Meet the team

– A little bit about the Founders –

MICHÉAL and RHONDA

Michéal and Rhonda set up Natural Academy as the first dedicated ecopsychology, educational institution in Europe. The roots stretch back to 2008 when they created a vision of a pathway for individuals to grow a career in working with people in nature for health, healing and deeper purpose.

Within this vision is also the purpose to meet people wherever they are and to influence already existing organisations to bring nature into the heart of their work. This spawned NatureWell and they are now working with a broad range of partners in the NHS, larger national environmental organisations, Green Social Prescribing Networks and smaller social enterprises and charities in health, growing and rewilding. If you are wanting to find out more please contact the team.

Rhonda

Rhonda is a nature-based practitioner, supervisor, author, therapist, teacher and guide. She brings a wealth of experience and deep curiosity to our human-nature reciprocal relationship with the Earth and our ongoing personal and collective development within this. She has worked with individuals, couples and groups for over 25 years. Rhonda is dedicated to making a difference to human health and the health of the natural world by bringing individuals and communities into connection and healthy balance.

Michéal

Michéal is an eco-psychologist, mountain leader, author and holistic health and wellbeing professional. He is a qualified psychotherapist, supervisor and lecturer. He has a specialist interest in nature-based approaches to holistic cancer care and mental health. For over 25 years Michéal has been advocating and developing nature based and holistic approaches to mental and physical health. He has published writings and research and offers music as another gateway to nature connectedness.

Freddy Weaver - Foundation Year Tutor

A long-time lover of wild places, Freddy has found a sense of belonging through the natural world. He has been working as a psychotherapist since 2007, and is increasingly developing his professional practices to work within natural settings

Following studies in indigenous wisdom at Schumacher College, and in Ecopsychology at Natural Academy he is now training others to offer nature-based therapy and runs his own ecotherapy practice in the yurt and woodland at the Hearth in Devon where he lives.

Ruth Taylor - Foundation Year Tutor

Ruth is a qualified nature-based practitioner with training in ecopsychology and other counselling psychology approaches. She works as an eco-practitioner and counsellor in private organisations and in private practice. She also worked in education with young adults for thirty years in number of different countries. Her personal experience of deep connectedness with nature was established when young, spending significant amounts of time on the land and in as well as on the water and continues to date. She loves swimming, hiking and growing plants and vegetables, as well as generally just being outdoors with nature.

Siân Jones - NatureWell Trainer & Advanced Pathway tutor

Siân is an ecotherapist, nature based practitioner and integrative arts psychotherapist. She has over 20 years experience working as a therapist, supervisor and trainer within education, the third sector and private practice. She has completed the full Vocational Pathway in Ecopsychology. She is also one half of Wild Gathering CIC, which offers a programme of workshops and events that use a range of activities and interventions to support health and wellbeing in nature. Sian lives between the sea and the downs and is deeply fascinated by the interweaving of myth, story, place and the human and more than human experience.

Dr Clive Weston - Advanced Pathway Tutor

hMost of Clive’s career was as a clinical psychologist working primarily with people with learning disabilities and their families / support networks. He has always been interested in ecology and environmental issues and the synergy between psychology and ecology, so he went on a learning journey with Natural Academy and completed the Advanced Pathway. He now spends his time engaged in conservation work (including rewilding) and supporting various groups to connect with nature for their wellbeing. He’s interested in supporting climate activism through nature connection and deeper nature processes. He is very much looking forward to continuing his relationship with the Natural Academy community and stepping into the role of tutor on the Advanced Pathway.

Dr Catriona Mellor - NatureWell Trainer & Facilitator

Catriona is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who has been working in the NHS adolescent inpatient environment until recently. She has an interest in the mental health impacts of the eco-crisis on children and young people as well as what nature-based practices and insights can add to mental health care. She is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Planetary Health and Sustainability Committee. She is co-author on the recent Lancet Planetary Health paper, ‘A global survey of climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change’.

Simon Martin - Advanced Pathway Tutor

Simon has a unique blend of people and organisational experience alongside a passion for nature and wellbeing. He’s a senior leader at Triodos Bank UK where he facilitates leadership development and co-worker nature-based wellbeing programmes. He’s completed Natural Academy’s full Vocational Pathway, has trained in counselling and psychotherapy, mediation and yoga (200 hours teacher level) and permaculture design. Simon’s dedicated to continually respond to his calling for deep listening. In doing so he offers safe, open spaces that support holistic health and wellbeing of people, alongside the wider community of life.

