Leadership
Jen Murphy, LPC, Program Director/Transition Specialist
Born and raised in Ohio, Jen began her studies at the University of Cincinnati, receiving her Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. She continued her education at Xavier University, and completed her Masters in Education with a focus on Agency and Community Counseling. Upon completion of her Master’s in Education, Jen then attended a Post-Graduate Program with a concentration on advanced diagnostics, assessment and treatment. Jen currently holds a license in Professional Counseling in both Utah and Colorado.
Before embarking on her extensive wilderness therapy career, Jen worked in a wide variety of clinical settings from community mental health organizations to juvenile court and foster care agencies. As varied as the settings in which she worked, Jen gained clinical experience working with a multitude of populations over the next couple of years ranging from adjudicated clients struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues to families suffering through grief and loss.
In 2000, Jen turned her professional attention to wilderness therapy, finding the perfect avenue to unite her respect and appreciation for the power of wilderness with her passion to work with adolescents. For the next four years, Jen worked for Aspen Achievement Academy, pioneering many of the techniques and approaches now widely used in contemporary wilderness therapy. Jen left Aspen Achievement in 2004 when she was sought by Second Nature for her experience and clinical expertise in wilderness. From 2004 through 2008 Jen ran the adolescent boys' group at Second Nature and also served as assistant clinical director.
Feeling an affinity for family therapy as well as honing an appreciation for Family Systems Theory, Jen has now turned her attention to focusing on adolescents and their families outside of the wilderness environment.
Jen embraces an eclectic approach in her clinical practice. In addition to an adherence to an Integrative Family Systems model, Jen also derives her theoretical background from Choice Theory, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy. Additionally, Jen employs aspects of the 12-Step Model as well as other recovery approaches that address substance abuse.
While her clinical experience is rich and varied, Jen’s primary clinical interests include: family systems work, treatment of oppositional defiance, depression, chemical dependency, attachment issues, learning disabilities, and anxiety disorders.
Jen lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with her husband, Murphy and their son, Gavin. She is an avid mountain biker, skier and snowboarder, and also enjoys hiking and whitewater rafting.
Beth Laughlin, MA, Director of Development/Admissions
Beth has been involved in counseling, education, and marketing for the past 20 years. After graduating from Stanford University with a Bachelors Degree in psychology, she worked for two years as a counselor and social worker. Beth then returned to school to earn a Masters Degree in counseling and has worked since in a variety of educational settings in the U.S. and abroad. Beth’s desire to support adolescents, young adults and their families through difficult transition periods in their lives has been a consistent theme throughout Beth’s career in the behavioral health field.
Following graduate school Beth served as the Director of Student Counseling Services for a small Japanese international college, where she gained experience in international work with students in transition between adolescence and adulthood. After returning from Japan, Beth worked for CEDU Family of Services, Inc. as the Consultant Services Manager for the company's California schools, and then as Referral Relations Director for Auldern Academy, a girls' therapeutic boarding school in North Carolina.
Due to Beth’s depth of experience working with families in transition and her marketing background, she has spent the past four years investing herself specifically in the transition and aftercare niche. In 2006 she was hired as the VP of Marketing and Customer Relations for Vive, Inc., and in early 2009 was hired as the Director of Development for the 360 program. She is excited to be working with a talented group of therapists and a company with such a long-standing reputation of excellence in the industry. Beth enjoys supporting the work of the 360 therapists as they assist families in bringing healing and change home.
Prior to Beth’s career in behavioral health she had a whole other career as an elite gymnast. Beth was a member of the U.S. Gymnastics Team for three years under the tutelage of coach, Bela Karolyi, and was the 1981 U.S. national champion. Beth now enjoys running, traveling, yoga, hiking, camping, playing guitar and laughing with her friends. Beth lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband, Will and dog, Blondie.