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Healing with Equity: Cultivating Resilience through Ecotherapy - Free Opportunity for DPA Members
About this event
The political landscape continues to shift in unprecedented ways, often with negative consequences for vulnerable communities. In response, the American Psychological Association (APA) has strengthened its advocacy efforts to protect and restore access to mental health care. APA calls on us, as a profession, to join together in advancing social justice and upholding our shared values. As APA states:
“As psychological science clearly demonstrates, equitable access to resources and opportunities benefits everyone. Looking ahead, APA will continue applying research-informed approaches to address systemic inequities and create a mental health landscape where quality care is truly accessible to all.”
APA: Championing Health Equity and Social Justice
In this spirit, the Dallas Psychological Association (DPA) diversity committee is offering a complimentary training for clinicians committed to serving diverse populations and promoting social justice. The workshop, Healing with Equity: Cultivating Resilience through Ecotherapy, will be led by Dr. Jaya Mathew, DPA Diversity Chair, in the ecotherapy garden at her practice, Wellness 360.
Racial trauma leaves profound imprints on the body and nervous system. This reality is compounded by the fact that historically marginalized communities have often not felt safe in outdoor spaces or supported in using nature as a resource for healing. Land theft from Indigenous peoples and exclusionary practices have further disrupted collective connections to the land, creating barriers to accessing its restorative potential.
This workshop highlights the unique role of nature-based and somatic approaches in addressing racial trauma. Participants will explore how ecotherapy and somatic movement can release embodied trauma, restore safety in the body, and reconnect individuals to the land as a source of resilience and healing.
Importantly, this training is experiential. Attendees will engage in practices such as labyrinth walking, mindfulness, somatic movement, and participation in a healing circle. The circle will provide a supportive communal space for reflection, integration of experiences, fostering connection and collective resilience. By embodying these interventions, participants will not only experience their restorative impact firsthand but also consider how to adapt them for diverse clients and communities.
Please note: participation will be limited to 25 people on a first come first serve basis, due to space constraints. Participation requires the ability to walk on uneven terrain and climb stairs. We acknowledge that participating in the Ecotherapy Garden requires mobility, which may limit accessibility for certain individuals. We recognize this as part of broader barriers related to ableism. While this event has these constraints, we are committed to continuing to offer future events that are accessible to all. Photos of the space are available here: Wellness 360 Ecotherapy Garden.
- Describe how racial trauma affects the body and nervous system, and how nature-based/somatic treatments support healing
- Explore ways to integrate ecotherapy and somatic movement into clinical practice
- Experience and reflect on interventions such as labyrinth walking, mindfulness, and meditative/somatic movement
- Recognize how historical exclusion and land dispossession have impacted access to outdoor healing
Dr. Jaya Mathew is a Licensed Psychologist and founder of Wellness 360, a group practice in Dallas. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Fordham University and Master of Science in Social Work degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Mathew trained with leaders in the field of multiculturalism throughout her graduate career and focused her doctoral research on the exploration of multicultural self-awareness development. She co-authored a chapter focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion training in the Handbook of Multicultural Counseling. For the past 15 years, Dr. Mathew facilitated anti-oppression workshops and training for mental health professionals and teachers at local schools, professional organizations, agencies, and universities across the US.
Before founding Wellness 360, Dr. Mathew was a Clinical Professor and director of the community mental health clinic at the University of Wisconsin. She maintains a specialty in supervision and teaching by providing postdoctoral fellowships in her practice and training doctoral level psychology students at a local medical center. Clinically Dr. Mathew works with patients in treating depression, anxiety, relationship conflicts, trauma/abuse, and negative self-image. Her specialties include working with racial trauma, mindfulness/ecotherapy, and maternal mental health.
Dr. Mathew is passionate about giving back to the community. She is currently serving on the board of the Dallas Psychological Association as the Chair of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. During her seven years on the board of the Collin County Psychological Association, she held multiple roles including President and Treasurer and facilitated quarterly diversity consultations for the organization.
We are excited to offer this free CEU opportunity exclusively to our current members. If your membership is not current, we encourage you to renew or join DPA to take part in this event! Members must be logged into the website to register for this event.
Important Participant Information - This workshop will be conducted outdoors in an ecotherapy garden.
Participants are asked to:
- Dress comfortably and wear clothing suitable for outdoor movement
- Bring sunscreen, bug spray, and supportive walking shoes
- Be prepared to navigate uneven ground and spend time outdoors in variable Texas weather
- Sign a waiver prior to participation
Psychologists, LPAs, and LSSPs: This activity qualifies for 3 hours of professional development in the area of Diversity/Special Populations. Dallas Psychological Association, Inc. (DPA) maintains responsibility for the program and its content as per TSBEP rule 461.11(c)(2)(A). Counselors: This activity consists of 3 clock hours of continuing education in the area of Diversity/Special Populations. DPA activities meet the continuing education requirements as outlined in Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors rule 681.142. Social Workers: This activity consists of 3 clock hours of continuing education in the area of Diversity/Special Populations. DPA activities meet the continuing education requirements as outlined in Texas State Board of Examiners of Social Workers rules 781.509 and 781.511(a)-(c). Marriage and Family Therapists: This activity consists of 3 clock hours of continuing education in the area of Diversity/Special Populations. DPA activities meet the continuing education requirements as outlined in Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists rule 801.264. For all license categories, full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance. Prior to receiving an attendance certificate, an evaluation must be completed. Please retain the certificate of completion and use as proof of completion when required.
Event Contact(s)
Dallas Psychological Association
Registration Info
Registration is required before Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Registration cancellations will be accepted until Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM
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