Ecotherapy Certificate

Ecotherapy Certificate

Southwestern College students may take these courses at the Continuing Education (CE) price unless they are using the course to meet graduate program degree requirements.

Students and community members pursuing a certificate through the New Earth Institute must complete all classes required for the Certificate within six (6) years of taking the first class. Although some of the certificate classes for this program are offered via distance there are a number of classes that are only offered in person.

Program Description

The ancient and enduring relationships between people and place, self and cosmos, remains vital to our sense of belonging. Human beings are one expression of life in an abiding interdependence with the other-than-human world. Yet the stresses of contemporary life emphasize our separation, our differences, and our distance to nature, resulting in anxiety, depression, isolation and loss.

In this program, students will be exposed to the scientific evidence proving that time outdoors in nature, especially in green spaces with trees and beside water, can result in multiple health benefits. Researchers have found that being in nature can lower blood pressure, alleviate depression and reduce anxiety. Addictive behaviors, symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and the symptoms of trauma and PTSD have also been reduced. Additionally, such strategies as earthing, forest bathing, eco-art therapy, wilderness therapy and outdoor adventure methods have proven to increase cognition, improve hopefulness, increase altruistic feelings, acts of generosity, increase a sense of safety and belonging, and boost the immune system. For a more in-depth conversation on the effects of nature on the self, please listen to this conversation with Dr. Ann Filemyr and alumni.

Interview with Rochelle Calvert, Director of the Ecotherapy Certificate Program 

A total of 96 continuing education (CE) hours, or a combination of quarter units and CEs
are required to complete this Certificate. Students and community members pursuing this
Certificate must complete all required classes within six (6) years of taking the first class

• Wilderness Fast (In-Person Only)
• Mindfulness of the Body, Mind, and Heart with Nature
• Somatic Healing with Nature: Transforming Trauma & Living into Aliveness
• Our Ecological Crisis: Healing the Trauma of the Earth
• Animating the Sacred: Deepening our Interconnection with the Earth
• Walking with the Ancestors: Healing Our Relations
• Rhythms, Cycles, and Elements of Healing with Nature: Finding Our Way

Other courses may be listed in quarterly schedules.

Click here to see Upcoming Classes for this Certificate.
Click here to visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOs):
Upon completion students will be able to:
PLO 1: Describe the health and wellness benefits of Ecotherapy, including
the enhancement of spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental health.
PLO 2: Facilitate transformational nature-based experiences in a safe and
ethical manner.
PLO 3: Utilize theoretical knowledge and practical applications of
ecotherapy in personal and professional practice.
PLO 4: Integrate mindfulness-based, somatic healing practices and
trauma-informed interventions with Ecotherapy approaches in therapeutic
settings.
PLO 5: Engage in reflective practice in order to deepen the felt sense of
the interconnection between nature and the other-than-human beings of
this Earth.
PLO 6: Explore multicultural perspectives and diverse worldviews in
service to conscious relating and ethical practice

Where you might use these skills:

• Mental and Behavioral Healthcare Agencies
• Hospitals, schools, nursing homes, treatment centers
• Private practice
• Outdoor adventure programs and wilderness therapy programs

Read the latest Ecotherapy blogs.

Ann Filemyr – Planting the Seeds of Consciousness Interview

Program Director

Rochelle Calvert, PhD, CMT, SEP is a licensed clinical psychologist, founder of New Mindful Life, and adjunct faculty at Southwestern College. She is also the author of Healing with Nature: Mindfulness and Somatic Practices to Heal from Trauma.

With over 20 years of experience in mindfulness practice and teaching, Dr. Calvert brings a profound understanding of its transformative potential. She currently leads courses, workshops, and retreats that integrate mindfulness and somatic experiencing in nature.

For more information, visit www.newmindfullife.com.

Southwestern College & New Earth Institute is approved by the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (#CEU2025065) and the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP No. 7520) as a Continuing Education Provider. If you are not licensed as a mental health professional in New Mexico, please check with your state’s licensing board to see if they will accept approved CEs from these two accrediting bodies.