Stuff we can do to feel a little better.
Individual therapy and EMDR- outdoors or via telehealth
Meeting in person provides the opportunity for embodied play and exploration. I meet clients at the UW Arboretum, finding quiet corners for therapy. We can do EMDR as owls fly by and as we spend time with the Cedars. We can utilize parts work while integrating the environment into the exploration of what makes you who you are and what you need. We can discuss the pros and cons of meeting outdoors to decide whether it is right for you. Telehealth therapy provides much the same benefit as doing therapy in person. Both online and in person, I center EMDR and grief work as an intervention for trauma and past pain. I utilize parts work as a way to explore inner conflicts as well as wounded parts that need compassion. I also utilize cognitive restructuring interventions, work from an attachment lens, use an internalized oppression framework (Pamela Hayes), and use a variety of additional creative clinical tools which are listed on the ‘my approach’ page. Sessions last between 60-90 minutes.
EMDR and Nature Based Therapy Intensives
An EMDR intensive is similar to weekly EMDR and nature based therapy, but can be done in a shorter span of time. We would meet for a larger chunk of time to work through trauma or grief. For example- we could meet for 3 hours a week for 4 weeks. Or, we could do a 3 day retreat with 6-7 hours a day dedicated to EMDR and nature based interventions. The length and scope of our work together can be planned based on your needs.
Imperfect Poetry Therapy Groups
Six week therapy group focused on creative expression as a way to build a cohesive internal story on a subject of choice. Sometimes our painful experiences make it difficult to hold a narrative that we can understand; this group is an opportunity to write about an experience in a way that both empowers and clarifies. Great for beginners. You do not have to be a ‘good’ writer. All groups will include the opportunity for personal sharing, some level of processing, and skill building. The group schedule will look something like this.
Week 1: Poems that make us feel. Exploring existing poetry of writers that inspires personal growth. Building connection with group members. Writing exercise that assists with gaining comfort with sharing your words.
Week 2: Creating a memory portfolio: finding ways to describe moments from your day that utilize sensory experience as a guide. Identifying a theme to work on.
Week 3: Exploring simile, metaphor, personification. Introduction to utilizing metaphor to explore parts work.
Week 4: Expanding current writing habits through additional writing activities and games.
Week 5: Combining what we’ve learned to create a poem.
Week 6: Sharing our poems and additional therapeutic support and integration
Upcoming Group: Monday evenings 6-8 PM April 8 - May 13
Outdoor group therapy
I offer 2 different nature based therapy groups.
Group 2 is a monthly ongoing hike and talk individual + group therapy hybrid session. This is an ongoing therapy session that you would attend with 2 other participants on a regular basis. It involves a 45 minute therapy session while hiking and sometimes sitting, alongside a 1 hour support group with the 2 other participants. This group happens on Fridays from 1-4:30 PM at a trail within 1 hour of Seattle.
Group 1 is a 5 week group focused on nature connection, stress reduction, and processing how your relationship with nature impacts your mental health. This group is a combination of mindful based nature activities (1.5 hours) and an interactive process group with other participants (1.5 hours). It takes place at Tolt Mac Donald Park in Carnation, WA. Here is a summary of our weekly topics:
Week 1- Emotional safety and the experience of marginalization in nature
Week 2- Belonging in nature
Week 3- Environmental grief
Week 4- Nature and trusting my own thinking and feeling
Week 5- Nature and connecting to my own sense of personal power
Ecowellness Planning
Ecowellness planning is a personal wellness plan that focuses on your connection with nature. Spending time in nature can have a large impact on mental health. Creating an ecowellness plan can be a positive way to incorporate nature into your wellbeing routine. Creating this plan may include:
Assessing how past experiences impact your ability to connect with nature. Understanding and grieving socio-cultural barriers to access.
Looking at maps to find nearby locations to connect with your natural environment on a daily basis
Learning and developing tools for nature connection
If desired, incorporating plants into your life through garden planning
Evaluating the amount of time that you spend in nature and writing out a plan for what you would like to see. (How much time per day, where would you like to go, what you would like to do.)
Planning ways that you can offer your services back to our home in nature
Paying attention to existential questions as they relate to nature
You do not need to be a long term client in order to use this service.
Individualized Retreats and Rituals for healing
There are times in our lives when it feels like we need more than therapy to mark the pain we’re letting go of or to mark a momentous occasion. Grief and momentous occasions such as— claiming your adulthood and agency, marking a romantic separation, gender transitions, losing a loved one, the birth of a child, coming out to family members— are often not given the attention needed to fully integrate your past experiences with who you are authentically becoming. Participating in a day long nature retreat can include moments of nature based mindfulness reflection, increasing connection to nature, psychotherapy, group sharing, and rituals to mark the big events and/ or grief in your life. These retreats can be a powerful way to embody the changes or grief you are experiencing. This can be done individually or with groups that are marking a transition. I learned the power of these events while attending and leading rite of passage wilderness trips. During this rite of passage day walk, we will pay attention to letting go of pain from the past, acknowledging the importance of the transition you are currently experiencing, noticing the growth you have experienced, stepping into what’s next, and incorporating the retreat experience into your everyday life.
I also provide nature based retreats for groups of people who would like to focus on a particular issue together. We can create something that fits with the needs of your group.
