Professional Ecotherapy Certification Program- Spring 2023

**Redesigned to Accommodate Out of Town Students**

“The Time Has Come for Psychology to Embrace Nature and Humans as a Part of Nature”

Learn from ecotherapy pioneer David Talamo, MFT how to integrate the healing magic of Nature into your clinical practice. Whether you wish to work indoors or out on the land, this training will give you the knowledge, skills and experience you need to safely and effectively weave Nature into your therapeutic approach.

Using mindfulness, somatics, expressive arts and ceremony, this unique 5-month long certificate program combines on-the-land daylongs and evening meetings with writing and study to give you a foundation in the field of ecotherapy and support you in being ready to clinically design your own ecotherapeutic treatment plans. Each student will receive two individual ecotherapy sessions with Dave and staff (1.5 hrs per session) and have two individual consultations with Dave to refine their own ecotherapy approach and interventions (1 hr per consultation).

Who:

Therapists, Interns, Social Workers, Psychologists, Coaches and other practicing mental health professionals eager to bring Nature to their clients and their clients to Nature.

What & When: 

By April 21, 2023 you’ll complete our 8-hour self-paced online video class “Therapy Outside the Box: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Confidently Begin Outdoor Ecotherapy”. In this intro mini-course you’ll learn about relevant law & ethics, risk management and liability concerns and how to handle confidentiality, client assessment and other issues you must address to ready yourself and your clients for outdoor therapeutic work. You’ll have unlimited access to the course content and be able to use it for review whenever you need it.

April 22-28, 2023, 9am- 5pm each day. Our in-person instruction formally begins with 7 days of in-person experiential learning in Nature. We’ll use many modes of instruction including live demos, developing new skills, supported practice, discussion, didactic learning and more. Also known as “the Immersion” phase of the program, this is where we form our learning community. Many students go on to nurture the relationships formed in their program cohort for years to come, helping one another manifest the Nature-allied work they’ve been dreaming of for years.

Tuesday evenings, 5:30-8:30pm (PDT): 5/9, 5/23, 6/6, 6/20, 7/11, 7/25, 8/8 and 8/22. After the Immersion we continue with on 8 live online video calls

Where:

Outdoors on unceded Coast Miwok lands† in west Sonoma & Marin Counties, CA. The beautiful Open Sky Retreat Space in the Bloomfield area of w. Sonoma Co. will be our primary course base. On some days we’ll journey to other local wild lands to explore the possibilities in building a therapeutic alliance with a variety of settings and ecosystems. After the in-person Immersion (4/22-28/2023), we’ll meet biweekly for the 8 live video call classes.

†- Read our more complete Coast Miwok Land Acknowledgment here–†

Fee:

$4,297. Deposit $500 (balance due 35 days before start of program). Limited to 12 participants. Additional fee for lodging, if needed.

Lodging & Camping (Optional): 

Students may commute each day to the course, stay off-site or reserve one of the limited number of rooms or camping spots available on-site. Single occupancy rooms are available (from the tiny casita ($450) to a private bed/bath ($800)). Camping is also available for the week. Go to our Open Sky Lodging & Camping webpage for more lodging and camping details. Showers and full kitchens are available to all students staying on-site. Lodging is available beginning on 4/21/23, the evening before the in-person Immersion, and is also available on the night of the last day of the course, 4/28/23.

Transportation: 

Please consult with us before making your travel plans. Once enrolled in the course, we’ll contact you about your unique travel logistics. Class begins at 9am on Sat., 4/22/23 and ends at 5pm on 4/28/23. Airport shuttles to the course site will be available on 4/21 and 4/28 or 4/29, depending upon group need.

**A NOTE TO OUT OF TOWN STUDENTS- PLAN TO ARRIVE 4/21 and/or DEPART ON 4/29 **

We strongly suggest that you Contact Us BEFORE making travel plans AND that you plan to arrive in the SF Bay Area in the morning of the day before instruction begins and depart in the afternoon on the day after class ends.

SEE ALL THE PROGRAM DETAILS HERE….

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Enroll Now – Early Bird Discount: Enroll by Dec. 31st and receive a $300 discount.

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To Register Please Complete These Three Steps:

1. Go To www.wildernessreflections.com/registration-form and complete the form.

2. Make Payment either pay a $500 non-refundable deposit or full fee now via PayPal (after registering in step 1) or by sending a check to us via USPS to Wilderness Reflections, P.O. Box 311, Fairfax, CA 94978.

3. Send us a 1-page letter of intent stating your reasons for enrolling in the  apprenticeship program  (via email or by USPS to Wilderness Reflections, P.O. Box 311, Fairfax, CA 94978).

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