About the Program
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Led by two mental health professionals, we will come together for an immersive nature experience in the beautiful Michaux State Forest (about 2 to 2.5 hours from Baltimore).
PLEASE NOTE: There is a Mandatory Pre-Trip Zoom Meeting for Preparation on Sunday, April 6th @ 1:00-2:00pm. This meeting will help the backpackers meet each other/leaders and learn important information about the upcoming backpacking trip.
Facilitators will use their experience in nature-informed mental health, to lead participants to unplug and rejuvenate as we hike across the ridges and valleys of the Appalachian trail.
We will introduce several nature-informed wellness practices to enrich your experience of the landscape and include some simple mindfulness activities.
Being in nature can boost your mood and improve mental health. Hiking reduces rumination which is associated with anxiety. Just fifteen minutes of walking in the woods generates a 16 percent drop in the stress hormone cortisol. This weekend promised a deep drop in cortisol.
Backpacking provides a welcome break from the feeling of always being ‘switched on’. We’re constantly staring at screens and checking our phones, always plugged into the network of the world.
Wandering where there is no Wi-Fi can really help to relieve the effects of the mental fatigue that technology inevitably brings.
We will meet on Friday and set up camp in Caledonia State Park for the night, where there will be running water and bathrooms. On Saturday morning, we begin our backpacking adventure and camp that evening in a wild area with no running water or facilities. We return to Caledonia State Park around 2 p.m. on Sunday. Anticipate a total of 10 miles for the trip over the two days, with some elevation gain and occasional wet and uneven ground.
This is the perfect experience for anyone who needs some time in nature to recalibrate. For anyone who wants to take their nature connection to the next level. For anyone who needs a digital detox. For anyone who is trying to gain clarity and desires a “cleaning of the mental windshield”.
ABOUT THE JOURNEY
This program is open to those who have a fitness level that allows 2 days of moderate-pace hiking.
All food and group cooking equipment will be provided. You will receive a packing list of items you will need that are NOT provided, along with a link to rent gear (such as a tent, backpack, sleeping bag/pad).
We will gather/filter water for use on Saturday and Sunday.
No experience in backpacking is necessary.
We will be carrying packs and hiking trails that are at times muddy and hilly.
*Scholarship available upon request!
Your Instructor
Rachel Oppenheimer, LCPC
Rachel Oppenheimer earned her Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Villanova University. She helps adults with anxiety, emotion regulation, and negative self-talk. Holistically, she is a trained sound healer and has experience incorporating nature in her therapeutic work. She assists adults (18+) with maintaining eating disorder recovery. If you are an adult seeking eating disorder recovery support, she will strive to help challenge your eating disorder thoughts and strengthen your True Self utilizing an Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT) approach.
Tim Ayd, LGPC
