Wilderness Reflections

Dave Talamo, MFT is founder of Wilderness Reflections. He has over 25 years of experience guiding wilderness trips, works as a therapist with youth and adults, and is a certified Wilderness First Responder. He is committed to the expression of joy and authenticity through the body and to helping others experience their own embodied selves in an intimate, ecstatic relationship with Nature.

Amy Biesemeyer, MFT Intern has a passion for nature and personal growth work. As a quest guide, she weaves together her love for song, ritual and creative expression. In her ten years of wilderness guiding, she has learned to gently and skillfully help people navigate the territory between comfort and challenge. Amy is a certified Wilderness First Responder and a therapist with children, teens and adults.

Shai Lavie, MFT works as a therapist with adults, adolescents and children. A brilliant and creative group leader, Shai also teaches meditation and runs leadership retreats for teens. Combining ancient and cutting edge wisdom on youth development, Shai trains other therapists and speaks to parents about teen issues. He has led youth quests for five years and is trained as a Wilderness First Responder.

Casey McCarroll, M.A.
Since 1996 Casey has worked with youth aged 5-18 in the wilderness as an outdoor adventure program coordinator, backpacking guide and wilderness therapist and in the classroom as a Head Start teacher. He has studied rites of passage facilitation with the School of Lost Borders and Wilderness Reflections and is currently working as a staff therapist and transition counselor at Holden High School in Orinda, CA. With his colleague Karl Smart, Casey is developing a rites-of-passage-based curriculum for youth dealing with cancer and life threatening illness. He is a leader of coming of age groups for middle school boys and a vision council member with Stepping Stones Project. He also works privately as a mentor for teens in the SF Bay Area.

Will Scott is a gifted teacher and guide whose infectious enthusiasm and creativity can transform any trip into a lively, fun and soulful journey. An experienced wilderness guide, Will is a co-founder of The Wilderness Within and teacher of environmental science and ecopsychology. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder and has trained in wilderness quest guiding with The School of Lost Borders.

Alice Treves, LCSW has worked with young people, especially adolescents, for many years, as a therapist and rites of passage guide. She utilizes a variety of approaches in this work, including storytelling, crafts, song and silent reflection. Alice has led youth quests for three years and is known as a strong, caring and inspired innovator. She is certified as a Wilderness First Responder.

Rebecca Wildbear, M.S. is a wild-hearted wanderer and soul guide who supports people to open to their depths and to flower in relationship to the wild Earth. The prayer she lives is to love and embody the Mystery and the Wild as they sing each being alive, evoking their truth and beauty. Rebecca has worked as a therapist and wilderness guide since 1997, and has trained as a guide with AVI since 2002. As an Interdisciplinary Yoga Teacher and a student of Hakomi experiential therapy, Rebecca brings a body-centered approach to guiding. She received her Masters Degree in Counseling from Johns Hopkins University in 1997.

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