Ecoresilience and the Outdoor Life Task, Michelle Doerr, MA

Ecoresilience and the Outdoor Life TaskThis workshop is meant for any therapists, counselors, social workers, teachers or others interested in taking others outdoors for wellbeing. We will cover the ethical considerations when taking clients outdoors and note the research behind the benefits of being outdoors. We will connect Adler’s principles around the urge to grow and creative force with relation to nature. Ecogrief as a normal response to ecological destruction will be evaluated. A simple outdoor homework assignment sent a week in advance and used during our discussion on wellness activities.

Outcomes: Participants will be able to:

• Apply Adler’s five life tasks to ecoresilience and ecowellness
• Characterize at least two aspects of ecogrief
• Characterize topophilia and affirm their own principal place for wellness
• State at least three risk-management issues related to outdoor wellness activities

Michelle Doerr is a wildlife biologist with a Master’s in Wildlife Management from the University of Missouri. She worked for Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in several capacities dealing with human-wildlife interactions. She started Anavah Consulting LLC, a private consulting business to help connect people to self, other and Earth. Her primary clients are in the outdoor industry but works with anyone interested in better human-human, human-wildlife, and human-landscape connections. She is a graduate of and a peer coach for the National Conservation Leadership Institute, an elite program for conservation leaders. She obtained a certificate in Advanced Adlerian Psychology from Phoenix Process Consultants. She came to study Adler after she saw how his principles helped a child’s eating disorder when a specialty treatment center couldn’t. Adlerian principles and ecological principles combined are the heart of her purpose; to help self and others value all life on earth.