Roots and Wings

I'm so excited you're here! Come and start your Ecotherapy Journey today!

Give yourself the gift of an exciting and meaningful career change or addition to the amazing work you’re doing already. Learn new creative skills to confidently support your clients presenting with eco-anxiety, bring hope and empowerment to our young people and learn how to bring nature connection indoors to clients with additional needs and limitations.

Recent statistics show that up to 80% of the world population suffers from mental health symptoms related to the climate crisis.

A 2021 study by The Lancet on the effects of eco-anxiety and climate fear on children and young adults (aged 16-25) found that 59% were extremely worried and 84% were at least moderately worried.

In this unique 3-month program, I will help you to learn effective strategies to reduce symptoms related to the Climate Crisis and help the adults and children you work with become more empowered, hopeful and proactive.

A new WHO policy brief states that Climate Change poses a serious risk to mental health and is urging for climate considerations to be included into mental health programs.

The new WHO document recommends 5 important approaches for governments to address the mental health impacts of climate change:

Are you ready to take action and be part of the response to this urgent need for change?

1

Are you seeing an increase in symptoms relating to environmental challenges and a disconnect to Nature in your practice?

2

Are you sometimes feeling ill-equipped to respond to these symptoms of eco-anxiety and would like to learn new methods to help the people you work with?

3

Do you feel that nature connection is a crucial element for healing and mental health but you are unsure how to integrate it into your indoor practice?

4

Would you like to live and work authentically in accordance to your core values?

5

Are you working with children and young people who feel disillusioned, worried and hopeless about their future?

6

Are you struggling with overwhelm yourself in these times and are you looking for practices to become more grounded, empowered and hopeful as a human being as well as a practitioner?

7

Would you like to add a new exciting and effective modality to your expertise?

8

Are you feeling stuck in your current position and are you looking for a meaningful career change?

Have you answered “YES” to some of these questions? Are you a mental health professional who wants to take action in a world that is in desperate need of change and hope? Then this program is what you have been looking for.

I train mental health and education professionals who are passionate about their work with adults and children, and who put in relentless effort to find solutions for the new and emerging challenges of our times. It’s time to get creative in our approach to mental health!!

Hi, I'm Alex.

I am a professional ecotherapy training provider with a background in Education, Mindfulness and Ecotherapy (read more here) and I am passionate about human and planetary health!!

For over 20 years I have researched and studied the relationship between Nature Connection and mental and physical health, both for personal and professional reasons as I have struggled with my own health challenges throughout the years. In my studies and observations, I could see a widening gap between the growing mental health crisis and an expanding disconnect to Nature in our society. This development really grabbed my attention as it was clear to me that mental and physical health, the climate crisis and a general isolation from Nature must be inseparably connected. In my further studies in Eco Psychology and Ecotherapy the interrelatedness became much clearer, and I knew that there was a missing piece in the way we approach both human and planetary health.

Initially, I focused my work on education and parenting and I published my international multi-award-winning book “Roots and Wings – Childhood needs a Revolution” in 2018 followed by a collection of Mindful Games in 2019.

Since then, I have been a speaker at multiple global conferences and summits in the areas of mindfulness and nature/climate education and I was published on various platforms such as A Lust for Life, Project Happiness, The Irish Independent or The Natural Parent Magazine.

I am also a climate ambassador with the Climate Ambassador Programme as I can only be authentic if I “put my money where my mouth is”! I truly believe that taking climate action is a powerful antidote to eco-anxiety.

I knew though that education is just one side of the coin and that it’s crucial to review our approach to mental health in clinical settings also. We need to realise that eco-related mental health issues need new strategies and tools in order to meet them effectively and help people move forward with hope and optimism.

I have applied my experience of 20+ years in Education, Mindfulness and Nature Connecting Approaches to create this 3-month program in which I want to teach you how to apply these heart-centred tools in your practice.

Welcome...

Welcome to a transformational 3-month program where you will learn creative, flexible and innovative tools that will help you and the people you work with navigate these challenging times with more ease, hope and action.

I am so excited to share this new modality with you and I can’t wait to introduce you to a wide range of strategies and skills to draw from when responding to symptoms such as climate fear and eco-anxiety.

Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy Practitioner Training

A 3-month fully accredited (CPD, IMMA, IICT) online training preparing you to respond effectively and confidently to modern day challenges such as:

3 months in-depth training

The weekly modules are covering a wide range of topics introducing you to a flexible, creative and powerful approach. It also highlights, why Nature Connection should be seen as a crucial part of mental and physical health through a research-based approach and a wide range of resources.

Support and Community

Self-paced and fully online to suit your lifestyle. Interactive and community-building format. Interaction on both the training platform and the Facebook Student Group. Individual support is always available to answer questions or offer advice. Group size is limited to 25 places as it’s important to create an interactive community that will support and inspire.

Extensive ready-to-use resources

Part of the training content is a large library of ready-to-use resources for both adults and children including nature soundtracks, journals, activity sheets, assessment forms, nature connection impulse cards, mindfulness activities and recommendations for further reading.

Imagine feeling confident and empowered in responding to your clients’ needs presenting with symptoms of eco-anxiety, and climate fear. In this training you will learn creative, flexible and empowering strategies to help clients relate to these modern-day challenges and find the way back to their roots, both in Nature and within themselves.

Reviews

Here is what some past students have to say about the Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy program…

“This is the best decision you will make this week! A fabulous deep dive into connecting mindfulness practice with Mother Nature. It provides exploration into living consciously to benefit the planet and how mindfulness can deepen our connection to each other and to all beings. I loved every moment and now weave eco awareness into my mindfulness practice and the sessions I deliver to others. Thank you Alex!”

Karen Bailey

Mindfulness Teacher, UK

“The MRE Practitioner course not only helped me emotionally and spiritually, but also upskilled me so that I was able to support others to reconnect to nature in order to support their own well-being. Nature connection is clearly incredibly important to Alex, and she practises it on a daily basis. This means that her materials are not only founded on scholarship, but are based on her own personal experience. I cannot recommend this course highly enough. The format was easy to follow, and the resources were plentiful but not over-facing. Thank you 🙏”

Jess Cornthwaite

Pendle Edge Dwellers, UK

“The Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy (MRE) programme presented by Alex Koster, founder of Roots and Wings is one of the best trainings I have ever attended. The modality is presented in an accessible and evidence-based format. It is empowering for clients and counsellors. MRE presents a plethora of flexible, cost effective and insightful applications. This highly effective, critical skillset is a must for any professional.”

Jacques Wagner

Registered Counsellor, South Africa

Are you ready to be part of this movement towards better human and planetary health?

Here's what we will cover

Week one

Mindfulness: Some important basics

Week two

Mindfulness: Digging a little deeper into the Neurobiology of Mindfulness

Week three

How Mindfulness can inform our Everyday Life

Week four

Nature Connection: The missing puzzle piece in mental health approaches

Week five

Ecotherapy: The symbiotic relationship between Human and Planetary Health

Week six

Modern Day Challenges Part 1: Eco Anxiety and how we can heal from environmental trauma

Week seven

Modern Day Challenges Part 2: The importance of taking care of ourselves.

Week eight

The importance of our senses in Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy

Week nine

Mindful Nature Connection and the Spiritual Aspect

Week ten

Experiential Assignment

Week eleven

Nature Connection through Food and Nutrition

Week twelve

Working with Children

Weeks thirteen & fourteen

Final Assignment: Planning and Facilitating two MRE sessions

“We can’t have healthy humans on a sick planet!”

Who is this Program for?

The Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy Training (MRE) is an invaluable addition to the skillset of…

Mental Health professionals passionate about helping their clients and open to learning effective and empowering methods to respond to symptoms of eco anxiety and climate depression/fear in their clinical practice.

School guidance counsellors, play therapists and other professionals in the field working with children and young adults who are looking for approaches and methods to help them thrive despite our challenging times.

Life coaches who want to support their clients and show them new, effective and creative strategies to overcome feelings of hopelessness and a general feeling of being stuck in these challenging times.

Mindfulness teachers who want to learn more specific tools and skills when addressing climate change, eco anxiety and universal interconnection.

More Reviews

“I took up Alex's Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy to formalise my mindfulness nature work with children and I got so much more from this training than I ever expected. I have really loved the learning around bringing nature indoors and how to do this. I have learned how to put into words the benefits of nature connection for mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. The course is very well-researched and backed up with evidence from studies, videos and articles/books from experts in the area. With Alex, herself also being an expert. It has personally been very beneficial for me and I have automatically made lots of changes since studying this course, every windowsill in my house is full of indoor plants for one. Shortly after completing the training, I worked with an active age group making individual mini indoor succulent gardens and discussing the benefits of nature connection. I feel very lucky to have been able to do the MRE course with Alex and to now be encouraging nature connection with children and the elderly.”

“I have always known that being in Nature fills my soul and calms my mind. The Mindful Rooted Ecotherapy Training brought me on a journey of knowing and understanding the value of Nature to our wellbeing. The course takes a look at ecotherapy across cultures and generations, provides research and assignments to deepen the mind and body connection to Nature. It reminds me of how deeply rooted and connected we all are and how nature gives us so much. Through the course I have become conscious of how I can give back and nurture Nature.”

“I was privileged to be a part of the Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy (MRE) Course by Alex Koster. It was a fascinating journey for me. Besides becoming aware of so many concepts and the great richness of the course modules, I would highly speak about the multicultural aspects of the course. This shines through and raises our awareness about the deep connection our bodies hold with nature and how this guides us on a journey towards finding peace, resilience and deep self-compassion. I am extremely thankful to Alex for all the resources - it has been a transformational learning experience for me.”

““With an increasing call to reconnect to nature in these unpredictable times, it was the perfect time for me to follow the Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy training, which was both an enriching learning and life experience for me. With a wealth of accessible and well organised materials in online modules, I could study at my own pace, have time to integrate my learning and build a fuller picture of how to make living and learning with nature an essential part of our lives. I am now excited to be planning a range of eco-art workshops with young people and focusing on bringing Nature into indoor settings. I can thoroughly recommend this course to anyone wanting to bring the natural world closer and those ready to inspire others with its potential.”

“Firstly, I would like to say that participating in the MRE Practitioner Course has provided me with a comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter. In the world of academia, Alex has prepared and presented all of the materials to a high academic standard. I personally and professionally experienced a deeper understanding and an appreciation for the wondrous world of nature. The course materials resonated with my heart and passion. I loved everything included_ articles, interviews, videos and of course the resources. I believe that I will continue to unpack and explore this huge offering of resources for ages to come! Thanks Again Alex”

Bonuses included as part of the training worth over €500…

Nature Connection Journal

4 x 1 hr Nature Soundtracks

18 x 5 mins Nature Soundtracks

Client forms

Photo Impulse Cards

5 x Mindful Games

Various MRE colouring books

MRE Impulse Cards

MRE Impulse Posters

Full resources pack from the Mindful Nature Pedagogy (MNP) Training

Downloadable PDFs for every module

Extensive list of resources and recommendations

Big Announcement: Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy is going EVERGREEN for a trial period of 6 months from the middle of July. The main barriers for students signing up were timing and finances. This is why we decided to test accessibility at any time suiting the individual student and we reduced fees considerably for this trial period. Full training fees including certification now €950 instead of €1250 or a payment plan of three monthly instalments of €325 instead of €450.

We hope this will enable more professionals to add Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy to their practice.

Come and join us in getting creative in our approach to mental health and adding this wholesome, flexible and hopeful methodology to your skill set.

Registration open now!

Your questions answered

Q: How many hours should I plan for every week?

A: The training is designed in a way that gives great flexibility. There are some core materials but also an offer of a wide variety of articles and videos from which you can pick and choose. This means hours can vary between 5-10 hours weekly depending on your own preferences and time limitations.

Q: Is Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy (MRE) a standalone modality?

A: Yes, as a Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy (MRE) practitioner you can offer individual, group and remote MRE sessions for adults and children.

Q: Do I have to attend live sessions at certain times?

A: No, all content is released on a Monday and can be worked through self-paced to suit your personal schedule. Modules are a combination of downloadable PDF’s, pre-recorded webinars and external links.

Q: What assignments are required?

A: There are various forms of assignments and course interaction:

Interactive engagement with the reading materials through comments on the course platform
Meeting and exchange with like-minded course participants in a Facebook study group
Practice assignments at the end of each module. These are mostly experiential with some feedback given on the platform.
Final assignment of planning, facilitating and reviewing of two MRE sessions.

Q: Can I get an extension to complete my final assignment if necessary?

A: Yes, an additional 4 weeks can be taken to finalise the assignment.

Q: Are there any scholarships available?

A: Yes, we offer a limited number of 50% scholarships for students experiencing financial hardship, to apply please email alex@ardelsites7.sg-host.com

Q: How is this training different to others

A: Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy prioritises both human and planetary health. As stated above, we can’t have healthy humans on a sick planet. Another priority is accessibility for all with both indoor and outdoor approaches.

Q: How is this training different to others