Testimonials

“Inner Guide Expeditions provides a unique opportunity for teens to experience personal growth.  Exploring beautiful places with Inner Guide provides many opportunities to talk, question, laugh, grow, expand and connect.  My daughter grew in confidence after her time pushing her physical boundaries and experiencing the gentle push provided by them to look within.  I felt secure leaving my daughter in the capable, organized, and Tom's skilled hands.  Doing a session of Inner Guide is a wonderful chance for any teen to do something they will never forget and to push themselves to grow.”

“I think that there are very few times in one’s life where one truly feels alive. That heart beating, palms shaking, exhilarating, beautiful rush of feeling unstoppable, as if your body can’t contain all of the amazingness that it holds. My Inner Guide Cascades trip gave me that feeling. Perhaps it’s something about being in the Northern Cascades, which is truly the most beautiful place I’ve ever been in my life, and feeling incredibly small against the backdrop of jaw dropping mountains and crystal streams. Or maybe it was the care, love, and guidance of the Inner Guide leaders, who held my hand when I was scared, yet let go of it when I needed that time to grow on my own as a person. It could have also been the immense thrill of backpacking for my first time ever, when I felt the most powerful and bold I have ever felt in my life. But most likely it was a combination of those things that made me feel alive in ways nothing else ever had. And the best part of it is, that feeling hasn’t gone away. And I thank Inner Guide immensely for it.”

“Inner Guide has changed my life. The experiences I have had and connections I have created in the short amount of time that I have been involved with Inner Guide, will undoubtedly last me a lifetime. Inner Guide not only has amazing facilitators, but are they are some of my closest friends and mentors. Both invest themselves fully into creating personal relationships with each of the kids that partake in their program, which helps to strengthen the group dynamic and each individual’s experience with Inner Guide. Just the sheer fact that Tom has been able to establish and maintain such an extraordinary program is a reflection of their leadership abilities, certainty in their craft, and unwavering loyalty to preserving a safe and fun space for anyone involved. I am so grateful to have been able to be a part of Inner Guide’s adventures.”

“I would not be overstating things to say my daughters have had truly transformative experiences on their IGE adventures with Tom. As a parent, what you want most for your kid navigating the tumultuous waters of these teenage years are things you don’t always get in school; things like: the development of character – respect, integrity, perseverance, teamwork; and connection: with others, the earth, and importantly, with themselves. Inner Guide somehow manages through its own example, and through this “work” (it’s not really work, it’s so fun) to gracefully guide young people to develop strength and capacity in the world, as well as to find an “inner guide” through listening deeply to themselves and others, through acceptance, and also, often, reaching for something more. I could not have dreamt up better partners for supporting my girls through these formative years.”

“Since 6th grade, IGE has played an important role in my life and personal development. It provides the atmosphere and places I need to grow. The first trip I went on gave me the confidence and the self-esteem that I was looking for and had been lacking. After that, I couldn’t get enough. I always come back from Inner Guide experiences full of pure happiness and filled with new knowledge about myself. Through the trips I have made incredible friends and deep connections that have continued over the years, and it has inspired me in so many ways, including what I want to do with my life. I don’t know who I’d be today without Inner Guide.”

“In an age where many of us feel rushed from one moment to the next, Inner Guide has the ability to slow the world down so as to provide an 'experience' for the participant of Inner Guide Expeditions to be in THE MOMENT. I have seen them do this on trips, in circle and with their programs. The participant may be new to any one of these formats or a veteran (a young adult with multiple trip experiences with Inner guide). The common ground for all those who participate is that there is an experience waiting to happen without anyone knowing just what that experience may be. It is the combination of the group and the needs of each individual that make the defining moment a reality. Tom is humble, graceful masters in providing inner guidance to each and everyone of their clients.”

“During the pandemic our children's elderly grandparents were living with us and we had to show an abundance of caution that included long term social distancing. The consequences were devastating to the kids and hit our youngest son especially hard. In a quest to meet the fundamental importance of connection, our son was not only limited in interaction from online classes but found people online gaming.  He fell down the "rabbit hole." Turning the tide on the devastation of isolation, and predatory internet products geared to addict young people, was a task too big for parents to resolve alone.

We invested in an Inner Guide Expeditions program with "blind faith " and hope that everything we heard in reviews and testimonials would be worth the economic risk we were taking. Without a strong foundation, or sons’ future was at risk, and the purpose and competition of college was out of focus.

Our son has returned from his program with Inner Guide transformed. He has pushed back against vices and poor habits that served to disengage and derail him. Today he is thriving.  It is no doubt that during the trip to Iceland and TMB he was not merely sightseeing, or hiking, it is truly an inner journey of self-discovery. The challenges he faced pushed through the hard veneer of coping to re-engage with the core of who he is. He developed meaningful relationships and built confidence he had lost long ago.

Today he thrives.

Our heartfelt gratitude to Tom Shelstad and Inner Guide Expeditions for being our village. Whether your teen is faced with challenges to overcome or just to recognize the importance of the different stages in transitioning from childhood to adulthood, this program is foundational to best outcomes in this monumental life transition.”