Left untended, the hectic pace of 21st century life leads most people away from connection—to self, community and Nature. At Wilderness Reflections we have learned what many of our ancestors have known for thousands of years, that if we connect with Nature and turn to Nature for healing, growth or guidance, we inevitably return with valuable lessons—both for ourselves and for the people in our communities. We return having encountered ourselves within Nature, having experienced ourselves through the mirror of the natural world and human community. We go to Nature to remember that we are part of Nature.
We base our work on a combination of the wisdom and practices of both ancient, Earth-based cultures and modern body-oriented, mindfulness-based psychology.
We find that the learning and growth that happens through the body, through our own felt experience, is deeper, richer and longer lasting. Additionally, with advances in modern neuroscience research, we now know that this approach is the most effective at facilitating lasting personal growth… And, it’s juicy, alive and fun to know yourself as embodied spirit and soul—as the miraculous, fragile, resilient and sometimes ecstatic being that you were born to be. Hence, each of our programs includes creative and body-oriented approaches to self-knowledge and self-expression.
We give thanks to our teachers who have strongly influenced our work: Steven Foster & Meredith Little in the wilderness rites of passage; The Hakomi Method™; Somatic Experiencing™; Gigi Coyle and The Way of Council to name a few.
We work…
- Collaboratively with Nature and the elements
- Indoors and out on the land
- In reciprocity with Nature, offering our gratitude and seeking means to give back to Nature for what we’ve received
- To facilitate a direct experience of being an integral part of the Natural world
Some elements of our programs are…
- Self-expression
- Body-oriented practices
- Mindfulness practices
- Ceremony
- Council practice
- Rites of Passage, the three stages: preparation, threshold, incorporation
Our Individual and Family Therapy and Mentoring work are …
- Mindfulness-based and body-oriented
- Focusing on relationship to self, others and Nature
- Co-creating an approach with clients to meet their goals
- Informed in part by these psychological models/approaches:
- The Hakomi Method™
- Somatic Experiencing™
- The Four Shields- an Earth-based Psychology of Human Nature
- CG Jung and Embodied Dreamwork
- Expressive Arts Therapy
We work …
- with small groups
- with schools
- with families
- 1-on-1 with individuals