"I loved that your guest speaker Sarah included case studies and talked about the process of assessing participants from a mental health perspective, the outcome, and the consequences for the expedition. |
Photo credit: Pavel Fiala
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Upcoming events
MHWFA hosts regular guest speakers, all professionals with expertise in a mental health field, speaking on topics relevant to remote areas and wilderness. These online live events are an awesome way to network with others in the industry as well as access and learn directly from a variety of experts in the mental health field.
Views expressed are the guest speakers' own and may or may not reflect the views of MHWFA.
Online Live event: Monday June 12, 2023, 5:30-7pm Pacific
Trauma, Healing, and the Mountains
Catherine says: My interest in trauma, from the physical aspect, was sparked when I trained as a Registered Nurse and worked in various hospitals and the Arctic for 24 years. Soon after graduation from nursing, I trained as a Rolfer (Structural Integration), which supports physical manipulation and movement education to allow the body to be at ease in gravity. Often, a poor posture occurs when a person adapts to physical or emotional management to avoid pain or discomfort. I later began to study Somatic Experiencing, to explore how trauma affects the nervous system and supports the body to survive, long after the experience has passed. A trauma symptom may seem to be a negative trait, but may really be a coping mechanism that kept you alive.
As I journeyed through my own life, I was exposed to adventures in the outdoors that occasionally had negative effects, from decision-making to witnessing a small avalanche my husband was caught in. I noticed when I was in more of my threat response system, I was unable to access healthy decision-making. This supported my work to become a counsellor, and I facilitated the first Mountain Muskox Mentorship Program (MMMP) chapter in Revelstoke. I currently run my practice, Balance and Renewal Therapy, from Revelstoke, B.C. Trauma, Healing and the Mountains will discuss a somatic (body-based) perspective on trauma and healing, a bit about Catherine's work with the MMMP, and facilitating healing for those of us who want to use our experiences especially in wild landscapes.
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Catherine Allen
Somatic Experiencing Therapist, Mountaineer
Register for this free live event
Online Live event: Wednesday Sepetember 27, 2023, 5:30pm Pacific
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Aaron Lyons
MA, Conflict Transformation; Restorative Justice Facilitator
Register for this Free Live event
Online Live event: Tuesday October 24, 2023, 5:30pm Pacific
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Chris Mushumanski & Greg Miller
Critical incident stress management team, Search & Rescue B.C.
Register for this Free Live event
Past Events & Guest Speakers
Past Events
Pastor Rich Parlee
Talking to God in the Wilderness: Spirituality and Mental Health |
Jess Cumming, MA, CCC, eating disorders specialist
Supporting Clients with Disordered Eating in the Field |
Judy North, remote area crisis & suicide intervention specialist
Suicide Intervention Training, Hope for Remote Areas: A Brief Overview |