Ecotherapy Certificate and Training Program

Five-Day Immersion in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

"Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze…" -John Denver

Join us for a nourishing, five-day professional training and retreat                    and receive an Ecotherapy Certificate!

Experience a land-based immersion in Ecotherapy that will support you to integrate Earth-focused practices into your own therapeutic style, and deepen your personal relationship with nature.

Receive and practice a variety of Ecotherapy interventions, and leave with Earth-based personal practices to sustain yourself and support your clients. 

SAVE $200 and pay only $797 ( if you sign up by February 10th)

  Learn about: Earth dream exploration, Somatic Ecotherapy, evidence-based research in Ecotherapy, Mirroring from the four directions, Eco-grief work, Authentic Movement in Nature, Mindfulness in nature, attachment to a sense of place, and working with creativity in nature. 

The training will present principles, skills, and experiences primarily through a Somatic Ecotherapy perspective.  It will integrate: teaching, dialogue, practice, and peer support and feedback, as well as time for personal nature connection, networking, rest and rejuvenation. 

Special elements of the training and the land: an indigenous-based sweat lodge, fire drum circle, and soaking up the natural beauty of Sevenoaks Retreat, http://sevenoaksretreat.org/ an extraordinary land-based sanctuary with a rich ecosystem, as well as a field trip to a wild natural area.

Sevenoaks Retreat Center:  At Sevenoaks majestic 300 year-old oaks grow nestled within the forested slopes of the ancient Blue Ridge Mountains. Some 350 million years old, these grand mountains, which are often veiled in wisps of fog, are ethereal and mysterious, holding wisdom and depth. Within its sanctuary of dogwoods, azaleas, orchids, and mountain bogs is a wonderfully rich and interconnected ecosystem that supports a great diversity of animals, from salamanders and wild trout to otters and black bears. http://sevenoaksretreat.org/  (two hours from Washington D.C. , Dulles airport).

This program is designed for: licensed clinicians and interns, counseling professionals, coaches, ministers, teachers, allied health professionals, healers, doulas and more. We welcome all humans of any gender identity, culture, race, religion, sexual orientation, and economic circumstance.

Sunday July 30, 4pm -- Friday August 4, 2pm

35 CEU's Available. This course meets the qualifications for 35 hours of continuing education credit for MFTs, LPCCs and /or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Provider #PCE5417   

Hold your place with a deposit of $197 (non-refundable)
                   Limited to 14 participants-  Payment plan available

Training cost: $997  

SAVE $200 and pay only $797 ( if you sign up by February 10th)

Retreat housing, meals, and all facility costs: $600  (Save $100 if you camp)

THREE PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS  available on first come basis:              Equity Scholarship (for those who identify as people of color, LGBTQ, and historically marginalized populations); Two Work study positions (helping out with various workshops responsibilities)

TESTIMONIALS from last year's program:

"As a person coming to this training not practicing in the field and unsure of how I would use it, I found every aspect of the workshop helpful either on a personal and/or professional level. I am so grateful and inspired by all that I am taking with me through this experience. Thank you Ariana and Amy!"

Ariana Candell, LMFT, R-DMT, Ecotherapist,  is a psychotherapist and a pioneer in the emerging field of Somatic Ecotherapy. Her passion is to transform the field of psychotherapy to include connecting to the natural world as an essential part of healing. Ariana is the founder and leader of a groundbreaking Ecotherapy Training and Certificate Program, now entering its third year. She facilitates workshops locally and internationally, including Online Ecotherapy Certificate Programs, Ecotherapy Consultation Groups, and seasonal outdoor retreats. She is also an adjunct professor at John F. Kennedy University. 

 A licensed therapist since 1995, Ariana adores taking individuals and groups into the East Bay hills for Ecotherapy, as well as bringing the power of nature indoors to her private practice in Berkeley. Her main therapeutic influences include Hakomi, Somatic Ecotherapy, and Dance/Movement Therapy . She has trained with The School of Lost Borders and is devoted to a daily spiritual practice with nature. http://arianacandell.com/ecotherapy.htm

Amy Sugeno, LCSW, Clinical Ecotherapist, will be assisting in the training. She worked as a wildlife biologist for over 16 years before beginning a second career as a Social Worker and therapist. For the past 12 years, Amy has worked as a trauma therapist with adults and teens who have experienced interpersonal violence and attachment trauma. She has also worked with clients in wilderness settings in the Texas Hill Country for the last 4 years. Working with nature as a co-therapist, Amy enjoys helping clients explore metaphors and mirroring in nature as well as understanding their attachments and sense of belonging to lands, ecological areas, and natural spaces. Amy is expanding her ecotherapy practice to include workshops and retreats, especially on mindfulness in nature and courting the wild muse for writers, songwriters, and artists.