Mid-Atlantic Nature Therapy
Virtual and Outdoor Therapy for Older Kids, Teens, and Adults
“The land knows you,
even when you are lost.”
― Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Nature
as Healer
In Nature Informed Therapy, Nature is the co-therapist, bringing to the therapeutic process: co-regulation, wisdom, a safe space to practice attachment, awe, and a model for wellbeing.
My Specializations
ADHD
We all know about the challenges to focus that come with ADHD, but fewer folks know about the challenges of emotional regulation, burnout, and sensitivity that come with ADHD. As someone with lived experience, I understand ADHD as a whole picture and the many ways it can infiltrate the way we operate in the world. I can work on both organizational and emotional strategies to help you function at your best. I can also provide consultation on testing and medication options.
Autism
While there are hallmarks of symptoms that occur in ASD, no two autistic people present the same way. I have worked with dozens of teens and young adults with autism to navigate the complex world of social cues and expectations, meltdowns, overwhelm, burnout, and sensory needs. With education and creativity, I have helped many autistic people deal with life in a way that feels more authentic and turns down the dial on distress.
Anxiety and Depression
Feeling like nothing is going right or will go right, and that you don’t have the means to handle it can be crushing. There are many ways of looking at unhelpful thoughts, feelings, behaviors, that can shift the patterns and generate new ways of being in our bodies, brains, and the world. Using treatment like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), we can work to shift how you feel, think, and engage with life.
Life-Challenges
Not everything discussed in therapy fits into a diagnostic box. Maybe there are things you experienced in your past that you want help processing, or maybe there are goals you have that you want help to acheive. Maybe you are at a point in life where you are just feeling overwhelmed. No matter what your circumstance, I am here to support you in your journey.
How It Works
1.
Schedule a Free Consultation Call
This is a chance for you to ask questions and see if this might be right for you before you commit to a session.
2.
Virtual Assessment Sessions
We meet for one to three sessions virtually to assess your mental health and nature background (you must be in Maryland or Virginia for these sessions).
3.
We Meet in Nature or Online
Based on the assessment, we meet virtually or at a predetermined location in the Silver Spring, MD, or McLean, VA area for sessions that can involve sitting and/or walking.
4.
See the Results
Overtime, you should start to see the changes you were hoping to find. We can work together to make modifications to the treatment process to make sure it is still working for you.
About Me
Hi, I’m Heidi! I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Maryland and Virginia, and a Certified Nature Informed Therapist who has lived on the East Coast since 2020. I have learned to love the soft stillness of the East Coast woods, as compared with the stark beauty of the Rocky Mountains I called home for most of my life. Before obtaining my Master of Social Work degree, I worked in a variety of settings as a nationally certified recreational therapist and mental health tech including: residential treatment centers, hospitals, schools, and wilderness settings. I have worked with all age groups—from 4 to 74—and am currently open to working with anyone ages 8 and up.
Recent Articles
Masking
Masking refers to how neurodivergent people, most commonly people with autism, change their behavior in order to fit in with others and show up how people expect them to. Behaviors that people with autism may try to change can include: Avoiding or reducing the level...
Health v. Wellness–Is there a difference?
You see it everywhere when doing a search for a therapist--the term "health and wellness" is ubiquitous. Why do people so often use these two terms together? Is there a difference? Often times, when people are looking for a therapist, they are looking for someone to...
Lessons from a River Walk
There is a trail I often walk near my house with a lovely river running nearby. When I walked on it yesterday, the water was a milk chocolate brown from sediment movement caused by rainfall the night before. It was interesting and different, the banks of the river...
My Practice
Location
Mid-Atlantic Nature Therapy, LLC is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the stolen lands of the Nacotchtank and Piscataway people. https://native-land.ca/
Make an Appointment
Reach out for a consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
Open Hours
Therapy: Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm
Groups and Events: Select Evenings and Select Saturdays