A Nature Based Exploration of the Human Psyche
With Dr. Stéphanie Marchal and Sarah Frizelle
June 25-29, 2025
A nature-based exploration of the landscape of the human psyche
Based on Bill Plotkin’s work, Wild Mind: A Field Guide to the Human Psyche, this 4-day intensive is an experiential exploration of our human psyche, its capacity to strengthen inner resources while being in deep relationship with the natural world.
Gatherings will be held on multiple areas of this gorgeous land and in a beautiful yurt, and invitations to wanders on the land will be given. Art, movement, deep imagination will be part of integrating the experiences made on the land. This retreat is deeply transformative and informative. This is a fully catered retreat.
It is for people who:
- Love both an outer and inner adventure
- Feel at a crossroad, or more stuck than they wish for, or excited to open new doors
- Are looking for more authentic relationships with self and others
- Want to fall in love or refall in love with the natural world
- Want a pause, an introspective time
- Need to reflect, grieve, or find missing parts of themselves
- Want to learn about an amazing model for wholing/healing
In this intensive, we will work with Bill Plotkin’s Nature-Based Map of the Human Psyche.
We will access what we call the four facets of the Self, or dimensions of human wholeness, as well as the four sets of fragmented or wounded personalities that are formed early in life. We will uncover the depths and potentials that our psyche holds, cultivate them and integrate them into our life.
Bill Plotkin is the founder of Animas Valley Institute, and author of Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psych & Wild Mind: A Field Guide to the Human Psyche. This intensive will use practices and models directly taught by Bill to Stéphanie and Sarah, while adding aspects of healing and land connection practices that the retreat teachers have been developing over their years as guides and therapists, including relationship to Ancestors and community.
About the Leaders
Stéphanie Marchal
Dr. Stéphanie Marchal is a wilderness personal guide, and studied with Animas Valley Institute and Francis Weller among others. She works with people toward recovering their wholeness, uncovering their gifts, and applying these in their lives and for the good of their community. She has experienced wilderness as a powerful ally in these tasks.
She is also a registered psychologist working in Victoria, BC. Her practice focuses on relationships, attachment, trans-generational trauma and transitions/transformations.
Sarah Frizelle
Sarah Frizelle is a counselor in private practice in Victoria BC who offers wholistic counselling to individuals, couples and families. She has worked with individuals in roles of educator, psychotherapist and wilderness guide for over 25 years, sometimes combining all three roles in nature-based therapy or eco-psychology with individuals and groups.
Sarah works to support positive personal, family and cultural level changes. She embraces transformative learning and is dedicated to unleash the creative gifts and potential of people to heal and transform, in support of creativity, collaboration and innovation.
They take care to light the path
Stephanie and Sarah are skilled guides who are offering a journey into one’s wild psyche that is not to be missed. They take care to light the path, yet are not afraid to let you wander yourself as you discover the gifts which await. A truly important offering at this critical time in our collective human story.
~ Participant: T. J.