Philadelphia
Ecotherapy
Krista Nelson, Director of Indigenous Perspectives and Land Relationship
In the Lenape language, Krista is said to be a Lenapei Lixsewakani Wintemakwi ok Kikehwèt Hitkwike — a Lenape language teacher and healer among the trees.
Krista teaches the Lenape language as an act of cultural revitalization and shares it in living relationship with the land. Kweteli Chich is a Lenape mourning song she composed as a bridge between language and grief work. It is offered as both a cultural expression and a living practice—a way to grieve, remember, and honor those who have passed, as well as express a joyful commitment to love and living. Krista’s remix of the Native American legend of the first flute, Woodpecker’s Gift brings an ancient language to new audiences popular with all ages.
As a ritual guide, Krista leads hikes and gatherings rooted in seasonal wisdom—offering gratitude rituals, rites of reciprocity, and nature-based practices such as her signature Creek Drinking; responding to the musical gifts of water with the music of our own making.
Krista is the author of Create Your Dream Life in 6 Steps or Less – A practical guide for personal transformation through journaling and visioning. She has also written a 12-book self-development series designed to immerse readers in the act of communing with nature through her photographs of the Wissahickon Valley Park.
Whether guiding a grief walk through a cemetery, inviting people to heal through song, or learn how to hold clinical therapy sessions outdoors, Krista holds space for transformation grounded in respect, belonging, and the sacred rhythms of the natural world. www.kristaunearthed.com | @knelsonauthor
Matt Mutchler, Ph.D., LMFT, Board Member
Matt is a practicing individual, couple, and family therapist and AAMFT Approved Supervisor at Amy Tielemans & Associates in Doylestown. He is also a Professor of Psychology at Delaware Valley University in their BA and MA programs. Matt weaves ecotherapy into his work with his clients, regularly holding sessions at Peace Valley Nature Center. He has presented on ecotherapy for Penn Medicine and the Pennsylvania Counseling Association, and he teaches an undergraduate course on the Intersections of Nature and Mental Health. Nature connection is a family affair for Matt – he is a 2nd generation Eagle Scout and grew up around rehabilitating birds of prey. Currently, he’s working towards developing methods for couple and family ecotherapy.
Cole Hooley, MSED, Board Member
Annie Keil, MS, EdS, MBA, LAPC, Board Member
Annie is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor specializing in experiential nature-based therapy and integrative therapeutic approaches. Annie's graduate and post-graduate education at Prescott College was explicitly grounded in outdoor therapy, somatic and body-based approaches, neuroscience-informed care, and trauma-informed counseling. Annie sees adult clients in her private practice, Nurtured by Nature Therapy, holding sessions in public parks and green space across NW Philadelphia and Montgomery County.
Heather Hill, MSS, LCSW, Board Member
Heather has been working in the Philadelphia area for 13 years in a variety of settings and is currently in private practice in Jenkintown. Heather works with adolescents and adults who struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship issues. Before training as an Ecotherapist, Heather brought nature led experiences to inpatient hospital settings, alternative schools, and outpatient therapy. Since then, she has been leading nature walks in the community and practices Ecotherapy in the Fort Washington State Park and the Wissahickon. Heather integrates her love for trees and birds, her background in environmental education, and her belief in the healing power of nature to encourage clients to access wonder, courage, curiosity and a deeper connection to the natural world. Psychotherapy & Ecotherapy | Heather Hill Therapy | PA
Nate Schlingmann MA, MS, LPC, Co-Founder of Philadelphia Ecotherapy,
Nate is a Psychotherapist working in private practice at Walk Your Path LLC. With experience in helping clients realize confidence in their relationships and life goals using Gestalt Therapy and Mindfulness based techniques. He currently leads three different therapy groups. He practices Ecotherapy in both his individual and group sessions in the Wissahickon park. He received his MA at Naropa University where he was also trained as a certified mindfulness instructor. He is a faculty member and certified Gestalt Therapist the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Philadelphia and a faculty member at Drexel Universities Creative Arts Therapy masters program. He is also a Certified Nature Informed Therapist.
Lauren Kahn, MSW, LMFT, Co-founder of Philadelphia Ecotherapy,
Lauren is an AAMFT Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor and maintains a private practice called Expanding Perspectives. After many years of conducting sessions throughout the Wissahickon Park in Philadelphia, Lauren has taken her practice to the mountains of Colorado where she is helping to bring Ecotherapy into the mainstream of mental health services in the Roaring Fork Valley. Lauren continues to offer online and virtual outdoor sessions to clients in Philadelphia and provides online and in person supervision and consultation for clinicians seeking to learn more about Ecotherapy and how to integrate it into their existing practices. She believes in the healing power of nature and finds that meeting with people outdoors and moving while in session, helps to generate change and allows for new perspectives on old, persistent problems. She is a graduate of Boston University School of Social Work and completed post-graduate MFT training at The Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center. She has a certificate in Outdoor Leadership and has led adventure travel programs around the world. www.Laurengkahn.com