Thresholds Wilderness Rites of Passage Program

Thresholds is a wilderness immersion based therapeutic program addressing developmental aspects of identity through attending to Rites of Passage. Thresholds is a part of Axis Mundi Ecotherapy.  Ecotherapy recognizes our innate need to be connected, to feel a part of something much larger than our individual human selves, and to know ourselves as wild, authentic, archetypal and deviant beings who move in this life, as all beings move in this life, through and with the elements, seasons, moods of the earth. Ecotherapy acknowledges the animacy of all and the role of human life in the larger earth body. 

Why Rites of Passage?

Rites of Passage are ceremonies and rituals that attend to movement through developmental phases.  Throughout human history, peoples from all over the world have attended to Rites of Passage in many ways, however, our modern western society has largely neglected these important moments and transitions.  Renewing the importance of Rites of Passage fosters growth individually and communally.  Thresholds aims to connect us with the larger collective seasonality of life through recognizing and attending to developmental aspects of individual, social, cultural, and ecological identity.  

Why Wilderness?

Nature offers the sacred healing that allows us to more fully experience our senses, drop into our bodies, and let go of toxic anxiety and stress tied to primal disconnection; to access the seeds of our neurosis through noticing, intuiting, and breathing; to connect, restore, and deepen. We see that we are capable and connected. Stepping into wilderness opens up an inner faith, a faith in ourselves, in each other, and in the earth, to hold us, to be enough, to be all we need. This is healing.

“Wilderness” refers to natural areas not significantly changed by humans and at least 2 hours from emergency medical assistance.  All therapists and guides in the Thresholds program are certificated Wilderness First Responders.  

Thresholds Journeys

On Thresholds journeys, we explore our place, ourselves, our limits and edges, how we got here, and what it is to be here. We wander through the wilderness and our psyches. We travel through the four directions, seasons, developmental life phases, hero's journey....

We hike, camp under the stars, sit around campfires, swim in wild waters, filter all our water and cook good food together. We ground in morning practice, physical exertion, and evening council. Thresholds journeys are not just backpacking trips, we ask you to deeply reflect and connect, to explore yourself and your place in this world, to participate in interdependence, to be open to physical, spiritual, and psychological inquiry.

We meet at a public park on day 1, attend to gear needs, sever our ties with city life, and carpool out to our trailhead. Each day following we stick to a routine of waking with the sun, morning practice, breakfast and check-ins, packing gear, hiking, lunch, hiking, making camp, cooking and eating together, council around the fire, and sleeping under the stars. We rotate elemental tasks, embodying interdependence, and providing for group care around water, food, protection, and discovery. In the second half of our journey, we offer a solo ceremony: time spent alone on the mountain. You will be prepared for ceremony when it happens. There is no previous backpacking experience necessary to join this journey. We cater our journeys to the needs and abilities of participants.

Accessibility

Thresholds therapists and guides value inclusion and strive for accessibility for all, and at this time, wilderness journeys require a mostly able body.  Attention should be given to indicators that someone may NOT be a good fit: 

• access needs that can't be met without cell signal, electricity, running/potable water sources, flushing toilets, easy proximity to nearby hospitals/ERs/emergency contacts, sensation triggers

• access needs that can't be met in rocky, wet, uneven terrain

• comfort needs that can't be met by the environment (sensation management, insects, temperature, access to modern conveniences, introversion/extroversion)

• little to no experience with natural environments. This isn't a "toe in" experience, it's more of a "up to the waist" kind of depth of nature immersion.

• little to no therapy history, outside the traditional frame. Clients especially, who may be expecting traditional therapeutic frames and boundaries may not be a good fit for this.

Your guides are therapists and/or WIlderness First Responders who have guided for years. We will attend to group needs and hold the therapeutic container. And, this is a journey filled with risk. We will ask you to be vulnerable, and to be careful. We will ask you to take many risks, and to not take any unnecessary risks. No previous experience is necessary. All journeys are sober. If you have prescription medications or medical conditions, please attend to those as you would normally, and speak frankly with your guides about your needs.

Upcoming Events

Thresholds Team: Meet your Therapists and Guides

Thank you for learning about us, if you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to Lauren at lhoernigtherapy@gmail.com.