Episode #174
Trauma, the Body, and the Land: Katie Asmus on Somatic and Nature-Based Healing [Episode 174]
In this episode, Paul Krauss, MA LPC talks with Katie Asmus, MA, LPC, BMP founder of the Somatic Nature Therapy Institute , about what happens when trauma work moves off the couch and into the body, the wilderness, and ritual. Katie brings three decades of experience leading wilderness groups and treating trauma somatically, and she and Paul explore why so much healing lives below the level of language — in the nervous system, in movement, and in our relationship to the natural world. Katie traces her own path from a self-described indoor kid who hated getting dirty to someone who has spent 30 years guiding others through the wilderness, describing the moment on a high ropes course in college when she realized, "This is what I want to do with my life" — help people know in their bones that they're capable of more than they imagine. The conversation covers the range of work happening at Katie's institute: somatic and nature-based therapy trainings, EMDR training and consultation, wilderness quests, and ceremony and rites-of-passage facilitation for both clients and the therapists who serve them. Paul and Katie dig into why marking transitions and losses with intentional ritual matters clinically, how nature itself functions as a co-therapist rather than just a backdrop, and what it looks like to help clinicians avoid burnout by reconnecting with their own inner wisdom. It's a conversation that will resonate with therapists looking to expand beyond talk therapy, and with anyone curious about how the body and the land can become allies in healing. Katie Asmus, MA, LPC, BMP, is the founder of the Somatic Nature Therapy Institute in Boulder, Colorado, where she trains therapists, coaches, and healing professionals in somatic and nature-based approaches to trauma work. She holds an MA in Somatic Psychology from Naropa University and is a Certified EMDR Therapy Practitioner, Consultant, and Trainer, with more than 30 years of experience leading wilderness groups and counseling since 1995, including faculty roles at Naropa University and Prescott College. Her work blends somatic psychology, EMDR, wilderness therapy, and ceremony and rites-of-passage facilitation, rooted in her belief that the same inner brilliance that helps people survive hardship is what ultimately helps them heal from it. Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline : 501(c)(3) Donate Share with your network Write your congressperson Sign our Petition Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues) Unique and low cost learning opportunities through Shion Consulting Paul Krauss MA LPC is a Co-founder of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids , home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids . Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant , Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor , and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post , NBC News , Wired Magazine , Psychology Today , and Counseling Today . Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting a weekly online group. For details, click here . For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization. Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids: Instagram | Facebook | Youtube Original Music: ”Alright” from the album Mystic by PAWL ( Spotify ) "Lilacs" from Themes for Dreams by Resavoir ( Spotify ) "Dream Theme" from Themes for Dreams by Resavoir ( Spotify )
