The Journey On Podcast with Warwick Schiller
Episode: Joséphine Jammaers
Date: November 28, 2025
Episode Overview
In this captivating episode, Warwick Schiller is joined by adventurer, psychologist, and horsewoman Joséphine Jammaers. The conversation dives deep into Joséphine's unconventional path—her transformative journeys with horses across continents, the philosophy of "living your dream," and harnessing the power of nature and adventure for personal growth. Joséphine shares tales from endurance races, nomadic expeditions, and her innovative work as an outdoor psychologist, revealing profound lessons learned in the wild and how these experiences connect to self-development and horsemanship.
Main Discussion Themes
1. Joséphine’s Unique Path: Outdoor Psychology & Adventure
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Current Role & Philosophy [04:10]
- Joséphine introduces herself as an outdoor psychologist who takes therapy outside, regardless of the weather, maximizing the healing effects of nature and movement.
- She facilitates individual sessions and leads adventure-based psychological retreats, often in the mountains, using nature as a catalyst for real change.
- “I take the advantages of nature and adventure as a catalyst for change. That's what I do now... I love to see myself as an adventurer.” [04:10–05:00]
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Work with Companies [08:00]
- Offers team-building and leadership training to companies, often incorporating horses.
- Provides talks on the intersection between adventure and entrepreneurship.
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Equine-Assisted Therapy with Stallions [10:35]
- Describes her work at a Belgian farm using stallions—intact male horses—as co-trainers in leadership and team workshops.
- “It's also one of the only places in Western Europe where stallions live together and are kept stallion, because for us, it serves as a metaphor...We are the ones who need to learn how to balance strict boundaries and asking for respect on the one hand, and on the other hand, just the empathy and the love and the connection and balancing those poles inside ourselves to be able to work with the stallions in a safe and respectful way.” [14:10–14:52]
- Warwick expresses amazement at the use of stallions for therapy work:
- “I've never heard of anybody doing equine assisted therapy with stallions. That is super cool.” [14:52]
- Describes her work at a Belgian farm using stallions—intact male horses—as co-trainers in leadership and team workshops.
2. World Expedition: Mountains, Horses, and Human Connection
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Long-Distance Expedition [16:40]
- Post-pandemic, Joséphine and her partner Cornel set out from Belgium on a tandem bike, carrying climbing and trekking gear across Europe, the Balkans, and into Greece.
- Switched from cycling to sailing in Greece, undertook trekking, and later hitchhiked through Iran and Central Asia.
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Rock Climbing as Presence and Fear Work [19:19]
- Discusses rock climbing as a practice in presence, immersion in nature, and as a tool to confront and work with fear, equating the process to personal growth.
- “Freedom really starts to exist where trust becomes greater than fear. And in rock climbing, I can really feel that shift.” [21:59]
- Discusses rock climbing as a practice in presence, immersion in nature, and as a tool to confront and work with fear, equating the process to personal growth.
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Profound Manifestation Story: The Water Bottle in Iran [37:11–45:10]
- Shares a day in Iran when, after verbalizing needs (water, face cream, ride, dolphins, nail cutter) with her partner, each request unexplainably manifested.
- “People say the trail provides, right?...We were just talking about it, how we would just drink small bits and then continue. And then suddenly while we were walking on the beach there we found, like, it was...a huge bottle of water. Like 2 liter, 2 liter bottle of water...and it was completely sealed.” [38:54]
- Warwick relates this to his own experiences of “manifesting” on trail—highlighting a recurring theme of trusting the journey.
- Shares a day in Iran when, after verbalizing needs (water, face cream, ride, dolphins, nail cutter) with her partner, each request unexplainably manifested.
3. Kyrgyzstan: Traveling Across Mountains with Stallions [53:14–67:12]
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The Logistics: Markets, Stallions, Survival
- Upon reaching Kyrgyzstan, they meet a French expert via the Long Riders’ Guild who mentors them in horse care and navigation.
- Purchased horses (all stallions, as per Kyrgyz custom), navigated local horse markets, and learned to adapt quickly.
- Horse training is eclectic: going from bitless riding to riding with just a rope after months together.
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Cultural Insights
- Details about living among and learning from Kyrgyz nomads and their deep connection to the land.
- Shared hardships and hospitality—sheep herders, yurts, language barriers, but always a sense of community and resilience.
4. Gaucho Derby in Patagonia [81:51–101:58]
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Preparation and Motivation
- Inspired by a fellow traveler, Joséphine applied for the Gaucho Derby (an extreme multi-horse race in Patagonia) from Kyrgyzstan, banking on her adventure and horsemanship instead of formal competition skills.