Simone Heyland - Advanced Pathway Tutor

Simone is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and eco therapist working as a consultant in specialist education settings and in private practice. During her career she has worked in higher education as a lecturer and clinical supervisor training psychotherapists, she has worked within the NHS as a group therapist and has published research in her fields of study.

Her clinical work as a psychotherapist is tending to the suffering of people who feel part of a story of fragmentation and lostness, has eventually led her to the work of Natural Academy.

Here, her life’s enquiry has found a home, in which to be in service to healing practices essential to our times, for all beings, humans, creatures, lands and beyond.

Caroline White - Threshold Teacher

Caroline has a background in journalism and has worked for many years as an eco-focused communications specialist. She has completed a Level 4 Advanced Pathway in Ecopsychology and is now joining the Threshold teaching team. Childhood experiences instilled a fascination with the magic and mystery of the natural world which still infuses here work.

Since starting her Natural Academy training in 2018 she has worked with many groups; leading mindful walks, nature-connection workshops, wellbeing and training days across Sussex. She is most passionate about developing a reciprocal relationship between humanity and the rest of the natural world, for the benefit of both.

Michele Eve - NatureWell Facilitator

Having been a Social Worker and Playgroup Manager Michele began work at Penny Brohn UK, a charity for people affected by cancer, in 2009. As Therapy Lead she worked to bring Nature into the way the experience of clients on retreats, educational courses and one to one services. Her own experience with cancer taught her how deeply transformative nature connection can be.

Ainsley Dwyer - NatureWell Facilitator

Ainsley’s affinity for nature stems from his childhood and being in the forest playing and learning. His scientific background, studying Zoology, has fuelled his inquisitive nature and given him a breadth of knowledge on the natural world. He underwent a traineeship with Avon Wildlife Trust which honed his practical outdoor and land management skills and put him on a path to exploring the wellbeing in nature sector. He has also completed a one year training in ecopsychology. A keen mountain biker, longboarder, adventurer and father to be.

Janice Gardiner - NatureWell Trainer & Facilitator

Janice is a trained nature and wellbeing facilitator with a background in ecology and nature conservation. She is experienced in project development and delivery, bringing people together to grow ideas and create new opportunities. She believes the restoration of nature and the health and happiness of people are intertwined and new ways of working are vital to achieving both. In recent years, she led the Community and Wellbeing team at Avon Wildlife Trust and worked closely with Natural Academy to develop and deliver a nature and wellbeing programme. She now works freelance from Herefordshire and is a Director of Outdoor College in North Somerset.

Kate Drake - NatureWell Trainer & Facilitator

Kate is a qualified nature based practitioner and currently works for South Downs National Park as a Health and Wellbeing Officer. She has a MA in Anthropology and Youth and Community work having worked within the field of health and social care for over 20 years. Kate has a passion for exploring and discovering ways of connecting people to the natural world through reflection, growth and nature based practises.

Jason Leck - NatureWell Trainer & Facilitator

Jason is a nature-based practitioner with many years experience guiding and facilitating people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to engage with the natural world. His professional and academic journey includes Outdoor Activity Instructor, Nature Conservation Leader, FE Tutor, Forest School Leader, Environmental Science and Ecopsychology practitioner. Recently, he has been working with Avon Wildlife Trust and is founder of Wild Connections.

Karen Stevens - Course Administrator

Karen is our course administrator and NatureWell training co-ordinator. She has many years of administrative experience in the private and public sectors and more recently she has worked as a PA and Project Manager at a national cancer charity and a Research Trial Administrator at North Bristol NHS Trust. Karen enjoys walking and exploring the countryside in her camper van.

Roger Saxby - Foundation Year Tutor

Roger is a qualified nature-based facilitator with training in ecopsychology and nature-based practice. He has worked as a physiotherapist for nearly twenty years in a variety of public sector and charity organisations, with a special interest in pain management. He is also accredited to teach Mindfulness for health and stress courses and has a particular interest in permaculture.