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 is a gifted and dynamic quest guide, weaving together her passions for nature, ritual, singing/chanting and personal transformation. As a wilderness guide since 1995, she has learned to gently and skillfully help others navigate the territory between comfort and challenge. Drawing upon mind-body practices, she enriches her work with meditation, expressive arts and movement. She has been trained by the School of Lost Borders, in the therapeutic use of the wilderness. She is also a student of the Diamond Heart Approach, a graduate of CIIS and a Wilderness First Responder. Nature is her teacher and sanctuary, and she is honored to guide others in the magical unfolding of their inner nature.

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 since 2001 and is trained as a Wilderness First Responder.

Casey McCarroll, M.A. 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 since 1996. 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.

Vanessa Eyen, M.A. Vanessa has her Master’s degree in Outdoor Education and Community Counseling, a Bachelors degree in Psychology, and is certified as a yoga teacher and wilderness first responder. Passionate about fostering a connection to the natural world, she worked as a teacher, program director and trainer for outdoor environmental education companies since 2001. Specializing in nature based counseling, she was the teacher assistant for the undergraduate classes Ecopsychology and Dreams, Myths, and Symbols with Mary Gomes at Sonoma State Univ. Vanessa guides youth quests for several bay area schools and organizations.

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.

Web Site Design by: The Meuse Design Group