David Segal MA, RCC: Co-founder
David Segal has been providing therapeutic nature-based counselling for children, youth, adults, couples, and families for over 15 years. He is deeply passionate about the natural world and how strengthening human-nature relationships can enrich our collective and individual well-being. He has spent the last decade learning from a vast array of teachers (including the non-human natural ones) the tools and skills for guiding people to truly know their own inherent wholeness and how to work with the struggles of their life in order to both harness and harvest the gifts and learning available. He completed a Masters degree in Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria, is registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and is a certified Somatic Transformation Practitioner. When not counselling, he loves playing sports, exploring forests, training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and spending time with his family.
Co-facilitator: Eidel – Nova Scotia Duck Toller – brings with her an insatiable joy for life and contagious love for the present moment, sticks, and running in the forest. Eidel loves to join Dave on his adventures with clients.
Katy Rose MA, RCC: Co-founder
For over 15 years Katy has been discovering the joys of experiential and nature-based approaches to working with children, youth and families for the promotion of healing and growth. Katy holds a deep trust in the healing power of connection with the non-human natural world, and believes that each individual is born with an innate drive and capacity towards wholeness and health. Katy completed a Master’s degree in Transpersonal Counselling Psychology, with a specialization in Wilderness Therapy, from Naropa University in Colorado.
Since moving to Victoria, Katy has been busy developing innovative and accessible programming for families and youth throughout the Greater Victoria Region. Katy loves to share her passion for the exciting field of Nature-Based Therapy with others, and provides training and supervision on these topics in the hopes of encouraging other counsellors step beyond the office walls. Katy is particularly interested in exploring how adventure, experiential learning, and deep nature connection can be a powerful tool for family healing. Katy has been mostly recently training in the fine art of child rearing, and is constantly amazed by the lessons, challenges and gifts she receives on a daily basis from her precious little ones. Katy is a Registered Clinical Counselor with the BC Association of Clinical Counselors.
Co-facilitator: Ripple – Bernerdoodle – is full of love for all humans and fellow creatures. She loves exploring the beach, romping through the forest, finding giant sticks, and most of all, snuggles. Ripple is happiest when she gets to join Katy and her clients in the great outdoors (FYI – she is a gentle giant at 110 lbs!). 
Human-Nature Associates
We are fortunate to be supported by these amazingly talented and compassionate humans who are passionate about supporting people through the change process with nature as their co-facilitor. With our growing team, we hope to always be able to match you with a counsellor/youth worker who fits your individual or family needs.
Sarah Duncan MA, RCC – Serving Duncan/Cowichan area
Sarah is a creative, calm and respectful counsellor who feels privileged to have lived and worked on the traditional lands of the Quw’utsun people for over 15 years. She has worked in a variety of non-profit counselling organizations, Vancouver Island Health Authority, Cowichan Valley School District, Cowichan Tribes, and Child and Youth Mental Health. Sarah has an undergraduate degree from Vancouver Island University in Child and Youth Care and a Master’s degree in Counselling from City University.
As an avid outdoorswoman and someone who has integrated nature with her own healing path, Sarah understands how a healing journey that incorporates nature is an unquestionable match. Understanding that we, as humans, are not separate from nature but one with nature. Sarah values the infinite healing that can be done while engaged in a natural setting, be it out on a mountainside, in a local park, by the water or sitting in a favorite spot under a tree.
Sarah offers individual, children, teens, and family counselling using safe, creative, and non-judgmental approaches. Sarah understands that we are complex beings linked to family, society, and community which all contribute to the creation of a system in which we learn how to navigate and make sense of our lives in the world.
Sean Frey, RPC – Victoria/Esquimalt
Sean is a Qualifying Registered Psychotherapist, a certified counselor and a gestalt therapist, trained at the Gestalt Institute of Toronto. He holds a BFA in Theatre and Development from Concordia University, and works as a visual and performing artist and as a community arts facilitator. In both his therapy and arts practices, Sean uses curiosity, creativity and humour as vehicles to deepen the exploration of the here and now.
Sean’s own healing journey has included several paths – an exploration of shamanism and bodywork, which eventually led him to Gestalt and Nature-based Therapy. He believes that both approaches are effective in developing stronger connections to the self, others, life and the mystery that lives between.
Sean has taught at the Expressive Arts School and the Gestalt Institute of Toronto. He has ran ongoing process groups with Sea Change Therapy Collective and is very excited to be a part of nature-based therapy groups with Human Nature Counselling.
Sarah Frizelle MA, RCC
Sarah is a registered clinical counsellor who offers holistic counselling to individuals, couples & families. She supports change and growth through therapeutic processes that attend to mind, body, emotions and spirit. She specializes in anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma, life transitions, family conflict and relationship issues.
In addition to office based sessions, Sarah offers nature-based counselling which blends her experience as a therapist with her 20 year experience as a wilderness guide and her practice of meditation and training in mindfulness-based stress reduction with her work as an educator. Nature-based counselling helps cultivate awareness as individuals get their bearings in relationship to themselves, their sense of place in the world and their relationship with others. This approach supports experiences with nature and personal explorations of self that can lead to insight, growth and healing. As a counsellor, Sarah guides with sensitivity and compassion, with the knowledge that a good therapeutic relationship can be like a compass in hand when feeling lost or disoriented – and can be one that supports a process of exploration and discovery. Sarah holds masters degrees in education and psychology and is in private practice in Victoria, BC.
