Circle of healers
Join the circle of therapists and guides of healing work in nature.
We host Rooted Therapists Zoom meetings to help therapists find healing in nature, create nourishing lifestyles to sustain change work, and share practicalities for walk and talk nature therapy.
Charletta Erb
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Founder Rooted Circle
Nature therapist by day, fiddler by night. This Iowa farm girl specializes in couples conflicts and nature-based psychotherapy. She earned her Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. She also completed additional training in Somatic Psychotherapy. A founding member of Church of the Wild where nature is the sermon, a “church” without so much need for words. Her therapy work goes beyond words into direct experiences of nature, together with the rhythm of walking and breathing in sync.
Elena Rios
ANFT Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide
Elena Rios holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, she is an artist, author, and cultural practitioner. Her late grandmother was a curandera who applied her traditional plant medicine knowledge by offering holistic healing and bone setting services. As a young adult, she worked on such specialized wildland firefighting crews as Interagency Hot Shots. She strives to assist with traditional circles of learning rooted in Indigenous Knowledge. Her work is also informed by her training as a Cultural Specialist within the Chumash Fire Department. @naturenepantlera
Read her interview with Atmos.earth
Quentin Dunne
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
A member of the Ecopsychology Network and The Association of Nature & Forest Therapy, he believes integrating mindful connection with natural landscape into the healing process can yield significant benefits. Practices such as gardening and nature walks can be deeply nourishing and nurturing in ways that enrich the traditional therapeutic experience and bring about greater wholeness and well-being. From his own personal and professional experiences, he has found it quite true that nature therapy heals.
Francesca Michelle Gold
Clinical Yoga Therapist,
C-IAYT through International Association of Yoga Therapists
Francesca is really good at growing tomatoes, just like her grandmother. She holds a BA in Psychology and is a Certified Yoga Therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She completed her Masters Degree in Yoga Studies at Loyola Marymount University where she is completing post-graduate work in Yoga Therapy. When she's not tending to her garden or relating to clients, she is teaching roller skating and slowing down. As someone with roots in her own mental wellness victories (including depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD), she finds both her personal experience and her professional training come through in her relating to her clients. She frequently holds sessions outdoors; it's suggested by Yogis that there is the most accessible prāna (energy) outside which is best for breathing practices and meditation. Connect with her at www.francescamichellegold.com.
Joshua Sage Kendrick
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LGBTQ Specialist, Therapy Dog “Pree”
Joshua Sage guides clients in coping skills and strength based tools. Sessions are structured around evidence-based techniques. He brings extensive experience working with LGPTQI+ issues surrounding gender identity & sexual orientation. His witty mind and eclecticpersonal history lends to building relationships with clients. Therapy dog "Pree" works and plays hard to deepen the impact of therapy sessions. The office in downtown Ventura allows him to take clients a few blocks walk to the ocean beach for outdoor sessions. Being in therapy personally allows Joshua Sage to address struggles with anxiety, depression, facing discrimination and surviving immense grief, strengthening his empathy for clients. psychologytoday.com
Dra. Elena Esparza
D.C., M.S. Founder of Just Breathe Healing, Chiropractor, Clinical Psychologist, Healer, Herbalist, Activist
Born in East LA, Dra. Esparza played in the green sanctuary of her childhood, and dug in her grandmother's garden. “My chief healing influences come through the great women of my family who have carried on the traditions of their grandmothers and family healers: my mother Ofelia Esparza, my grandmother Guadalupe Avilez, and our beloved Maya ancestor, Mama Pola, who never forgot the lessons of the plants for healing.” Dra. Esparza has studied herbal medicine, manual medicine and energetic medicine throughout the Americas. She holds a masters degree in Counseling Psychology with a Spiritual Emphasis. She has a family practice in Boyle Heights and has created a series of health and healing workshops.
justbreathehealing.wixsite.com
“It is essential to resist the depiction of history as the work of heroic individuals in order for people today to recognize their potential agency as a part of an ever-expanding community of struggle.” - Angela Davis