Emily Swanson

I believe that we are all born with a unique gift, or personal “medicine” to offer the world. We feel our most vibrant and joyful when fulfilling this purpose.

Our culture is oblivious to these gifts, and in fact actively shuts them down. So we forget…

I believe this forgetting of our true gifts and the resulting stagnation of our purpose lies at the core of much of our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual suffering.

Reconnecting with the magic, beauty, and aliveness of the natural world helped me to connect with the magic, beauty, and aliveness of the inner self I had buried deeply within me. Nature could hold my grief and shame and fear, as well as my joy. I learned to trust the earth and as a result, myself.

I have an M.A. in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and advanced training in Ecopsychology and Ecotherapy through the Holos Institute. Currently, I facilitate the ecotherapy and gardening program at BaysideMarin, a residential drug and alcohol treatment center in San Rafael. I also lead nature-based groups in various locations throughout the Bay Area.

When not working, I enjoy trail running, gardening, wandering in wild nature, spending time with my family and two wonderful cats, and experimenting with traditional cooking methods and herbal medicines.