Meet The Team

My Bio:

W. Jared DuPree, PhD, MBA provides training and guidance to the coaches, therapists and administrative staff of Forte Strong. He is the founder and author of “WholeFIT: Wellness for Life”, an innovative approach to health and wellness addressing the connections and impact each area of our lives have on our well-being including fitness, nutrition, relationships, spirituality, hobbies, passions, careers, and life balance. Through Dr. DuPree’s oversight, Forte Strong has become one of only a few organizations in the country that has become certified in WholeFIT.

Starting out as a family therapist early in his career, he went on to complete a PhD focusing on a systemic approach to wellness and change. After completing an International MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business, he became the founder and CEO of the Centers for Couples & Families (CCF), WholeFIT and Health & Wellness Solutions. Today, Dr. DuPree continues to maintain an academic presence teaching, writing and researching as a Professor on areas related to wellness, innovation, creativity, and relationships.

INFP in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Chad Olson is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Utah. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Marriage, Family and Human Development at Brigham Young University as the valedictorian of his class. He continued his education at BYU by earning a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. After graduation, he worked for LDS Family Services in Provo. He moved to St. George in 2008 and worked at a private outpatient clinic. He has co-authored numerous journal articles on various subjects such as (e.g., boundary ambiguity, prevalence and acceptance rates of pornography use, and marriage readiness).

ISFJ in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Elliot Spaulding is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor who specializes in the treatment of young adults and adolescents. Elliot first developed a passion for helping others by working for the Boy Scouts of America where he grew up in southern California. His outdoor career progressed as he earned a degree in Parks and Recreation Management from Northern Arizona University. During his time in Flagstaff Arizona he worked for the university outdoor program, specializing in wilderness survival instruction, white-water rafting, and experiential education on a high ropes course. Elliot put his outdoor skills to the test In 2005 as he challenged himself by hiking 2,300 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.

Elliot's interest in clinical mental health began while working with adolescents and young adults in wilderness therapy. This inspired him to return to school and complete a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. After working at a university counseling center, Elliot joined the Forte Strong team in 2016. While not at work, Elliot enjoys rock climbing, playing guitar and spending time with his wife.

INFJ in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Taylor is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Taylor graduated with a bachelor's degree in Family Science from Brigham Young University and then obtained a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Abilene Christian University. In addition to failure to launch issues, Taylor's experience has been in working with addictions and family and marriage counseling. He enjoys reading, hiking, and birding as well as being a part of the change process for so many people. The most important thing in Taylor's world is his family.

INFJ in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Matthew grew up in Southern California and has a deep fondness for the the ocean and water in general. He's lived in most of the western united states and attended school in Oregon, where he earned a few degrees in business including, marketing, leadership and organizational management and a Masters in Business. Matt has a huge passion for working with young men to increase their chances of success and credits his current success to the many positive male role models that helped him grow into manhood.

He loves spending time outdoors, swimming, diving, exploring, spearfishing, fishing and camping. He often participates in martial arts competitions and spends part of his free time in the gym sparring or becoming more physically fit.

ISFJ in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Brook dedicated himself to helping others early in his life. He grew up in Sunny Orange County California, then joined the Marine Corps at the age of 21 serving five and half years as a helicopter crew chief and then as chief accountant. His journey with this type of work began when he volunteered as a Young Marines Instructor during his time in the Marines, helping kids get off the street, improve their lives and develop as a leader. After his tour Brook left the Marines to pursue a career in experiential therapy by attending Southern Utah University where he majored in outdoor recreation with a minor in psychology.

Brook has seventeen years experience working for a variety of different therapeutic and transitional programs across the nation. His thirst for knowledge drove him to learn and study successful therapeutic models and programs across the country, most notably Outward Bound. Brook has experience working with therapeutic, residential, military, wilderness and transitional programs for adults and adolescents.

"I absolutely love to share my passion for Mother Nature and the unique lessons only she can teach. In my free time I enjoy being immersed in the outdoors and spending time with my wife and our daughter."

ENFJ in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Eric grew up in Kanosh, a small farm town of just over five hundred people in central Utah. He helped take care of the animals and the fields of his father’s small family farm. Needless to say, he is no stranger to work. He has an insatiable desire for learning, and a passion for good books: his mother taught him to read when he was four. He has spent most of the last six years working as a field staff in wilderness therapy where he coached students on primitive fire skills, making and setting traps and other important wilderness skills. He also coached staff as they learned leadership skills and as they learned to disrupt dysfunctional behavior in the students.

Eric loves brainstorming with people. He loves to help people organize their thoughts and change their dreams and desires into tangible, achievable goals. He loves to help people to discover their passions and to help them find ways to use their passions to realize their goals. He is passionate about building great teams and organizations and helping others succeed.

