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Guide Details
Milwaukee, WI USA
Hi, I’m Gwen, a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide.
Some of my earliest memories are running barefoot on the grass and spending the whole day playing outside. I grew up on a farm in central Wisconsin, which allowed me to be one with nature at a young age — I talked to trees, cared for animals, and helped tend to our family’s garden. As I grew, I started to forget that relationship. I left the country side for the city. I traveled, attended school and started to work.
I have always been a productive person — organized, punctual, balancing a lot and trying to keep up with my perfectionist ways. I also dealt with depression, anxiety, and migraines for most of my adult life. My lifestyle had removed me from the instinctual nourishment and embodiment I had at a young age.
Deep within I knew that when I stepped outside I always felt better. When I felt the breeze on my face or took a walk, I felt a moment of calm, of peace, and a remembering of simply being human. My wellness path began with small changes — An awareness of what I was putting into my body and where it was coming from. Trying to step outside each morning to greet the sun. Going on walks, stretching and moving my body each day.
After years of small changes I found myself at a crossroads. I was still living a life filled with to-do lists, keeping up with the fast paced rhythm of our world. I was always trying to accomplish something and when I didn’t I was burdened with the weight of shame. The small changes I made gave space for my intuition to come through. I knew that my wellness was directly correlated to my connection with nature but there was a piece missing — How to cultivate that relationship? When I discovered the practice of forest therapy I discovered the tools to remember that relationship once again.
My training to become a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide has changed my life for the better. I want to share this practice with my community and help improve our collective wellness and the wellness of our planet. I cannot say what effect forest therapy will have on you but the possibilities are immense. I can say that I wholeheartedly believe that any time spent connecting with nature is beneficial. My hope is that by experiencing a relational forest therapy walk that you begin to restore a deeper connection to yourself, to nature and to your fellow humans.
Please connect at www.intentionallyoutdoors.com.
Gwen is an Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Certified Guide. She is also certified in Wilderness First Aid. Gwen is grateful for all the teachers in her life including a deep respect and honor for the indigenous knowledge that has helped inform her way of living.
