Meet Ryan Sawtelle of White Heart Foundaation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Sawtelle.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A lot of my battles have come at the hands of higher administrations (whether it be from my Pepperdine days to city governments). Usually battling them to do what is right as rocking the boat and trying something new never comes without its pushback.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about White Heart Foundaation?
White Heart is dedicated to improving the mental health of our nation’s veterans and first responders through peer-to-peer eco-therapy. Our goal is to be the first step in mental healthcare for these people that serve us. Instead of clinical offices as a means of mental healthcare (which is widely used now) we gather about 10 of their peers and take them out into the Mountain West for what we call “Field Resets” – these trips involve outdoor activities with the goal of team-building that always culminates with nighttime campfire chats where the real breakthroughs happen.

Marines want to talk to other marines, not some new college grad that read a book and wants to tell you how *you* should feel.

The breakthroughs have been evident. So much so, dozens of our veterans/first responders have gotten our logo tattooed on them.

We exist because there are better ways to therapy. You do not need pill cocktails, self-medicating traits or even a stuff clinician waiting room. We can get you out into nature and help you reset.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
When I started White Heart, one of the first people we helped was Marine Cpl. Jed Morgan, who, in Afghanistan, stepped on an IED and lost both legs and use of his dominant arm. A few years after meeting Jed, we were helping one of his fellow veterans obtain a piece of equipment. A few days after talking to this veteran, he took his own life.

Jed and I got together to craft this program based on medical journal studies on the top of nature/healing. Jed currently is the program leader for us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://WhiteHeart.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/whiteheart
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/whiteheartfoundation
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/white-heart-foundation
• Twitter: @WhiteHeart
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiteHeartFoundation

Image Credits
Taylor Olandt, Mike Leonard,