INTJ in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Tyler’s natural passion for understanding the individual and his years of study make him effective at understanding and helping the students he works with. He grew up in in Iowa, Arkansas, and California; before spending two years living in the Philippines giving service and teaching English in the Visayan region. He is fluent in Cebuano, one of the native dialects found in the Philippines. These experiences have given him a compassion and insight into people from all walks of life. For the past 8 years Tyler has lived in Utah and grown to love the beautiful expanse of nature that Utah has to offer.

Tyler is currently working on his bachelor’s degree and then his master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. His ultimate goal is to become a Marriage and Family Therapist and work with teens and young adults.

He is a Specialist in the Army Reserve and has learned leadership in his past three years of service. His time as a soldier has given him an understanding of how to motivate different kinds of people. Tyler spends time each week working with troubled teens in the area and is always looking for opportunities to connect with people in the community. Tyler enjoys reading, running, and spending time out in nature. Tyler’s greatest joy comes from spending time with his wife and young daughter.

INFP in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Braedon was born in Salt Lake City and is the oldest of four siblings. His family relocated to Southern Utah eighteen years ago and he has loved the change in temperature and scenery. He recently graduated with his bachelors degree in psychology from Dixie State University. At an early age Braedon developed a passion for helping others. He previously worked for a young adult transitional living program and found joy in helping others better themselves and gained the needed experience. He loves the opportunity he has at Forte Strong to help young men unlock their potential and become strong independent men. In his spare time Braedon loves to spend time playing the guitar, wake boarding, snow boarding, and playing sports.

INFJ in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Spencer grew up in New York and lived there for the first 23 years of his life. Helping others has been a passion of his since he was young whether tutoring or doing ESL classes at the local library. Spencer moved out to Utah last year and through personal growth and challenge has found himself in the desert assisting young men grow and learn to not settle for being alive, but to strive to thrive.

ENFP in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Miles was born and grew up in Southern California. He grew up with his mom, dad, and younger sister. At the age of 10, Miles was diagnosed with a neurological disorder known as Tourette's Syndrome. Having Tourette's has taught him all he knows about acceptance and tolerance. Miles has a natural passion for working with and helping people. Some of his job experience includes working with youth and young adults with developmental disabilities and as Field Guide in a wilderness therapy program. Miles discovered his passion for working with and helping others at a young age and it really shows. When he’s not working, Miles enjoys skiing, playing guitar, and spending time with his friends/family.

ENFJ in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Burke is the oldest of six children. As the oldest he learned to lead as his siblings looked up to him. He is a driven individual with a constant desire to learn and become better. He enjoys working with people and to feel challenged. He has a Bachelors Degree in Leadership and Organizational Communications from Dixie State University. He has learned through various experiences how to accept people for who they are and what they can be rather than writing them off at face value. Having a desire to learn and grow has kept him moving and taking both the good with the bad in stride. His desire to help others find fulfillment in different aspects of life is what drives him to become better. He loves his family unconditionally as they are his driving force toward finding success in all aspects of life.

INFP in a Nutshell

My Bio:

My name is Zack Gross. I was born and raised in southern New York. I enjoy any and all sports, especially auto racing. I have been described as high-energy countless times throughout my life, but sometimes want nothing more than to read a great novel. After high school I spent a lot of time soul searching, living out a life I was not happy with for many reasons. At the end of my twenties(with some heartfelt intervention from those closest to me) I decided to enroll in wilderness therapy in the high dessert just two hours from St. George. This experience was life changing for me. I enrolled in Forte Strong immediate after my time in the back country. At Forte Strong I used my time to solidify the changes I had made in the previous two months. During my time at both therapy programs I realized, amoung other things, the I value and enjoy therapeutic intervention as well as my perception of what working as a coach entails. Five months after my graduation, I was offered a part time job as a coach at Forte Strong. I have since transitioned to a full time coach. I love my job. Not only do I believe I have the skills necessary to be an effective coach, I feel a deep sense of satisfaction from the work that we all(coach's, directors, and students) do everyday.

ENFP in a Nutshell

My Bio:

Brittany works hard to live a healthy life. She exercises regularly, eats a mainly plant-based diet-80% of the time, and enjoys time outside taking in the rays! Brittany's passion for health began while she was still in high school. As a senior, she had 2 major surgeries, one of them to correct her scoliosis (curvature of the spine). As she lay in the hospital for days she realized she wanted to help people just as her nurses helped her. It was during these difficult moments that she found clarity and began to discover her path in life. During her time as a Registered Nurse, she always enjoyed teaching others how to best help themselves. Through many years at the hospital, she finally decided that she wanted to be a part of true "HEALTH care" instead of "SICK care." She wanted to do more than just Bandaid people and send them home with a new prescription. She wanted to find ways to help people become WELL!! Get over their chronic fatigue, lose the weight that is putting pressure on their joints, stop the headaches, prevent another heart attack/stroke, and manage their diabetes. She wanted the answers to these questions! This desire led her to the field of wellness.

ESTJ in a Nutshell