I’m Rhys, and I am so glad you are here. I am a mental health counselor, outdoor educator/guide, and yoga instructor with a PhD in Botany and a Masters in Clinical Mental Health. My work is built around creating connection. I firmly believe that we have the power to create our own stories and to shape our own lives. I believe this requires moving through stories of disconnection and learning how to rebuild and remember a loving relationship with self, others, and the more than human world.

I walk this path beside you and I am always learning how to better hold my messy soul in connection and compassion. For me, yoga was my first introduction to building awareness and self-compassion. Mountain biking taught me how to be courageous, how to learn from failure, and how to trust myself. My time in my PhD studying fungal evolution and chemistry taught me how to open my eyes to all the wonder in the world. It taught me that labels can be misleading and that I am capable of more than I think I am. Mental health counseling has increased my own understanding of my nervous system and encouraged ownership of my own stories. For me, these lessons come together to make me who I am. I believe that they can be used for anyone. They can be a vehicle to self-growth and self-discovery. I would love to be your guide along any of these paths.

You can work with me in a variety of ways. I like to think of there being two main paths. One path is through the outer landscape and involves my adventure and movement offerings. This includes yoga, mindfulness, mountain biking, wilderness medicine, and more. The other path is through the inner landscape and involves my mental health offerings. You can navigate all the outer landscape options through this page. If you’d like to explore the inner landscape, you can find these at Trailhead Alliance. My prominent focus in therapeutic work is somatic ecotherapy through a relational cultural framework. I offer individual and relational work throughout Oregon and Washington.

In counseling, I like to explore how our stories shape and drive our experiences in this world by utilizing a relational somatic lens. I use tools from Somatic Experiencing^(TM), ecopsychology, acceptance and commitment therapy, and inner-relationship focusing. The work that I am most called to do is to help others learn to work with (rather than against) themselves in developing a life of intention. This means that your values are centered and we will work to build trust in your nervous system by creating the space for you to explore your own magic and reclaim your shadows. Our work together is not about fixing, but rather discovering and finding ways to connect and/or reconnect to the many parts of yourself and to the world. Think of it as a curious journey through your internal wilderness.

I celebrate polyam, kink, queer, trans, neurodivergent identities and am continually learning how to work within the mental health system while being committed to reducing the harm it can create. I especially love working with the queer community, outdoor athletes, students, and those working with trauma, shame, and disconnection.

I offer individual and relational traditional talk therapy, somatic based therapy, and ecotherapy. You can learn more on my practice site, Trailhead Alliance, or schedule a 15 minute consultation through my client portal. I work in Oregon and Washington via telehealth, in my Corvallis, OR office, or on the trail.

Would you like to share ideas or work with me? Please send me a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible!