Your Team

Dr. Matt Hoag brings over 25 years of specialized experience in clinical psychology, working with adolescents and families facing complex emotional, behavioral, and psychological challenges. His expertise spans ADHD, neurodiversity, adoption and attachment issues, grief, trauma, and medical considerations, offering a compassionate and tailored approach for each individual. He works particularly well with young people who are bright yet sensitive, oppositional, or anxious, providing a steady, process-oriented path for healing.

Dr. Hoag earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Brigham Young University and has practiced in Utah since 1994. He has extensive experience in nature-based therapy, blending the therapeutic power of the outdoors with evidence-based clinical practices. Before joining ThreePeaks Ascent, he held leadership roles as a Clinical Director and therapist, co-founding and helping grow a respected wilderness therapy program. His passion for research has led him to publish more than 20 articles covering topics like group dynamics, ADHD, and the efficacy of nature-based adolescent interventions. He has presented his work at national and regional conferences and served on research committees dedicated to advancing therapeutic education.

Matt enjoys an active lifestyle outside his professional work, from mountain biking and hiking to exploring Utah’s wilderness. He also cherishes time with his wife, five children, and three grandchildren. Whether playing card games, kayaking, or embarking on new adventures, family time is always a priority. A sports enthusiast and art collector, Matt’s current hobbies include finding new hiking trails or biking trails and traveling with his wife.

Will Henderson is a therapist with extensive experience supporting adolescents and families in outdoor behavioral healthcare settings. He brings a steady, research-informed, and relationship-centered approach to his work, helping young people build emotional regulation, responsibility, and confidence while supporting families through complex transitions.

Will earned his Master of Social Work from the University of Houston, with concentrations in nonprofit leadership and systems-level social work. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Baylor University and completed graduate coursework in Outdoor Adventure Leadership at Wheaton College. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Behavioral Health from Arizona State University, further deepening his focus on ethical leadership, program quality, and systems-level care.

Will has worked with adolescents and young adults in outdoor settings since 2012, across camp programs, wilderness expeditions, and higher education environments. After guiding river trips in the Texas wilderness on the Pecos River and leading outdoor programming in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan, he joined Redcliff Ascent as a field guide in 2019. He later served as Assistant Field Director in 2020 and Field Director from 2021 to 2023, supporting staff development, program quality, and the safety and therapeutic effectiveness of field operations. Through this work, Will witnessed the profound impact wilderness settings can have on young people who feel stuck, disconnected, or defeated. These experiences ultimately led him to pursue formal clinical training and his MSW in order to work more deeply and directly in the therapeutic process.

In his clinical role, Will draws from cognitive behavioral therapy, experiential education, and psychodrama, integrating evidence-informed practices with the unique opportunities offered by wilderness and residential treatment environments. He has worked closely with adolescents navigating emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, substance use, trauma, and challenges related to motivation and identity. His approach is strengths-based, helping students separate their behaviors from their sense of self so they can move forward with greater clarity, self-compassion, and hope.

Will believes the wilderness offers a uniquely powerful setting for change. Through challenge, reflection, and shared experience, students often discover strengths they did not know they had and begin to rewrite narratives shaped by shame or failure. He has seen young people move from deep discouragement to renewed belief in themselves as they hike through snow, cross wide valleys, and stand on the peaks of mountains. These experiences reinforce resilience, responsibility, and the belief that growth and healing are possible. Will believes meaningful change happens best within safe, intentional therapeutic systems built on trust, clear expectations, and strong relationships.

Outside of his professional work, Will enjoys art, gravel biking, packrafting, and exploring new places.

Rye’s career in mental health began as a wilderness field instructor in North Carolina. Although it was always evident that Rye would find a place in the mental health field, it was the students in this program that ignited a deeper passion for working with substance use disorders and adolescents, as well as experiential, adventure, and eco therapies. With a clear direction, Rye went back to school to study Clinical Social Work with a Substance Use Disorder certification and received their CSW from University of Kentucky in 2023.

Rye came to RedCliff Ascent after working in both outpatient therapy and residential substance use treatment centers. From non-profit addiction treatment centers where clients worked to reintegrate from extensive prison sentences or whose substance addiction resulted in being unhoused for 20+ years, to one of the top luxury rehabs in the country, Rye brings a wide range of experience and methodologies for working with individuals, families, substance use disorders and dual diagnosis. Through the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), somatic therapy work, and an array of experiential techniques, Rye helps clients identify their core values and establish a path toward becoming the person they want to be.

Rye also firmly believes in the importance of fun in recovery and its vital role in fostering intrinsic motivation and creating a life worth living. You can see this belief extend to their personal life in Rye’s adventurous nature and ever-growing list of hobbies. Whether hopping from one Dave Matthews Band concert to the next, playing music themselves, painting, tattooing, hiking, camping, or training for their next trail marathon, rest assured that Rye and their dog, Binks, are always finding new ways to incorporate fun, challenging, and rewarding experiences to both their lives and the lives of others.

I started this part of my journey in the Fall of 2003 when I began working as a wilderness therapy guide with adjudicated youth in Florida. From Florida’s pine forests and swamps to the mountains of Montana and the deserts of Utah, I have been privileged to experience so much beauty and to share in growth and healing alongside some of the most amazing people. After more than a decade as a staff, in the Winter of 2015, I left my work in the wilderness to pursue my bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of New Mexico. I graduated from UNM in 2018, went on to earn my master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University, and was ultimately licensed as a clinical social worker here in Utah.

The focus of my study and work for the past many years has been helping my clients to navigate the topography of trauma and to find the healing that can be so elusive in our lives. In addition to trauma and PTSD, I have worked extensively with a wide variety of other issues including anxiety, depression, anger management, autism spectrum disorder, and substance abuse. I have worked with men and women, adults and adolescents, and consider myself an emotionally focused, skill based, Rogerian therapist. I am certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS) informed EMDR, Motivational Interviewing, Attachment-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Although the work in more conventional settings can be critical, I believe in the healing power of nature and the wilderness. I consider it essential to strengthen the connections in our lives wherever and whenever possible, beginning with our connections to ourselves, to each other, and to the world around us. It is my hope and determination to be able to help others traverse the hazards and obstructions in their lives and relationships, to find healing, and to help expand their “toolboxes” into their daily lives. Personally, I continue to seek opportunities for my own growth and understanding and continue to feel a strong pull towards the wilderness and the quiet wild places out beyond where the pavement ends. I believe in the potential for healing in all of us and look forward to being a part of that journey with my clients.