NATURE COUNSELING
OVERVIEW
Healing, change, power and groundedness in ourselves as human beings comes from an alignment with the natural world. Time in nature allows us to move out of the anxiety and depression of isolation and into the relief of connection and belonging. We begin to understand our place in the world through the lenses of both freedom (the right to be here) and responsibility (the duty to act and protect) when we see ourselves as part of the natural world.
The principles and attitudes of my approach to indiviual counseling apply to wilderness and forest experiences:
- Integrating all parts of ourselves as a whole person
- Regarding life as a fluid, dynamic, powerful force
- Understanding the ways in which living in the world, experiences, and choices shape our course
- Recognizing ourselves as natural and complex beings, and aligning ourselves with other natural phenomena
- Expansion of Existential-Humanistic frames into the speific realm of eco-psychology
FOREST PARK, PORTLAND, OR
I provide half- and full-day experiences for individuals and groups in the nation's largest urban forest, Forest Park in Portland Oregon.
Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon
I provide multi-day wilderness therapy experiences in the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.
Willamette River, Oregon
I provide single and multi-day canoe experiences on the Willamette River.
Credentials
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the States of Oregon and Colordo, hold a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification since 2016, and previously served as the Director of Operations for a former Outward Bound center in the Midwest. I have received Swiftwater Rescue training and Canoe Instructor training through the American Canoe Association. For a fuller understanding of my background and training, please read the About Me page.