Nature-Based Therapy
for Life Transitions, Grief & Climate Distress.
If you've ever felt that your grief has been overlooked, dismissed, or misunderstood, or if you're so busy caring for others that you've lost touch with your own needs, I want you to know you're not alone.
During difficult seasons—whether you're facing grief, loss, identity changes, major life transitions, caregiver stress, or climate anxiety—you deserve a compassionate, collaborative space where you are heard and accepted.
My name is Andréa Desjardins. I'm a registered social worker and psychotherapist in Ontario, and I am dedicated to honouring your story, respecting your pace, and seeing you as the expert of your own life.
I offer virtual therapy throughout Ontario and nature-based & Walk and Talk therapy in Greater Sudbury.
Talking while moving (or sitting) outdoors can feel more natural, less intimidating and deeply grounding. Nature-based therapy, or ecotherapy, offers comfort, eases stress, lifts mood, and reconnects us with Land, community, and even our deceased loved ones.
In times of loss and transition, many of us are instinctively drawn to nature for comfort. There’s a reason for that. Nature offers hope, steadiness, and quiet companionship. Even as our relationship with the natural world has been disrupted by capitalism and industrialization, the impulse to return remains.
Most sessions take place on our rural acreage, which is a quiet, forested area with wide, flat, maintained trails. If that location isn’t accessible, we can meet at a nearby conservation area or park. Virtual and indoor sessions are also available. Your comfort, safety, and access needs will always guide our plans.
Life’s difficult seasons can feel isolating and overwhelming, but you don’t have to face them alone. Together, with the land, we'll co-create a space where your story is heard, witnessed, & honoured. Walk-and-Talk therapy is for everyone and can be adapted for all bodies. When you’re ready, I’m here to walk alongside you on YOUR path toward healing and hope.
Grief and Loss
Death of a loved one
Companion animal loss
Anticipatory grief
Ambiguous loss
Sudden or traumatic loss
End-of-Life
Legacy planning
Navigating a life-limiting diagnosis
Emotional support for caregivers
Spiritual and emotional preparation for death
Life Transitions
Identity shifts
Relationship endings
Perimenopause and menopause
Aging and changing roles
Reproductive and Perinatal Experiences
Pregnancy loss
Post-abortion care
Perinatal mental health challenges
Climate and Ecological Distress
Eco-anxiety
Ecological grief
Feeling overwhelmed by environmental collapse and polycrisis
About Me
I’m Andréa Desjardins: registered social worker, mum, and settler of Scottish and French descent living and learning in N’Swakamok (Greater Sudbury).
My experiences with "nature" during my own grief and recovery inspired my interest in nature-based therapy and ecosocial work. My practice is based on mutually creating and maintaining space for open, honest, and nuanced conversations about complex and sometimes uncomfortable topics.
I follow the ethical standards set out by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and strive to be anti-oppressive, anti-colonial, anti-racist, gender-affirming and culturally responsive.
As a mental health peer support worker, I noticed that simply walking side by side made it easier to have meaningful conversations about the hard stuff in life. Later, while working in long-term care, I observed that just a few minutes outdoors could ease the anxiety and loneliness of aging residents, many of whom had dementia.
Now, I collaborate with nature to help people navigate grief, life transitions and climate distress. I draw on research that shows how spending time outdoors can calm the mind, reduce stress, create space for reflection and support a sense of connection and community with nonhuman beings.
Over the years, I've learned from my clients how to adapt walk-and-talk therapy so that individuals with various abilities and mobility needs can also experience these benefits. My graduate research prompted me to think deeply about what it means to work ethically in partnership with Anishinaabe Land as a settler, and this reflection continues to guide me. I continue to engage in professional development through courses and training that deepen my skills.
I take a relational and person-centred approach, which means prioritizing your unique needs, identity, values, and preferences—treating you as a whole person, not a diagnosis—and recognizing you as the expert in your own life. It also means believing that healing happens in relationship with one another and with the Land.
When I’m not working or studying, you might see me walking the land with my dog, spending time with family, dabbling in textile crafts, or watching comfort TV shows on my velvet couch.
If you choose to work with me, you’ll find an open-minded and non-judgmental space where we collaborate and walk side-by-side on your therapy journey.
Fees & Payment
Standard
I offer 60-minute therapy sessions at a standard rate of $170, as well as 30-minute sessions for $85 and 90-minute sessions for $230. This includes walk-and-talk, nature-connected, and virtual sessions.
Sliding Scale & Community Care
I offer a sliding scale of $50–$170 for those navigating financial barriers. This is offered on an honour system—no documentation is required. If the sliding scale is still out of reach, I reserve a limited number of low-cost spots. Please feel free to reach out to discuss options.
This practice is rooted in mutual aid and collective care. If you are able to pay the full fee—especially if you have access to insurance coverage—your payment helps subsidize sessions for others who may not have the same access.
Insurance & Tax Information
As a Registered Social Worker (MSW RSW), my services are usually covered under extended health benefit plans. Please check with your provider to confirm if your plan includes counselling or psychotherapy by a Master’s Level RSW. Receipts are provided for reimbursement.
