(In an open letter from D.B Palmer to students and parents who are applying to Alaska Pacific University, who have attended an Emotional Growth, Therapeutic and/or Wilderness programs or boarding schools.)

To any and all students who are applying to Alaska Pacific University and are looking into the APU Student Leadership Council:

You are making a great choice by choosing APU. In my own professional journey, I began as a wilderness instructor back in 2000, moved into senior staff positions across the western states and I've also directed programs, domestic and abroad. My doctoral dissertation is on Parental Factors within Wilderness Therapy, and I regularly present at the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) conferences on Wilderness Therapy.

In my current position as Director of Counseling & Wellness Center at Alaska Pacific University, I've developed a Wilderness Therapy Retreat Series here at our university and have enlisted staff and students who want to make it clear that APU is a great place for students who are transitioning from wilderness programs and therapeutic boarding schools. I am available to all students for traditional counseling services, at no cost and my office specializes in Active Sessions. In fact, I am featured in the (December 2011) Counseling Today magazine of the American Counseling Association for my work in this field.

Students coming to APU have a wide range of academic opportunities, the best retention of all Alaskan schools, the lowest teacher to student ratio, intentional course design, simple access to academic accommodations for learning disabilities, alcohol-free dorms, a robust Outdoor Program and Wellness Center, and faculty who you'll see rafting and climbing as much as you see them in class!

In my own experience at Alaska Pacific University, I find it is an amazing place. People come to APU for adventure, whether that's the "outside" kind, engaging and discovering Alaska's vibrant Native cultures, tackling environmental issues and research through our Environmental Science/Marine Biology or Environmental Studies departments, engaging young learners through education, studying philosophy or creative writing within Liberal Studies, developing non-profit or corporate business ventures, researching Alaska's human service and psychological needs, or learning to lead epic adventure treks in our Outdoor Studies department. One thing is clear to me. APU students have come to the right place!

My own journey brought me from adventure leadership, to guiding within the field of Wilderness Therapy (WT), and then back to academia for formal graduate and post-graduate training in Counseling Psychology. One of the offerings I am blessed to be able to have brought to APU is the Wilderness Therapy Leadership Skills Retreat Series. This is a trek for students, although we are going to be offering continuing education for mental health practitioners in the near future. APU students are able to see what WT is all about. We address leadership in the greater sense (business, education, psychology, research, and environmental science), leadership from WT perspectives, career options, skills development, legality and ethics, and we also get hands-on, active learning which takes us from book-knowledge to contextual awareness. We don't simply talk about engaging principles of eco-psychology, active learning, active interventions, and the therapeutic use of the wilderness…we actually get out there and "DO" these things!

The personal journey that you have taken, or are completing now, involved a lot of soul-searching and work. You'll find that at APU, many of us, both students and employees have taken similar journeys. We've taken the time to ask life's tough questions. We've looked at the world, our choices, our connection to the environment, and many of us have come to Alaska to seek a mechanism to address these issues. In many ways, Alaska is still the "frontier" on so many issues, and people can make a lasting impact on issues, not just locally, but worldwide. It is also a place of immense beauty and stark contrast. There are more adventures to be had here than one could ever accomplish in a lifetime. That is both incredibly humbling as well as challenging!

So whether you're still debating about your university of choice, or you're trying to convince a parent or guardian that APU is the right place for you; I am available to assist in the transition from your school/program. I am available via email and phone, and I'd love to meet with you during a campus visit or during orientation. Let me know how we can get you plugged in at APU, and we'll see you next semester!

About D.B. Palmer:
D.B. Palmer is currently the Director of Counseling and Wellness Center, in addition to Career and Disability Services at Alaska Pacific University. He is a nationally known presenter and practitioner in the field of wilderness therapy, member of the Advisory Council for AEE Therapeutic Adventure Professionals Group (TAPG), member of the AEE National Conference Proposal Review team which supports CORE, a member of the Board of Directors for the Christian Adventure Association (CAA), and is currently writing his doctoral dissertation on Parental Factors within Wilderness Therapy.