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Racing Solo—“A bold experiment” [82:12]
- Chose to ride the entire race almost entirely alone as a conscious experiment in self-reliance, discomfort management, and decision-making:
- “It was kind of an experiment for me to ride it alone...I like to make my own decisions and to flow on my own energy.” [83:05]
- Chose to ride the entire race almost entirely alone as a conscious experiment in self-reliance, discomfort management, and decision-making:
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Critical Moment: Plateau of Death Incident
- Joséphine gets her horse stuck in a rock bog in a dangerous part of the Derby, experiencing intense fear and feeling profound responsibility for her horse.
- “At that moment, I was just, I want to get this horse out safely. I felt so bad about myself, and I was so much confronted with my ego in a way.” [95:21]
- Collaborating riders and event staff organize a rescue; her horse miraculously breaks free unharmed after a moment of calm.
- “He gave in to the situation. And then...he just lifted his head and he got life again in his eyes. I could see it. And he made one big movement, and he jumped out.” [98:25]
- Joséphine gets her horse stuck in a rock bog in a dangerous part of the Derby, experiencing intense fear and feeling profound responsibility for her horse.
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Solo Endurance: The Double-Edged Sword
- Contrasts the mental aspects of riding alone versus in a group—the absence of a “complaint spiral” and the deeper self-trust and presence required.
- “When you complain, you're just complaining to other people, and when there's no one to complain to, you just stop complaining...It's a different feeling.” [104:39]
- Contrasts the mental aspects of riding alone versus in a group—the absence of a “complaint spiral” and the deeper self-trust and presence required.
5. Philosophy, Personal Growth, and Upbringing
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Living by ‘Must’ Not ‘Should’ [27:55]
- Joséphine reflects on the importance of choosing the life one must live, despite societal expectations and “shoulds.”
- “It's so easy to choose for I should...It's way harder to choose for the things you feel you must do...the reward is huge when you choose must.” [27:13]
- Joséphine reflects on the importance of choosing the life one must live, despite societal expectations and “shoulds.”
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Childhood & Inspiration
- The loss of her mother at a young age and a father who said “don’t dream your life, live your dream” were seminal influences.
- “A major piece of it is that I lost my mom when we were really young...I believe that it made me very aware of the fact that life will end one day at a very young age. And this in combination with having a father who says...don’t dream your life. Live your dream.” [107:01]
- The loss of her mother at a young age and a father who said “don’t dream your life, live your dream” were seminal influences.
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On Purpose and Advice
- Purpose: “To reconnect people with nature and by doing so with themselves. Because we are our nature, we cannot see ourselves as separate from nature.” [113:10]
- Advice for future psychologists (and all walk-of-life): “You do you. People will want you in the end for the way you are...I tried to take myself out of my own personality, but I really couldn’t stay true to myself without that part of myself. So now I'm just a very enthusiastic psychologist. But that's what people are choosing me for now. So, please, you do you.” [115:52]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On fear and freedom:
“Freedom really starts to exist where trust becomes greater than fear.”
— Joséphine Jammaers [21:59] -
On authenticity:
“You do you. People will want you in the end for the way you are...that is what makes you special.”
— Joséphine Jammaers [115:52] -
On upbringing:
“Don’t dream your life. Live your dream.”
— Joséphine’s father (repeated by Joséphine) [107:01, 109:18] -
On manifestation and trusting the journey:
“It also gives a lot of trust. The trail will provide when you need it...when you trust the trail.”
— Warwick Schiller & Joséphine Jammaers [45:27–45:32]
Key Timestamps
- 04:10 – Joséphine describes her role as an outdoor psychologist
- 10:35 – Using stallions for equine-assisted leadership training
- 16:40 – The start of her world journey by bicycle
- 19:36 – Rock climbing and working with fear
- 37:11 – Manifesting needs in Iran (the “water bottle day” story)
- 53:14 – Kyrgyzstan: Searching for and buying stallions
- 81:51 – Return to Europe, prepping for the Gaucho Derby
- 83:05 – Deciding to ride the Gaucho Derby alone
- 89:42 – Incident in the “Plateau of Death”: horse stuck in a bog
- 113:10 – Joséphine’s lifelong purpose and career advice
Where to Find Joséphine
- Instagram: @josephinejammaers / @outdoorpsychology
- Website: outdoorpsychology.be
- Email: josephine@outdoorpsychology.be
Summary
This episode is a rich tapestry of adventure, self-discovery, and the powerful lessons learned from living close to nature and pushing beyond comfort. Joséphine's stories—from mountainous trails in Kyrgyzstan to the rock bogs of Patagonia—are both inspiration and practical metaphor for personal growth, resilience, and the courage to live authentically. Anyone seeking to better understand the connection between challenge, trust, and personal transformation—whether horseperson or adventurer—will find deep insight and actionable wisdom in this conversation.