I started Campfire Wellness because I have been that counselor with a camper dealing with anxiety, a rough home life, or even the thoughts of whether or not they want to wake up the next day. I always wished that I knew what to say to those campers in their time of need. How to help them feel safe, loved, and seen. The lives of my campers and fellow staff showed me the immense need for mental health services in our camps.

Mental health challenges are complicated and it can be intimidating to address them when you do not feel like you do not have the knowledge or skills needed to address them. Our staff, some starting when they are still in high school, have a lot of responsibility when they serve campers. The challenges and intricacies of mental health for their campers is challenging enough, but each of those staff also have their own mental health to manage throughout the summer. Staff deserve to have the ability to meet their own mental health needs and assist campers in meeting their needs as well.

Campfire Wellness is here to fill that knowledge gap. To help summer staff and counselors develop the skills, empathy, and confidence that they need to address issues as they come up during their time at camp. My fervent hope is to see camps having more open and honest conversations about mental health, campers coming to camp and knowing that they will be safe, and staff confident enough to meet each challenge as it comes up.

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Will Hughes, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor