NATURE BASED HEALING

My name is Madelyn Steen and I’m a queer trauma ecotherapist by day and I also have my retreat business, softwildjoy, which I’m extremely passionate about. I created softwildjoy because I found my own healing existed not only in therapy, but also outside its walls, in connection with the natural world and in community with others. I truly found my joy for life when I was hiking in the woods with friends. Nature is a powerful ally and has taught me so many lessons I carry through life. Why “softwildjoy”? I aim for life to be a combination of soft ease, a bit of wild spontaneity, and joyful moments. My events are a reflection of this and I hope to see you there!

WITCH

Hi, I’m Katie Birch. I’m a teacher, a witch, and a woman who named herself. I chose Birch because I wanted the power of claiming my own name — and naming has become the heart of my work. Before we can heal or transform, we first have to name what we are seeing. I help people find the language for the parts of themselves they’ve hidden away, so those pieces can be reclaimed and made whole again.

My path weaves together neuroscience, spirituality, myth, and lived experience. I believe healing the brain and spirit is not just a practice but a way of life — one that is both research and ritual, both science and spell. Witchcraft, to me, is a way of reorganizing your worldview on a cellular level. It’s how I got sober, stopped hating myself, and began actually enjoying my body and my life.

I carry the energy of the Dark Mother: unafraid of shadow, transformation, and initiation. Through ritual and teaching, I offer others the same doorway I walked through — into presence, sovereignty, and the magick of naming themselves.