After completing a Wilderness Quest with Wilderness Reflections, or one with another program utilizing a similar quest format, many questers become interested in guiding and learning more about themselves through the mirror of Nature and human community. At Wilderness Reflections, we offer several ways for people to gain further experience.

Apprenticeship

Guides will usually take up to two apprentices per Quest. Guides choose their own apprentices, usually selecting people with whom they are familiar and have worked with in the past. Occasionally, a prospective apprentice will be introduced to one of our guides by another WR staff or by colleagues from other companies or organizations. Apprentices are expected to participate fully in the Quest programs, support the guides and basecamp support staff and to work their own edge, with the guidance and training of the guides, as they explore their role with the ceremony. Apprentices will often perform their own 24-hour renewal ceremony during the threshold time. There is a fee associated with apprenticeship as guides provide direct training and mentorship. If you have quested and are interested in apprenticing on a WR Quest, please contact the guides for the program you would like to support.

Basecamp Support

Basecamp support people are past Quest participants who want more contact with the ceremony and would like to be in a support role. They support the guides by taking responsibility for meal preparation and clean-up—with the support of questers. Additionally, they help with other basecamp tasks on an as-needed basis. Under normal conditions, these supporters are able to attend most councils and will often do their own 24-hour renewal ceremony during the threshold time. Guides choose their basecamp support team and accept requests for consideration.

Training

In addition to apprenticing on a Wilderness Quest, Wilderness Reflections provides further training on the road to becoming a Wilderness Quest guide. Additionally, practitioners from a number of professions find our training to be an invaluable addition to their work.

Training takes place through the TerraSoma Ecopsychology Training Institute, the teaching arm of WR.

Programs include:

Professional Ecotherapy Certification Program

A culmination of decades of experience, training and working with people, this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn from pioneers in the field and develop your own practice of mindful, body-0riented ecotherapy work. Appropriate of therapists, coaches, spiritual directors and others working directly in a mental health capacity. Course schedule accessible for out-of-state and distance learners.

Somatic Ecopsychology & Wilderness Quest Apprenticeship Program

This is our comprehensive training in Wilderness Reflections’ unique blend of body-oriented therapeutic work and the myriad practices and ways of the Wilderness Quest ceremony. Format varies from year-to-year but always includes a full Wilderness Quest. Open to therapists, wilderness guides, coaches and anyone eager to work more somatically or in alignment with Nature’s healing powers.

Intro to Ecotherapy

This daylong program is an immersion in Wilderness Reflections’ marriage of the ceremonial Quest work with body-oriented, mindfulness-based psychotherapy. This program meets on the land in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In addition to these programs, we also provide:

Individual Case Consultation for practitioners wanting to consult about specific clients/cases from a somatic and earth-based perspective.

Custom Group Training in Somatic Ecopsychology

Numerous universities, counseling training centers and training programs have contracted us to bring our training program to their interns and licensed staff. We can customize a training to meet your needs and to focus on indoor or outdoor settings.

Contact us for more information.

To see other great training opportunities, go to our Resources page.