Rewilding Collective
Therapist Ecotherapy Group: Fall Cohort
-
In The Rewilding Collective, we will explore our connection to self, nature, and community—both personally and in our roles as therapists. Through reflection and experiential practices, we will examine our own journeys of experience and connection, asking: How do we relate to the natural world, and where do we find both joy and complexity in that relationship? How do we engage with our communities and the wider world in a time of ecological and social unrest. Drawing from Joanna Macy’s The Work That Reconnects, ecopsychology, and climate resiliency work, we will cultivate practices that support both our own well-being and our capacity to hold space for others. Together, we will explore how we are living within these three relationships—as therapists, as individuals, and through the many identities we hold.
“Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.”
-Robin Wall Kimmerer
-
7 week group
Oct 10th-Nov 21st
Friday mornings 9-11am
Price: $500 (a few reduced spots available)
Will take place online and in-person.
Therapist Hiking Group
-
Looking for community outside of zoom and professional settings? Are you interested in connecting with other like-minded mental health professionals outside in nature?
Join Meg Mattingly, a climate-aware therapist, for a monthly gathering of therapists, social workers, interns & students to connect to themselves, each other and the natural world. The hike is set at a leisurely pace and we stay primarily on the trail. Walk away with tools on how to incorporate nature into your work, and new friends!
-
Hikes always take place on Sunday at the Spyglass Entrance of the greenbelt at 9am
-
Fall Hikes:
September 14th
October 12th
November 9th
December 14th
If you want to stay up to date—you can also join the facebook group:
Austin Therapists Hiking Group
Rewilding Retreat
Remembering our Wild Selves
October 25-26th
Join us for a restorative overnight retreat designed for therapists, healers, and helpers who are ready to slow down, reconnect, and be nourished. Together we’ll gather at Casa de Miel, where the land invites us to return to a deeper sense of belonging, with ourselves, with each other, and with the natural world.
Through a blend of experiential workshops led by inspiring facilitators, quiet solo time, creative expression, and community connection around the fire, this retreat offers space to restore your inner resources. Optional camping under the stars allows you to fully immerse in the rhythms of nature.
This intimate gathering, limited to 15 participants, is an opportunity to step away from the noise, replenish your spirit, and root into practices that sustain your work and your life.
We are offering a community rate for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, caregivers, students, recent graduates, and those with limited access to resources, so if you’re interested in attending, but worried about the price, please reach out! We want this to be an accessible experience for our community.
Retreat Facilitators
-
Beau Mouty
NATURE BASED FACILITATOR
Beau Mouty is a nature-based facilitator and program director with 8 years of experience in outdoor and equine programs. He looks to the wisdom of horses and the slowness and connection found in nature to guide his work. A lifelong lover of animals and the outdoors, Beau is passionate about creating meaningful, grounded experiences that help people connect with themselves, each other, and the land.Horse workshop: He will be leading the group in a horse-facilitated learning activity designed to explore themes like trust, communication, and presence.
-
Amanda Pouncy-Ross
THERAPIST, HEALER, AND ARTIST
Amanda Pouncy-Ross, MPH, LCSW (she/they) is a lifelong nature lover turned unabashed bird nerd, first introduced to birds by her grandma as a child. Birds and their songs have always been a quiet thread in Amanda’s life, woven with a love for animals, plants, and the limitless wisdom of nature. Since discovering a monthly LGBTQ+ birding group, they’ve embraced the practice with fresh enthusiasm, finding in it endless wonder, presence, and imagination. Inspired by the way nature brings us back into our bodies, Amanda invites anyone who will listen to join her in exploring birding as a gentle, joy-filled path to curiosity, connection, and awe.
Morning Birding: In this offering, guided by the sights, sounds, and rhythms of the avian world, we’ll explore simple ways to bring presence into daily life and professional practice by birding. Through observation, listening, and reflection, participants will discover how birds can serve as quiet (or sometimes very loud) compasses, leading us toward insight and a deeper sense of belonging to nature, to others, and to ourselves. No prior birding experience required.
-
Tala Decaix
NATURE-BASED THERAPIST
Tala Decaix MA, LPC, NCC, is a child and family therapist and the founder of Fox and Acorn Child Therapy in Austin, Texas. She specializes in play therapy, nature-based therapy, and expressive arts to support children and families in healing and growth.
Nature Foraging: Foraging for nature items is a mindful practice where therapists explore the natural environment to collect materials - leaves, branches, stones, feathers, anything that catches your eye, in creative expression. This activity encourages presence, deepens connection with the land, and provides inspiration for integrating nature-based art making into therapeutic work. Group will use individually foraged items to co-create an art piece.
-
Starla Simmons
SOCIAL WORKER & ECOTHERAPIST
Starla Simmons, LCSW-S is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Earl Maxwell Scholar Program at the UT School of Social Work. She is strongly rooted in racial justice and liberation, with a passion for supporting the vitality, resilience, and collectivism of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. Starla is a skilled and experienced facilitator around social justice and holistic practices such as mindfulness and eco-therapy. Starla has over a decade of experience as a school social worker, providing a range of direct care services to students, families, and staff. Previously, she served as Interim Executive Director for Black Mamas ATX, and Board Chair for Mama Sana Vibrant Woman. In 2016, Starla served as Austin leader for the national non-profit Outdoor Afro, which celebrates and inspires Black leadership in nature. Currently, she sits on the Board of UT Elementary School and Giving Austin Labor Support (GALS) and is the faculty liaison for the Environmental Justice & Ecotherapy (EJET) student organization. At home, Starla is mama Bear to her two children Maya and Langston and spirited partner to her husband, Thomas. She loves exploring natural swimming holes, sitting under trees, camping and creative expression.
Unearthing Workshop: This session will guide participants through a practice of discovering, honoring, and celebrating our ancestral relationships with nature.