In this episode of The Stories That Form Us, I sit down with Jen Brewster, founder of On the Mountain Addiction Counseling in Bozeman. Jen’s path moves from a career in hospitality marketing to licensed addiction counseling after losing her mother to overdose. We talk about how mountains became more than a metaphor for her, why she believes recovery belongs outside as much as inside whatever space feels most comfortable, and what it takes to turn familial pain into a place of healing for others.
By the way, hi, I’m Amy — founder of Unbridled Form, where I work with boudoir, creative, and wellness brands to help you tell the story only you can tell. Through brand design, web design, and strategy sessions, I create intentional, story-led experiences that reflect both your artistry and your evolution. The Stories That Form Us podcast is one way I explore that, by sitting down with people whose lives remind us that story is always alive, shaping the way we move, work, and create.
Meet Jen Brewster
Jen moved to Bozeman in 2021 after years in marketing and brand development, mostly in hospitality. She was raised in a family system marked by addiction and, after her mother’s death from overdose, she felt the pull to return to healthcare and serve in a new way. When she discovered Montana State’s path to becoming a Licensed Addiction Counselor, it was the nudge she needed to step into this work.
Her practice, On the Mountain Addiction Counseling, is named for the terrain that shaped her. She has hiked every 14er in Colorado and trekked through Alaska. For Jen, recovery mirrors a mountain: presence with each step, an honest summit, and the mindful descent that still asks a lot of you. Her vision is a holistic, nature-forward counseling practice where sobriety is part of a larger healthy life, not the whole story.
A Few Themes That Rose to the Surface in This Episode
Grief as a Doorway
Jen shares how losing her mother led her to change course. The pain didn’t disappear. It refocused into service, into the choice to be the counselor she needed.
Recovery Belongs Outside
She plans to use nature as a healing modality. Think walks, day hikes, and even camping weekends. For many, nervous energy settles when the body moves and the horizon widens.
The Mountain as Teacher
Climbing taught her everything she brings into counseling: present-moment focus, pacing, rest, honest assessment at the “false summits,” and the truth that coming down is still part of the work.
From Marketing to Meaning
Her background in brand building helps her shape a meaningful practice. The goal is not just sobriety, it is a sustainable, healthy life supported by community, rhythm, and place.
Through the Lens of Story
At Unbridled Form, we talk about brands as living stories. Jen’s story is one of translation. She takes what the mountains taught her and translates it into routes people can actually walk. The counseling room is one route. A trail at golden hour is another. The healing doesn’t change. Or maybe it does. The setting helps more of us reach it in ways that feel most authentic to us as individuals.
What We Loved Most
- The honesty about growing up with addiction and choosing to serve inside that reality
- A grounded plan for nature-based counseling in the Bozeman area
- A clear vision beyond “getting sober” into whole-life health
- Mountains as methods more than metaphors
The Stories That Form Us
The Stories That Form Us is a podcast about the narratives shaping our work, our brands, and the way we move through the world. It’s a production of Unbridled Form, a brand strategy and design studio helping entrepreneurs tell the story only they can tell.
At Unbridled Form, story is why I do what I do. Because your brand isn’t just a logo or a website. It’s a living story, already unfolding in your work and ready to be seen in its fullness. This podcast is an extension of that belief: that when we name and honor our stories, we build brands and lives that feel like home.
If you’re ready to explore your own brand story and how it can take shape through design, strategy, and a digital home that truly reflects you, I’d love to connect. Check out Unbridled Form’s services.
