Rachel grew up in Houston, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from Baylor University in 2010, and a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) degree from The University of Texas in 2012. In graduate school, Rachel studied Animal-Assisted Therapy, and she later developed her own successful therapeutic dog training program for at-risk youth.
Rachel has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) since 2015. She has provided individual, group, and family services in a variety of settings, including residential treatment, juvenile probation, substance abuse, and community mental health. She was the Program Therapist for the adolescent male behavioral program at a residential treatment center for three years.
In 2020, Rachel put her therapy career on hold and moved to the Ozark Mountains, where she fell in love with the outdoors. She bought a camper van to live in, got a job at a zipline canopy tour, and spent all of her free time chasing waterfalls and floating the Buffalo National River. She managed a vacation rental company for two years, but she eventually began to miss the fulfilling work of helping others.
In 2023, Rachel decided to pursue a career in wilderness therapy, because she felt that it would be the perfect way to combine her passion for working with adolescents and her love for the outdoors. Rachel believes that facing the challenges of living in the wilderness provides a unique opportunity to develop meaningful connections, facilitate personal growth, and improve overall mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
In her free time, Rachel can be found exploring Utah and the surrounding states with her little dog, Bruiser. She enjoys hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and playing disc golf.