Pros
The people are invested, and they care deeply about participants in the program and about each other. Staff culture and self care are valued parts of the experience. Feedback is a cornerstone of the company, and i was able to learn how to best give and receive feedback to grow both personally and professionally. I was also afforded several learning and leadership opportunities, including earning my WFR certification, a program-wide diversity training and leading an orientation. The therapists are top notch. The work with students was life-changing and I could not have learned more or made a bigger impact working anywhere else.
Cons
It can be challenging to be off the grid and away from loved ones for a week at a time. It can also be difficult to get started, as the orientation is a week long trial period and the three (sometimes more) shifts of internship require living on minimal income for the first two months of employment. The benefit of this is IF you are hired after orientation, you're around other staff who are serious and passionate about their work. The idea of working with students brought there against their will is also unsettling, but if you can get past that then you start to see the difference 3 months in the woods can make.