Program Name Evolution

In the fall of 2024, two changes were made: a new name and a redesigned curriculum that reflects the ongoing evolution of our program. As of next fall, our students will seek a concentration in Nature-Based Transpersonal Counseling, as part of their studies in Naropa’s Graduate School of Counseling. Our students will continue to receive a strong foundation in essential counseling skills while learning how to incorporate nature into their work in meaningful and rewarding ways.

From the inception of the Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy program in 2002, our faculty and graduates have resisted the notion that nature lies outside of us and can mostly be experienced in wilderness, a place where, by definition, humans don’t really belong. Our new name recognizes that we are always seated firmly in nature. Grounded in our physical body, we belong to this world, and the world belongs to us–not to be dominated but to be cared for and appreciated. This sense of belonging is essential to our mental and physical health.

The name Nature-Based Transpersonal Counseling suggests a shift away from rugged, adventure-based interventions toward practices that are more accessible to a wider range of people. While in Colorado, our towering peaks and wide-open plains beckon, we recognize that many potential counselors and clients find their access to wilderness limited by geographic, financial, and cultural constraints.

Graduates of our program don’t just receive a certificate tacked on to their counseling degree; nature-based learning and experientials are integrated into each course. With roughly one trip per semester, students experience about 6 weeks of intensive experience in expansive places in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. On these outings, trained faculty support students to safely experience a range of nature-based interventions, including camping, backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, animal-assisted therapies, and horticulture. We also incorporate day trips to local parks, gardens, and animal therapy centers, where students practice mindfulness in nature, learn about local history and ecology, and engage in reciprocal caretaking of the land.

In the classroom and beyond, students have opportunities to practice their counseling skills. Through these experiences, students do not become experts in every nature-based modality or technical area, but they do gain the experience, tools, and confidence to lead innovative and effective counseling sessions in diverse settings.