In Ontario, social work services are also considered a medical expense and may be claimed on your personal income tax return if not covered by insurance.
I am an approved Mental Health Counselling Provider through the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program, which provides funding for mental health counselling to eligible First Nations and Inuit individuals. Please get in touch with me for more information.
This work is rooted in relational accountability. As a settler therapist working on Anishinaabe Land within the Robinson-Huron Treaty territory, I strive to engage ethically with place and practice. That means showing up with humility, honouring Indigenous Sovereignty, and supporting Indigenous Land defence and stewardship. Since social work services are exempt from sales tax, 5% of all fees is given back to Indigenous-led organizations engaged in land defence, environmental justice, and healing work. These reparations are currently shared between:
RAVEN Trust – supporting Indigenous Nations in legal battles to protect their Lands and Rights
Indigenous Climate Action – advancing Indigenous-led climate solutions and environmental justice
Indian Residential School Survivors Society – offering trauma-informed support and healing to survivors and their families
This is a small part of my commitment to material accountability and Land Back. I’m always open to learning about other Indigenous-led organizations to support through voluntary rent, especially local Anishinaabe initiatives doing healing, environmental, or land rematriation work.
FAQs
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Walk-and-talk therapy brings our session outdoors—into the forest, along a trail, beside the water. We walk side-by-side and talk, or sometimes pause and sit. For many people, this feels more natural and less intimidating than sitting face-to-face. Movement and nature can help ease anxiety, grief, or stuckness. You don’t need to be athletic or outdoorsy. This is about connection, not performance.
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You don’t have to walk far or fast. Trails I use are wide and relatively flat. If walking isn’t accessible or comfortable, we can adapt and sit in a quiet spot, stay close to the trailhead, or meet at a park with benches and paved paths. Your safety and comfort always come first. We’ll discuss location and accessibility during your free consult.
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That’s very normal. We choose locations together, and I prioritize your sense of privacy and security. If we pass others, we can pause or shift the conversation. If you prefer, I also offer virtual sessions from the comfort of your home. There’s no pressure to do it any one way.
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Your confidentiality is just as important outdoors as it is indoors. We choose locations and times that minimize interruptions. If we pass others, we might pause the conversation briefly or switch topics. We can also agree on ways to navigate these moments in advance, so you always feel safe and in control.
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My approach is grounded in relational, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and ecocentric values. I understand healing as deeply connected to land, community, and broader systems. As a White settler therapist, I strive to practice with humility and accountability on Indigenous Land. This includes material commitments such as redistributing a percentage of session fees to Indigenous-led organizations in support of Land Back movements.
I also honour that many nature-based practices have roots in ancient traditions from diverse nations and continue to be living, active parts of many Indigenous and non-Western cultures—despite ongoing colonialism and oppression. I do NOT use or appropriate Indigenous ceremonies or practices in my work.
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I work with people navigating many forms of grief and transition, including:
Death of a loved one
Ambiguous loss
Companion animal loss
Pregnancy loss and post-abortion care
Perinatal mental health challenges
End-of-life planning and anticipatory grief
Ecological distress and climate grief
Identity shifts, caregiving, and major life changes
If you're not sure whether your experience "qualifies," you are welcome here. We can explore together whether this space feels right for you.
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We keep an eye on the forecast together and decide if it feels safe and comfortable to meet outside. If the weather is extreme—very cold, stormy, or unsafe—we can reschedule or switch to a virtual session. Otherwise, sessions continue in all seasons, in light rain, snow, or chill. Layers, weather-appropriate footwear, and anything that helps you feel comfortable and grounded are encouraged. I’ll always check in ahead of time to make sure you feel prepared and may be able to provide some supplies and gear.
Black spruce trees grow in tough conditions—on rock, in cold, through fire—and still offer shelter and life. They don’t need perfect circumstances to keep going.
That’s how I think about healing. Not fixing, not rushing, just staying with what’s hard and growing anyway.
I named my practice after the black spruce because it reflects the kind of care I offer: grounded, steady, and made for hard seasons.
Contact
Interested in working together? Have more questions? Fill out some information, and I will be in touch within 24 hours.
Please note: this is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are in immediate distress or need urgent support, please contact one of the resources below:
Crisis and Support Lines
Talk Suicide Canada (24/7)
1-833-456-4566 or talksuicide.caHope for Wellness Helpline (24/7, for Indigenous Peoples)
1-855-242-3310 or hopeforwellness.caNISA Warm Line (peer support for Northern Ontario, 6pm–12pm daily)
1-866-856-9276YouthLine (for 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Ontario)
1-800-268-9688 or youthline.caKids Help Phone (national, all ages)
1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868Emergency Services
Consider calling 911 or going to your nearest emergency room if you are in danger or need immediate medical attention.
Take your time. Reach out when you’re ready—I’ll be here.
Andréa Desjardins MSW RSW
andrea@blacksprucetherapy.ca