! Winter Skills Group Offerings

What is Skills Training?

Occupational Therapy

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Laurie Branch, Skills Trainer, Co-Founder

As a graduate from the university of Hawaii at Manoa and a native, Oregonian, Laurie’s passion lies in the healing power of animals and the great outdoors. She started speaking for the environment at a young age, and one of her college papers was presented to the Hawaii state senate to Introduce The Bottle Bill to Hawaii.

Laurie has spent years coaching youth basketball, track, taekwondo, kickboxing, and many equestrian sports.

With a commercial fisherman for a father, she’s as comfortable on the ocean, as she is on land, but she is most at peace on the back of a horse. Horses have found their way into her professional life on multiple occasions, from teaching at a few local facilities and running a pro rodeo drill team to coaching an international equestrian team, and running a trail riding Program abroad. Throughout the summer, you can find her out in the woods, Horse camping with the youth in her riding program.

Laurie prides herself on being a strong, female role model for the next generation to look up to. She believes in leading by example. A QMHA certified skills trainer, you will find Laurie leading skills groups on the farm with the assistance of her horses, dogs, cats and chickens.

Justin Panneck, LPC, PhD

Dr. Justin Panneck is one of OIT's fearless leaders! His current role is to conduct intakes and assessments for prospective new youth clients while running MyndRavyn Creative Therapy Solutions, the adult programming opportunities that he provides out in the community at many parks and trails and at Outdoor Integrative Therapies. Justin has spent the last 8 years as a nature-based therapist, utilizing the healing aspects of nature and engaging in deep-rooted human endeavors such as forest archery, shelter and fire building, guided mushroom foraging, nature art, paddle boarding, and specialized ceremonies and rituals. Through MyndRavyn, he specializes in services for adults, including life coaching, spiritual development, personal growth, getting unstuck, life transitions, career success, self-esteem and self-image, men’s issues, and rites of passage, and values the therapeutic relationship above all else. Justin is able to provide a unique balance of humor, creativity, and practical tools developed from a combination of psychological-cultural science, research, observation, and close to a decade of therapeutic sessions. In his spare time, Justin enjoys reading fiction, playing guitar, flute and drums; backpacking and hiking, gardening and mushroom foraging.

Kate Shearer, LCSW

Family Support Counselor & Student Internship Supervisor

Kate grew up in Colorado and moved to Oregon in 2012 after receiving her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. She immediately began working for an outpatient mental health agency serving clients and their families within the local school districts served by her agency. Her therapeutic approach focuses on the importance of families involvement in children's success and positive change. She is skilled in strategic and structural therapeutic interventions and thorough case coordination. Understanding available community resources is very important to Kate, and she enjoys community and partner collaboration in order to fully serve and empower her clients. Additionally, Kate is a registered mental health supervisor to new and incoming mental health professionals!

In her free time, Kate enjoys playing and exploring with her family, including multiple children and 2 dogs. She runs and does yoga often and enjoys staying active.

Katharine Yeaton, CADC I, Skills Trainer

Katharine Yeaton is a native Oregonian, born in Portland and who grew up playing in the backyard of the Pacific Northwest. Katharine is a qualified mental health associate who graduated from Portland State

University with an emphasis on neurology and addictions, including technology addictions of youth. She is a certified drug and alcohol counselor, as well as a Peer Recovery Mentor and a Skills Trainer. She has advanced training in non-violent and effective communication strategies. Additionally, Katharine is certified in the EAGALA model of Equine Assisted Learning and is passionate about the healing powers of horses. She has worked in the Mental Health Field since 2015, serving a diverse population in unique outdoor settings and enjoys incorporating archery, equine assisted activities and sustainable gardening into her therapeutic work with others.

Katharine is a Master Gardner who loves to share her plant knowledge. She also harvests Mason Bees!

In her previous experience, she owned and operated a horse farm in Virginia for ten years, as well

as developed a riding program for Hampton University that served underprivileged youth who attended Upward Bound. Katharine likes to spend her time sailing, skiing, hiking, gardening, and cooking. She is passionate about the earth and taking care of nature and animals.

Leah Shuyler, LPC,

New Client Intake & Student Internship Coordinator

Heidi Paget, Skills Trainer

Heidi Paget is first and foremost an animal enthusiast and horse lover and has worked as a trail guide in Maui and Sequoia National Park, as a veterinarian technician at a large animal hospital, and has trained and showed Hunter/ Jumpers in Palos Verdes, California.

Heidi is a graduate from The University of Puget Sound with a bachelors degree in Communications and Theatre Arts, earning top honors in Directing! A change of her journey ensued when a tragic accident struck Heidi's family, leaving her brother with quadripelgia. This led Heidi towards pursuing passions for all things restorative and rehabilitative. Thus, the true "dream job" path emerged, with Heidi eventually morphing horses with people. Heidi attended Mt. Hood Community College to complete their Physical Therapy Assistant program and added PATH certification (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) and Level I Hippotherapy certification to her skillset. Heidi has several years experience exploring the wonderful world of Hippotherapy and Equine Assisted Therapy, allowing her to witness the magical healing of outdoor learning and animal-assisted supports. Additionally, Heidi is still enjoying her position after 6 years in an acute-care hospital at an outpatient cardiac/pulmonary rehabilitation facility.

Jasmine Wilder, Mental Health

Student Intern

Jas is a driven and passionate individual with an interest in giving power back to members of the community through empowerment and a holistic approach. She has spent her career thus far working with and being inspired by children and families of different socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds in the United States and abroad. Jas achieved her B.A in Spanish Linguistics and International Relations from New Mexico State University in 2016, after which she quickly found her way to grassroots human rights organizations, where she primarily worked with immigrant populations. She is bilingual & Bi-literate in English/Spanish and currently working toward her Master of Social Work degree. She has worked with school districts, non-profit organizations, and is currently a community organizer with a labor union. She has lived all over the world and found that her greatest joy is adventuring outdoors. She enjoys gardening and farming, scuba diving, dancing, backpacking, and spending time with her loved ones. She is working toward becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker to do outdoor, horticultural, and other eco-therapeutic interventions with historically underserved populations. She believes that humans' inherent connection with the natural world can offer abundant opportunities for healing and hopes to weave this work together with environmental conservation in the future.

Nicollet Young, Occupational Therapy

Student Intern

Nicollet is from Minnesota where she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor's in Developmental Psychology. She enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, snorkeling, and ziplining. Previously, she was a preschool teacher and a pediatric nursing assistant. Currently, she is attending Pacific University Doctorate of Occupational Therapy program.

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