“When humans know themselves,
The rest of nature is right there.”
–Gary Snyder
My name is David Wynn. I am a licensed counselor and wilderness guide. After working for over a decade in outdoor education and recreation, my path brought me into the mental health field where I have been happily wandering since 2015. In 2020, I earned my MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and joined the family of clinicians here at Blue Ridge Treks.
I offer individual and group therapy for adolescents and adults. My therapeutic approach is experiential, relational, and naturalistic, blending mindfulness-, somatic-, narrative-, and nature-based modalities. I believe that each person I meet with in therapy carries their own wisdom and together we are gently shepherding their self-study through curiosity and reflection.
I offer sessions outdoors at nearby trailheads and parks. The presence of the more-than-human world invites us into deeper relationship and meaning, while mirroring the awe and peril of our personal lives. There are innumerable benefits to practicing therapy outdoors. We can walk-and-talk, find a place to sit quietly, or explore the natural world through woodcraft, observation, land art, and (sometimes) berry picking.
Complementary to my work as a professional counselor, I also teach courses on Wilderness/nature-based therapy at Southwestern Community College and Western Carolina University, facilitate rites-of-passage/transpersonal ecology experiences with wildmind, and advise the board of directors for Journeymen.
I live in the town of Hot Springs with my wife and two kids, a clowder of cats, a rascal dog, and a small herd of llamas. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing music, foraging wild mushrooms, canoeing the local waterways, and wandering the endless coves of our Southern Appalachian Mountains.
Credentials:
NC Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor #15902
M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, WCU