"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order" ~John Burroughs
Achieving Our Mission in Partnership with the Earth
The Center for Earth-Based Healing’s mission is to provide EcoHealing programs that promote holistic healing—Mind, Body, Spirit—for individuals and groups who have experienced trauma, life-challenges, or burnout.
We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Lynchburg, Virginia, but we bring our programs to a natural area in your location. Some examples of groups we have served throughout Virginia include: Virginia Association for Community Psychiatric Nurses, Groups from the College of William & Mary, International Association of Forensic Nurses, Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, as well as individual patients receiving care at UVA Health. Invite us to your professional conference!
We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Lynchburg, Virginia, but we bring our programs to a natural area in your location. Some examples of groups we have served throughout Virginia include: Virginia Association for Community Psychiatric Nurses, Groups from the College of William & Mary, International Association of Forensic Nurses, Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, as well as individual patients receiving care at UVA Health. Invite us to your professional conference!
About the EcoHealer Facilitator
Michele Zehr, M.A., M.Ed. (She/Her) Michele founded the Center for Earth-Based Healing in 2015 after spending years witnessing the healing power of Mother Nature while working with trauma survivors. She volunteered as a camp counselor for a nature-based camp for survivors of sexual violence for several years, and eventually became the camp director, a role she filled until 2019.
As a facilitator, Michele offers over a decade of experience leading small-group outdoor activities and nature-based programs. She developed her unique EcoHealing philosophy and skill-set experientially by attending courses at the School of Lost Borders, Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Center, Tracker School for Primitive Skills, the Omega Institute, the Ecology of Awakening program, and Voices of the Land program.
Additionally, Michele has 13 years of experience working with survivors of interpersonal violence, and she attended Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute where she received two-years of training in Somatic Experiencing®, a body-based healing modality that supports nervous system regulation.
She has been invited to present on EcoHealing as a form of self-care for individuals who work in high burn-out professions, such as nurses and mental health professionals, social justice activists, law enforcement, advocates for survivors of interpersonal violence, and social workers.
Michele is a former U.S. Marine; she backpacked the entire Appalachian Trail, which radically changed her life and led her to the work she does today; and in her downtime, she hangs out at the river, composes music and enjoys sharing her creativity on her YouTube channel.
As a facilitator, Michele offers over a decade of experience leading small-group outdoor activities and nature-based programs. She developed her unique EcoHealing philosophy and skill-set experientially by attending courses at the School of Lost Borders, Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Center, Tracker School for Primitive Skills, the Omega Institute, the Ecology of Awakening program, and Voices of the Land program.
Additionally, Michele has 13 years of experience working with survivors of interpersonal violence, and she attended Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute where she received two-years of training in Somatic Experiencing®, a body-based healing modality that supports nervous system regulation.
She has been invited to present on EcoHealing as a form of self-care for individuals who work in high burn-out professions, such as nurses and mental health professionals, social justice activists, law enforcement, advocates for survivors of interpersonal violence, and social workers.
Michele is a former U.S. Marine; she backpacked the entire Appalachian Trail, which radically changed her life and led her to the work she does today; and in her downtime, she hangs out at the river, composes music and enjoys sharing her creativity on her YouTube channel.