Rising Stars: Meet Luke Vitagliano of Lakewood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Vitagliano.

Hi Luke, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was in college at the University of Scranton, I had a transformative experience allowing me realize the importance of fostering deep connections in relationships, in my community, and in the world. This set me on a path to pursue a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Ever since I was a kid, I loved spending time outdoors, hiking, camping, biking, you name it, I loved it. In the final year of my Master’s program, a good friend who moved to Colorado kept telling me how much I would love it. After taking a trip to visit, I decided to move across the country a few months later in 2016 to make Colorado my new home.

I felt passion for my work as a mental health counselor, providing in-home counseling to teens who were involved in the juvenile justice system. Over the years, time and time again, I witnessed injustice with our juvenile justice system, stifling the growth of the clients and families I worked with. This led me to decide to take the next step in my professional career to pursue a doctoral degree and gain skills to conduct research in hopes to make systemic changes on a larger scale to the juvenile justice system.

In August 2020, I started my journey to pursue a doctoral degree in Counseling and Counselor Education at UNC Greensboro. Valuing deep and authentic connection and relationships, it was challenging moving to a new state at the height of COVID where I did not know a single person. As time progressed, I met some life-long friends and colleagues, and my now wife. About 18 months into my doctoral studies, I came to realize the value of leaning into my true authentic self, rather than living a life for someone else.

Rather than focusing my studies on the juvenile justice system, I decided to focus on my true passion — spending time in nature and experiencing transformative experiences in the outdoors. With this newfound mission, I jumped in to learning everything I could about nature, the outdoors, experiential therapy, and how these positively impact mental health. I became reinvigorated — combining my two passions of developing deep and authentic connections with clients and experiencing the beauty and benefits of nature and the outdoors. In 2023, I successfully defended my dissertation, creating a brief nature-based intervention, Nature-Based Mindfulness Training (c) and conducting a pilot study. Simultaneously, I founded Seek Your Summit LLC, with the mission to integrate mental health and wellness services with the outdoors.

Continuing to realize the importance of the systems that intersect with mental health, I am grateful to work with authentic clients and organizations working to improve mental health policy and practices.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As with life, there have been peaks and valleys throughout the journey. One of the biggest challenges I alluded to previously occurred a few years ago while engaging in my doctoral studies at the UNC Greensboro.

The intense pressure I experienced in my doctoral program brought to light deep realizations. Coming from a family of attorneys, where academic and career success was highly valued, I had spent years carving my own path. However, I realized I was still not living my true and authentic life by focusing my studies around the legal system. I had some amazing mentors who allowed me to be myself and supported my research shift to focus on topics much more “me” — the benefits of nature on mental health and well-being.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I provide a variety of services to different individuals and organizations based on my professional experiences. I offer counseling services to individuals, with an option to meet outdoors and local parks and trails in the Denver area! I also offer clinical supervision to professional counselors in-training seeking their independent licensure. Additionally, I offer a range of coaching services to meeting an individual’s life goals or professional goals. I prioritize developing strong therapeutic, supervisory, and coaching relationships, creating a laid-back environment where individuals can truly be themselves. I value those who are curious, deeply reflective, and creative, and I personalize strategies and interventions tailored to individuals’ personality, values, and goals.

Aside from individual services, I also provide mental health training and consultation services for organizations looking to improve mental health practices and trainings, especially organizations focused on providing outdoor experiences.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Yes, most folks know I love spending time outside, but many may not know one of my personal goals is to summit the highest point in each state. I’ve summited 36 state high points so far! It has been a really great way to get out and see the country, develop new technical skills, and to meet people along the way. #SeekYourSummit

Pricing:

• Consultation – $200 per hour
• Outdoor Therapy – $200 per hour
• Clinical Supervision – $175 per hour
• Trainings (Individualized to organization needs, price TBD)
• Coaching – $200 per hour

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.seekyoursummitco.com
• Instagram: seek_your_summit
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-vitagliano