Episode Title: Our Origin Story (Part 1): Dr. Karen Minden and the Foundations of Land-Based Healing

Episode Description: In the first episode of Rooted in Gwekwaadziwin, we return to the beginning of our program’s origin story with Dr. Karen Minden, founder of Pine River Institute and a key influence in the early development of Gwekwaadziwin Miikan.

Dr. Minden shares the personal journey that led her to create one of Canada’s leading residential treatment programs for youth and families, and reflects on the core elements of wilderness and land-based healing — including safety, structure, peer culture, family involvement, and long-term engagement.

Together, we discuss:

• how land-based and wilderness models support emotional regulation and growth
• the importance of risk  ...