Leadership Expeditions Guide

Cecilia is a psychologist, executive coach, and outdoor educator who combines her expertise in human development with a lifelong passion for adventure, leadership, and the natural world. Born in Chile and raised between Chile and El Salvador, she developed an early appreciation for nature, cultural exploration, and outdoor experiences through a family deeply connected to sports and adventure.

She holds a degree in Psychology with specialization in Strategic Psychotherapy and Empowerment and has complemented her professional training with leadership development programs and certifications in Business and Life Coaching. Throughout her career, she has worked with leaders, teams, and organizations to strengthen personal growth, resilience, communication, and professional effectiveness.

As part of Leadership Expeditions and Vertical’s experiential learning programs, Cecilia integrates psychology, coaching, and outdoor leadership to help participants transform challenging experiences into meaningful learning opportunities. Her work focuses on fostering self-awareness, adaptability, collaboration, and leadership through direct engagement with nature and expedition-based learning.

Having lived near the mountains for most of her life, Cecilia developed a strong connection to the outdoors from an early age. She began hiking as a child and gradually expanded her experience to include trekking, mountaineering, skiing, and diving. Over the years, she has explored and trekked extensively throughout Central Chile, Patagonia, the Carretera Austral, Peru, the White Mountains of the United States, and numerous mountain regions across the Americas and Asia.

Her outdoor experience includes ascents of Cerro El Plomo in Chile, as well as treks to both Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal. She is also an avid skier, a certified PADI diver, and an enthusiastic advocate for outdoor recreation as a powerful vehicle for personal development.

Today, Cecilia continues to combine her passion for psychology, leadership, and adventure through her work with Vertical, helping individuals and teams gain deeper insights, build confidence, and develop lasting personal growth through meaningful experiences in the natural world.