Coyote Tracks Program (ages 9-12)

The Coyote Tracks program was developed in response to the ongoing need for more safe and supportive group counselling experiences for male-identifying youth in late childhood. In this small group environment of 6-8 youth, boys have the chance to reduce social isolation and mental health struggles such as ADHD and anxiety and build their confidence, learn new coping skills, and connect with their love for nature. The skilled mental health practitioners focus on facilitating inclusive experiences, while teaching coping skills and fostering growth in each participant.

Each program day will take place in or around Thetis Lake Regional Park. Participants will be outdoors for 4 hours each day, exploring in the elements and connecting to these natural areas.   

The program is suitable for male-identified kids ages 9-12 who experience:

• Social Isolation
• difficulty with social skills
• ADD/ADHD,
• Learning disabilities
• Generalized anxiety
• Autism Spectrum

** Please note that the schedule for this program will have the group meet bi-weekly for 8 sessions in total **

Subsidies for this program are available thanks to the generous support from the Greater Victoria Savings & Credit Union Legacy Fund held at Vancity Community Foundation.

Note: a pre-program intake call (usually over Zoom with parent and youth) will be set up with the facilitator to ensure that the program is a good fit for your youth.   Deposits will be refunded if you decide the program won’t be a good fit after all.

Payment and Cancellation Policy:

Full payment for the group program is due upon registration. If this is not possible, we offer payment plans. Just contact our Program Manager, Zahura, for more information at [email protected]!

Your program spot is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or a no-show leaves a hole in the program that another client could have filled.

• Any cancellations made up to four weeks ahead of the program start date will receive a full refund.
• Any cancellations made within the four weeks ahead of the program start date will receive a 50% refund, unless the spot can be filled, in which case, a full refund minus a 5% administration fee will be offered.
• No refunds will be made for missed days after the program has started.

Please note that the Coyote Trax programs are highly in demand. Every fall, we prioritize new youth to take part in the program to give them a chance to experience it. If you have already taken part in Coyote Trax and would like to take part again, please let us know and we will add your name to our list for interest; however, we cannot guarantee that you will be given a spot in the program.

For further questions about our Group Programs, please contact Zahura at [email protected].

Our Facilitators:

Nate Demetrius, RCC

Nate is a registered clinical counsellor who works with children, adults, and families. Nate was raised on the unceded territories of the WSANEC and Songhees Nations (Victoria, BC), and he gratefully explores Coast Salish territory all over Vancouver Island in search of nature, connection, and adventure.

As a BIPOC individual, Nate works from a systems-oriented, feminist perspective, developed over years of serving children and families exposed to domestic violence. He is Level 2 certified in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) and aims to add EMDR to his counselling toolkit.
His additional experience volunteering with ‘Power To Be’ and Juan De Fuca Search and Rescue allows Nate to serve the community in outdoor recreation programs and emergent situations.

Nate holds a Master of Counselling through City University and has a Bachelor of Child and Youth Care from UVic. In the future, Nate aims to specialize in anti-violence counselling with families and male-identifying adults, and he is passionate about supporting first responders (Military/Police/Fire/Paramedics) with trauma-related injuries.

Kelly Nakatsuka, RTC

Kelly has taken a bit of a meandering path to the world of Nature Therapy. He is a lifelong lover and explorer of the outdoors, with a childhood split between rural Northern Alberta and the West Coast. His professional life has taken him from forestry research in virtually every beautiful nook and cranny of BC, to cooking in downtown Vancouver restaurants, to running a music festival, to a 13 year career at CBC Radio. The common thread through it all has been his passion for working with other humans.

Kelly has always believed in people, in their brilliance, and in their ability and inherent right to grow and heal and thrive. These days he is a registered therapeutic counsellor with a background in family systems, EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy), group facilitation, as well as nature connection work, along side both adults and children. He is a patient, curious, and deeply compassionate therapist who loves working with clients to discover their own healing path. Combining our innate ability to grow and heal, with the innately healing qualities of the natural world, has been one of the simplest and most profound experiences he has had as a therapist and as a human being. He is grateful to live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) people, now known as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, as well as the traditional and unceded territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ nations.

Calum Ramsay, MA candidate

Calum helps people navigate life. During sessions, you can expect to build relationships characterized by trust, presence, and connection, both with Calum and with the natural settings where you’ll work together. Calum recognises who you are as a person and addresses your needs by integrating experiential learning, mindfulness, and your pre-existing strengths. This allows you and Calum to generate a combination of insight and action to move you toward your goals. Calum is committed to creating an experience with you through nature-based therapy that provides opportunities for meaningful growth, change, and acceptance.

Calum’s path to becoming a counsellor has been non-linear. After training as an engineer, he spent 12 years growing the decision-making skills of international rugby players at hundreds of competitions including the Olympics and Rugby World Cups. This work led to collaboration with experts from the NFL, NHL, and Super Rugby to advance his understanding of human behaviour under stress. Calum has also worked in the trades, facilitated over 400 hours of support groups, and is currently involved with BC’s response to cumulative effects on Treaty 8 territory. Calum spends his free time outdoors as often as possible where he is usually found on a bike, beach, or camping trip with his wife and dog.

Calum lives, with respect and humility, on the territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.