Meet Elena Kopel | Clinical Therapist & Co-Founder of Make Good Camp

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elena Kopel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elena, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
Back when I was in college I found myself grappling with a question that had been looming for years – was it time to shift away from my long held dreams of becoming a Broadway actress? I still loved theater, but the pull I had once felt for the life of a performer was loosening its grip. I just wasn’t sure if I wanted it anymore and that terrified me. What did it mean if I was willing to pivot away from a career that I had put years of my life into fostering? (Not to mention the small fortune my family sacrificed for lessons and theater camps!) Then, I found a TedTalk by Emily Simoness. Simoness was a trained stage actor, herself, living and working in New York City when she inherited a piece of farmland from a family member. She goes on to discuss the importance of recognizing life’s unexpected paths and how we can hold them alongside our carefully crafted plans. In essence, when do we hold on tightly and when do we allow new movement and space? I was incredibly touched by her message and I saw myself reflected in it – I wasn’t giving up on my dreams to be a Broadway actor, I was just allowing myself to change. And that was okay. Even though I ultimately decided to leave the performing arts, I never felt like I “gave up”. I wasn’t burnt out or jaded, I just wanted something else for myself. I wish more people were able to hold their plans and their paths next to each other and see abundance and option rather than limitation. We are going to grow and change – we are meant to! Rather than asking whether we should keep going or give up, what if we instead asked ourselves, “what encourages my growth?” Whatever the answer, there is success in choosing your growth, in whatever way that may take.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am the founder and lead clinician of Already Home Counseling, a private therapy practice based out of Denver, That being said, I am excited to announce the start of a new project and business that has been in the works for several years! My friend and I are launching Make Good Camp, a business that will offer trainings and consultation for summer camps and outdoor programing. Make Good Camp will focus on creating more accessible, welcoming, and inclusive outdoor spaces and communities. I began thinking about offering these kinds of services back in graduate school where I studied nature based therapy. It was there that I started to became abundantly aware of the culture of exclusivity in the outdoor industry and the many, many people whose voices were not be uplifted. I began to ask questions, tried to bring up these topics for discussion with my classmates, but generally was met with dismissal. The challenging and painful parts of these conversations (the hard but true historical context and the ways that this harm continues to be cultivated) had those I connected with feeling uncomfortable or even defensive. I continue to be met with some pushback from those who do not understand the need for this work. However, it became clear to me that I would be doing this work. I have experienced a loss of connection to the outdoor world through a trauma that took years to work through, and I continue to work through to this day. I know firsthand how painful it can be to feel that you have lost a safe space or never felt like you belonged there in the first place. Today, black people, indigenous people, differently abled people, poor people, fat people, and many others continue to face discrimination and a lack of access to the outdoors – and this was intentional. What keeps me going is that I know in my bones that every person has an innate connection to the world around them – it is now up to the camps and outdoor programs that make space for people to, well, make more space! What I want people to know about Make Good Camp and my counseling practice is that we are so capable of unlearning the harmful narratives that we were handed. And what’s on the other side of that work? A greater capacity to connect, empathize, build community, and experience expansiveness, to name just a few. I am excited to continue creating spaces where we can be challenged, uplifted, and inspired to shift towards more welcoming practices and communities. Every person deserves a safe and sustainable relationship to the natural world we are a part of and I hope to help foster this for years to come!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have taken every person who has ever visited me in Denver to either City O’ City or Watercourse, so those are going to have to be a stop! I love supporting small, local businesses that stand up for their communities and wonderful causes. Some that come to mind are Petals and Pages Bookstore, Weathervane Cafe, and Quince Coffee House. Then we would go for a yoga class at Urban Sanctuary or The River followed by a trip to the South Pearl Farmers Market. I think the things that make Denver what it is are the vibrant community members and local resources that are so abundant to us!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Danielle Jones of Listening Counseling Center
“Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Women’s Wilderness, Boulder, CO
“Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma, and Politicizing Your Practice” by Dr. Jennifer Mullan

Website: www.alreadyhomecounseling.com, www.makegoodcamp.com (Coming soon! Will be active by the time this comes out)