Meet Our Staff

“Let the beauty we live be what we do.” – Rumi

 

Therapists

photo of katieKatie Asmus, MA, LPC, BMP is a licensed psychotherapist, life coach, teacher, mentor and wilderness guide with over 25 years of professional experience working with people in and out of the wilderness. Katie incorporates body-mind connection, the natural world, expressive arts and contemplative awareness into her work with others. She works with individuals as well as groups to bring forth their innate wisdom and to support them in opening their minds and hearts to greater possibilities. Read More


Kristina Benson - Somatic Wilderness Therapy Institute TherapistKristina Benson, MA, LPCC, works from an understanding that the mind and body are inherently connected and that we must continue cultivating a symbiotic relationship between the two. She has an active mindfulness practice, which guides the way she approaches her work—slowly, with genuine interest, and with an open heart. The modalities that inform her work are non-violent communication, attachment theory, nature-based therapy, Ecopsychology, mindfulness, and humanistic psychology. Read More


Jaycee Cole - Somatic Wilderness Therapy Institute TherapistJaycee Cole, MA Candidate, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Intern, works with nature-based therapy, somatic awareness, EMDR, and mindfulness, as well as the integration of radical imagination as a practical tool for alignment and growth. She is trained to work with individuals through motivational interviewing, balance coaching, the Enneagram, Positive Intelligence, and groups utilizing the Co-Active Leadership Model, and has experience facilitating wilderness, traumatic brain injury, and professional leadership groups. Read More

photo of taraBarbora Dolejšová, MA, LPC, practices a relationship-centered approach to therapy that takes into account social location, power dynamics, and oppression. She helps you trust your own body’s wisdom to create your own definition of a thriving life and healthy relationships. Her work is grounded in somatic and trauma-informed psychotherapy, attachment theory, depth work, and nature-based psychotherapy. She is also informed by DBT, ACT, MI, IFS, and mindfulness and works with a variety of issues, including relationship challenges, pregnancy and postpartum, trauma, grief, life transitions, body image, depression, and spirituality. Read More

Tasha Eichenseher, MA, LPCC, combines mindfulness and meditation, nature-based practices, yoga, ritual, and psychotherapy to facilitate mind-body-soul experiences that nurture nervous system regulation, attunement, and peace of mind. She works to help adult and teenage clients move through anxiety, depression, anger, pain, and grief to unearth their authentic selves and navigate transition from a place of alignment and empowerment. Read More 
 

Rites of Passage & Quest Guides

photo of katieKatie Asmus, MA, LPC, BMP is a licensed psychotherapist, life coach, teacher, mentor and wilderness guide with over 25 years of professional experience working with people in and out of the wilderness. Katie incorporates body-mind connection, the natural world, expressive arts and contemplative awareness into her work with others. She works with individuals as well as groups to bring forth their innate wisdom and to support them in opening their minds and hearts to greater possibilities. Read More

 

Photo of lisa kennemurLisa Kennemur, MA, Lisa marries her love of nature and of helping others with her work supporting people in discovering their own inner wisdom and innate tendency towards healing. Having navigated several major life changes (including leaving her nearly 25-year career in the United States Navy where she served as a medical physicist/radiation health specialist to channel her passion for helping others into therapy and rites of passage work), Lisa specializes in guiding others through personal growth, chronic illness, transitions, evolutions and major life changes. You’ll often find her in Nature, where she feels most grounded and connected to the Earth and all other beings (humans, plants, and animals). Read more about Lisa here. 

Administration

Photo of lisa kennemurLisa Kennemur, MA. In addition to being a Rites of Passage Guide and Quest Facilitator, Lisa is also the Program Manager for the Institute and assists clients in enrolling in the various training programs facilitated by the Institute. Read more about Lisa here.

 

 

Collaborators & Trainers

Heather Menzie May, MA. Heather is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Yoga Therapist, teacher, and wilderness guide. Since 2001, Heather has been leading therapeutic wilderness expeditions through the mountains and rivers of Colorado and Utah. Heather earned her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Wilderness Therapy through Naropa University and has a private practice in Evergreen, CO. She integrates EMDR Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Wilderness Therapy into her work with clients. Heather is the co-founder of The Strong and Mindful Family Program, which involves bringing families out into the wild to strengthen their relationships. Heather is a mother to her 6 year old son. Her favorite family adventures include floating down the river in a raft, dory, or canoe, watching herons take their flight through the canyon, being in community with friends and family, and introducing people to the beauty of a sky full of stars.

 

photo of HaaweateaHaaweatea Holly Bryson, MA specializes in transformation, trauma and life transition. She works with individuals and families as a Therapist, Māori Healing practitioner, Rite of Passage Trainer, and Vision Quest guide. Nature Knows is a subsidiary of The Suzerain Group in Hawai’i, where she is the Lead Therapist and Trainer. She has worked with communities toward the ressurgence of Rites of Passage across Australia, Aotearoa, China, the US, and Hawai’i. She is Katie’s co-founder and co-teacher of the Ceremony & Rites of Passage Global Training. Learn more about Haaweatea’s work at www.natureknows.co.


Our Services & Programs

We offer the following services and programs. Click below to find out more about each of these:

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