Nevin Harper Phd, Child & Youth Support Worker & Research Coordinator – Duncan/Cowichan area
Nevin is the National Research Coordinator for Outward Bound Canada and Chairs the organization’s Research Advisory Committee. He has worked as a wilderness guide, youth and family support worker and outdoor skills instructor with a wide range of populations both in Canada and abroad for more than 20 years. As an Associate Professor in the School of Child and Youth Care in Victoria, Nevin teaches ethics, group facilitation and process skills, including the use of outdoor and experiential methods. He supervises child & youth care student practicums and conducts research and presents internationally on nature and activity-based approaches to therapy and human development.
Robin Fagnan, Child & Youth Support Worker
Robin brings a depth of experience based in three decades of work in areas such as experiential education, adventure-based learning, professional outdoor guiding, youth justice, counselling, and extensive work with people of many abilities. Robin has come to see that connection is the basic recipe for supporting people in re-framing life’s challenges into opportunities for growth. Connection between people and with the natural world’s capacity to connect us to something bigger than ourselves.
Robin has a practical approach centred on both the efficacy of nature connection and developing present moment awareness to develop practical tools. On the foundation of developing therapeutic rapport he focuses on the simplest ways of developing and maintaining momentum for individuals to move forward. (And, FUN is an integral part of the process too!!) As a person with Type 1 diabetes, Robin also provides support to youth and adults with the challenges of living with a chronic illness.
Jeff Miller, Child & Youth Support Worker (MA candidate)
Jeff was born in Winnipeg and has been exploring Vancouver Island since ’87. Jeff spent eight years building and designing homes in different local communities before returning to Victoria to complete his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and is currently finishing a Masters in Counselling with City University of Seattle. He has worked many roles helping youth and adults with addictions and homelessness, as well as social and developmental challenges. Jeff has a hands-on and experiential approach to fostering positive change and healthy relationships with his clients; he engages them through the shared experiences of creating art, learning outdoor skills, building projects, and practicing essential life skills.
With his time spent adventuring, designing and building homes while living in the woods, and learning about how people perceive and interact with their environment, Jeff is passionate about sharing the value he holds of feeling capable and in place in nature. He has experienced that this learning in outdoor environments extends to capability in many realms. Jeff emphasizes strength-based approaches to counselling, while recognizing that behaviour and emotion are responses to our interaction with environmental, social and family systems.
Patricia Obee, MA, RCC – Duncan & Nanaimo
Patricia is a Youth Worker who is currently finishing her MA in Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria. She is also a yoga instructor, 2-time Olympian and Olympic Silver Medalist (rowing, 2016). Patricia has diverse experience working with children, youth, and athletes from all ages (2 – 25 years). Patricia primarily practices utilizing nature-based, narrative, somatic, and mindfulness-based therapies, as well as incorporating trauma sensitive yoga.
Patricia is an authentically adventurous, fun-loving, and active person, and through her life experiences thus far has learned the importance of calmness, reflection, and restoration. Patricia’s commitment is to support and inspire individuals to realize their significance, utilize their strengths, and live in congruence with their values. She aims to positively influence individuals, families, and groups towards a greater sense of identity, self-confidence, and actualization of goals.
Jordie Allen-Newman MA, RCC – Sooke/Westshore
Jordie has practiced counselling with children, youth adults and families in health care and social services for 30 years. He is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and member of Human Nature’s instructional team. For over 20 years Jordie has worked with children who have witnessed violence using adventure therapy and he has extensive experience as a sand tray therapist with children struggling with grief, loss, anxiety and depression. Jordie cares deeply about nature. He combines his knowledge of experiential, narrative and mindfulness therapies and teams up with nature to support innovative and personalized ways of healing and growing. Jordie also enjoys his own connection with nature and has been a wilderness guide for the past 25 years, a long distance adventure kayaker and a rock climber. He lives with his life partner, Alysha Jones, in the traditional territory of the T’Sou-Ke First Nations.
Tensely Koontz, Child and Youth Support Worker (MEd Candidate)
Tensley is a Youth Worker who, for over 14 years, has supported youth and young adults as an educator with the Greater Victoria School District, outdoor instructor with Outward Bound Canada, kayak guide and wildland firefighter. Currently he is working toward completing his Master of Education in School Counselling with City University of Seattle. Intertwined with his own healing journey and background growing up in Alberta’s Kananaskis, and the rangelands of BC’s Cariboo-Chilcotin, Tensley understands one’s connection to nature can be a powerful tool to cultivate self-efficacy and support healing, growth, and change. Further drawing from his background and Métis heritage, Tensley understands walking within two worlds and appreciates engaging with diverse peoples. Tensley works from a lens of sensitivity, curiosity, and compassion, and his strength-based approaches emphasize mindfulness, experiential play, and the learning of outdoor skills to connect with clients and support their greater understanding of self, positive self-belief, and capacity for change.
Autumn Garnett MA, RCC * Currently on Maternity Leave*