Nico Fitzgerald
Experiential Program Manager
Nico Fitzgerald is a Certified Therapeutic Adventure Specialist (CTAS), Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and certified Verbal De-escalation Instructor (through the Crisis Prevention Institute). His career began in the great outdoors, where he guided group adventures across diverse landscapes, from the rugged mountains of Colorado and the awe-inspiring rapids of the Grand Canyon to far-flung destinations like New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Patagonia. This early exposure to the beauty of nature and the resilience of the human spirit ignited his enthusiasm for both adventure and personal growth.
Driven by a desire to make a deeper impact, Nico returned stateside to begin pursuing his Master of Social Work degree from Columbia University. This laid the foundation for his role as Program Director at High Watch Recovery Center, a dual-diagnosis residential treatment facility in Kent, CT. Here, Nico played a pivotal role in integrating cutting-edge addiction therapy with the timeless teachings of AA’s 12 Steps, fostering holistic healing for countless individuals.
By joining the Alta Mira team in 2012, Nico found his dream job. In serving as the Experiential Program Manager, he combines his personal and professional love for all things recovery with his innate spiritual connection to the healing powers of nature. Collaborating closely with our multidisciplinary clinical team, Nico leverages the natural and cultural treasures of the San Francisco Bay Area to craft transformative offsite experiences tailored to meet the unique clinical needs and interests of our clients.
The Experiential Program takes full advantage of Marin County’s extensive network of hiking, biking, and trail running paths, as well as its proximity to the San Francisco Bay for water-based activities like sailing, surfing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. Nico’s unique program offers a diverse range of activities like equine-assisted therapy, ropes challenge courses, and ziplining adventures, all meticulously designed to treat the mind, body, and spirit of our clients while providing them with secure and well-structured opportunities to confront and conquer challenges, uncover latent strengths and abilities, and cultivate renewed and more resilient senses of self.
The Experiential Program outings are also rumored to be super fun!
