“I’m a guy who loves to think outside the box.”
That’s how Doug Essig introduces himself, and it doesn’t take long to realize he means it. Doug isn’t your traditional therapist. He’s a counselor, coach, a river guide, a believer, a rucker, a builder of community, and above all, someone who’s committed to helping people uncover parts of themselves they never knew existed.
Grounded in faith and fueled by purpose, Doug shows up for his wife Maddie, his community, and the clients he serves not as a job title, but as a person defined by boldness, patience, optimism, and leadership. “My identity isn’t defined by what I do,” he says. “It’s about staying true to who I am and what I value.”
Doug founded Healing Hobbies Jax, a mental wellness initiative that breaks the mold of traditional therapy. Instead of four walls, a couch, and waterfall fountains, you might find Doug’s clients walking barefoot through the sand, carrying a ruck through the woods, or taking a break in a mobile office built into a Sprinter van. Nature. Movement. Faith. Science. These are the pillars of Healing Hobbies and together, they help people return to wholeness.
“Movement helps unlock emotions we’ve carried for too long. Nature brings awe and clarity. Faith provides direction. Science measures the growth.”
From the rapids to the van: the Journey Behind Healing Hobbies
The vision for Healing Hobbies didn’t start in a clinic, it started on a class-5 rapid in the Colorado River. Doug was working as a rafting guide when the company CEO told the team, “You’re not just guides. You’re the mental health professionals of the river.” That stuck.
“I watched people transform in just five days,” Doug says. “By day three, they were rolling in the sand, building fires, and reconnecting with themselves and the world around them.”
That experience eventually led Doug and Maddie to life in a campervan and a winding journey through business, burnout, and rediscovery. After starting ventures like Fearless (a campervan company) and exploring other entrepreneurial paths, Doug finally tuned in to what his body and spirit were telling him. He enrolled in a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Jacksonville University and began to shape a new way of serving others.
What started as a truck-and-trailer concept quickly became something more. After spotting a used Sprinter van for sale—literally outside his counselor’s office—Doug took it as a sign. He and Maddie built it out themselves, and Healing Hobbies’ mobile counseling space was born.
Why Outside Works
There’s science behind why a walk with a weighted pack by the water or a paddle through the marsh can do more than sitting in a quiet room ever could. Nature reduces cortisol levels, increases serotonin, and helps the brain forge new neural pathways. But beyond the data, Doug emphasizes the spiritual and symbolic nature of being outdoors.
“Outside, we give up control. We embrace imperfection. We get uncomfortable and that’s where the growth happens.”
Clients can choose how they engage whether sitting in the van, paddling, hiking, or simply lying in the grass. The flexibility isn’t just convenient; it’s core to the healing process.
Doug incorporates movement-based tools like bilateral stimulation, inspired by modalities such as EMDR and Accelerated Resolution Therapy, to support emotional clarity, reduce stress, and help people reconnect with peace, purpose, and the path ahead. Whether it's the rhythm of walking or the weighted symbolism of a burden on their backs, movement becomes a powerful tool for release and renewal.
Rucking as a Mirror
“Rucking shows you what you’re carrying.”
Some clients avoid the added weight. Others embrace it. Doug sees it all as insight into a person’s mental landscape. As clients grow stronger emotionally, they often grow more confident physically, taking on more weight, walking longer distances, and moving with greater purpose.
The shift is measurable. One client came in hesitant and exhausted, unable to carry even a light ruck. Seven sessions later, they weren't just starting to carry more, they were communicating better, forming real connections, and living with intentionality. “They didn’t need weekly sessions anymore,” Doug says. “They’d built a life of their own.”
The Disconnection Problem
So if we know nature is healing, why do we spend so little time outside?
Doug’s answer is blunt: comfort. Our society is addicted to scrolling, shopping, streaming, and everything on demand. But convenience often comes at the cost of connection. “We’ve lost patience, attention, and presence,” Doug says. “And we wonder why we’re still struggling.”
Healing Hobbies isn’t about escaping modern life. It’s about reconnecting with the ancient wisdom within us that says: Get uncomfortable. Walk barefoot. Watch the sunrise. Carry something heavy. Let it go.
Healing in the Unseen
Doug reminds us that mental health work isn’t always dramatic. Often it’s subtle, quiet, even unseen, like the slow clearing of mental fog or the courage to say no to something misaligned. It’s choosing stillness over stimulation. Depth over distraction. Boldness over burnout.
“We were never meant to carry it all alone. Healing happens in community. And in creation.”
Doug wears his ruck during sessions as a physical reminder that he’s not walking this road by himself. That he carries the strength of the stories, the breakthroughs, and the courage of others with him.
“When I wear my ruck during sessions, it feels like I’m carrying the strength of a community on my back. This field can feel isolating at times, but your backpacks are a reminder that we don’t have to walk it alone. You’ve built a brand—and more importantly, a community—that’s bold, brave, and full of heart. I’m proud to have your gear in our corner.”
Doug, we’re proud to walk alongside you and grateful for the healing you’re bringing to the world.
