Nature-based therapy in Snohomish County and virtual therapy from wherever you feel comfortable
Therapy can feel different here.
When you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or tired of going in circles, a change of setting can create room for a different kind of conversation.
Open Trail Therapy offers thoughtful, collaborative counseling in natural spaces throughout Snohomish County, along with secure virtual sessions. Together, we will slow things down, look beyond all-or-nothing answers, and find a path forward that feels true to you.
No hiking experience required. Outdoor sessions can be active, slow, seated, or adapted to meet your needs.
You May Not Need More Advice
You may need a different way into the problem.
Sometimes traditional therapy settings can feel limiting. You sit in the same room, revisit the same thoughts, and leave knowing more about the problem without feeling any closer to change.
Moving into a different environment can help interrupt familiar patterns. A quiet trail, waterfront, garden, park bench, or even your own backyard can make it easier to breathe, reflect, and approach difficult experiences from another angle.
Nature-based therapy is still therapy. The difference is that we are not confined to an office, a screen, or one way of working.
Who it helps
Who Open Trail Therapy Is For
A space for people who are ready for something to shift.
Open Trail Therapy may be a good fit when you:
- Feel stressed, emotionally drained, or overwhelmed
- Keep getting caught in rigid or all-or-nothing thinking
- Have tried therapy before but still feel stuck
- Want meaningful change rather than a quick fix
- Are autistic, neurodivergent, or often feel misunderstood in traditional settings
- Are working through addictive behaviors or complicated patterns
- Want a therapist who welcomes feedback and treats you as an active partner
- Need room to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with yourself
You do not need to arrive with a perfectly defined goal. We can begin by understanding where you are and what you want life to feel like instead.
What to expect
What You Can Expect
One useful step is still progress.
Therapy does not need to solve everything at once to be worthwhile.
A productive session may help you feel more grounded, notice greater nuance in a difficult situation, understand your own reactions more clearly, or identify one small action you are ready to take. Our work may help you become:
Less overwhelmed
Make room between you and the thoughts, responsibilities, or emotions competing for your attention.
More connected to yourself
Notice what you need, what matters to you, and what may be keeping you in place.
More flexible in your thinking
Explore the space between two extremes and discover choices that were difficult to see before.
More emotionally resilient
Develop a greater ability to stay present with discomfort without letting it make every decision for you.
More connected to the world around you
Use movement, sensory awareness, and the natural environment to support reflection and meaningful conversation.
There are no promised outcomes or instant fixes. You remain in the driver's seat, and we will regularly make sure the work continues to align with your values and goals.
Getting started
How It Works
We begin online before heading outdoors.
- Start with a free consultation
Your first step is a complimentary 15-minute virtual conversation. You can ask about Ginny's approach, fees, scheduling, insurance, outdoor sessions, or anything else that would help you decide whether the relationship feels right.
- Build trust and understand the full picture
The first two therapy sessions take place virtually. The first session focuses on your history, experiences, concerns, and what has brought you to therapy. The second session focuses more closely on what you would like to change, what has or has not helped before, and what you want from the therapeutic process.
- Choose the setting together
After the first two sessions, Washington clients may continue virtually or explore nature-based therapy. Outdoor sessions may take place on a gentle trail, in a local park, near the waterfront, in a garden, at a quiet seated location, or even in your backyard. Ginny will work with you to choose a setting that feels appropriate, accessible, and comfortable.
- Shape the session around your needs
Some outdoor sessions feel much like a traditional therapy session in a different environment. Others may incorporate slow walking, sensory exercises, mindfulness, journaling, quiet reflection, breathing, or gentle movement. There is no required pace and no expectation that you need to be particularly active or outdoorsy.
Formats
Nature-Based and Virtual Therapy
Choose the format that supports you best.
Nature-based therapy in Snohomish County
Meet in an agreed-upon natural setting in Snohomish County. Sessions can involve gentle walking or remain completely stationary. This can be especially helpful for clients who feel confined by traditional therapy environments, think more clearly while moving, or want support becoming more present in the moment.
Virtual therapy
Virtual sessions offer privacy, consistency, and flexibility from a familiar environment. You may remain fully virtual or, when appropriate, move between virtual and outdoor appointments. Advance notice may be required when changing formats so that travel and scheduling can be accommodated. Virtual therapy is available to clients located in states where Ginny is authorized to practice.
Your therapist
Meet Ginny
Collaborative therapy without judgment or pressure.
Ginny Brundeen, MSW
Ginny is a clinical social worker with experience supporting young adults, adolescents, couples, and families through complicated situations.
Her work in residential treatment has given her extensive experience with people who may feel that they have already tried everything, have had little control over previous treatment, or need more than a one-size-fits-all intervention.
Ginny does not approach therapy as the person who is supposed to fix you. Instead, she helps you examine how you arrived where you are, see familiar problems from new perspectives, and develop tools you can continue using outside of therapy.
Her approach is curious, adaptable, direct when helpful, and deeply collaborative. Feedback is always welcome. When something is not working, you can say so, and the two of you will adjust together.
Ginny holds a Master of Social Work and is EMDR trained. EMDR availability and format can be discussed during your consultation.
Clear expectations
What Nature-Based Therapy Is and Is Not
Nature-based therapy is
- A supportive environment for honest reflection.
- A client-centered therapeutic relationship.
- An opportunity to use movement, sensory awareness, and natural surroundings as part of the process.
- A place for curiosity, presence, and personal insight.
Nature-based therapy is not
- A strenuous hike or outdoor fitness program.
- A wilderness expedition.
- A religious or spiritual practice unless your own beliefs are important to the work.
- A requirement to have prior outdoor experience.
- A promise that nature alone will resolve a mental health condition.
Simple and transparent
Fees and Access
Clear options for beginning therapy.
Free introductory consultation
Free
15 minutes, conducted virtually.
60-minute private-pay session
$175
A full 60 minutes with Ginny.
45-minute private-pay session
$135
A focused 45-minute session.
Insurance sessions
Varies by plan
Generally 53 minutes. Cost depends on your plan, benefits, location, and approved session format.
Limited sliding-scale availability
$40 to $70
A small number of weekly appointments, with the rate set according to your income.
Insurance participation and coverage are verified through Alma. Setting up an Alma account is free. Check your coverage on Alma
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be physically fit?
No. Nature-based therapy is not an exercise program. Sessions may involve slow walking, short distances, frequent breaks, or no walking at all. Accessibility and physical needs will be discussed before choosing a location.
Do we go outdoors during the first appointment?
No. The first two sessions are conducted virtually so that you and Ginny can establish trust, discuss your history and goals, and create clear expectations before meeting outdoors.
What happens if the weather is unsafe?
Outdoor appointments may be moved online or rescheduled because of thunderstorms, flooding, freezing temperatures, extreme heat, smoke, or other unsafe conditions.
Is an outdoor therapy session private?
Ginny will make reasonable efforts to select quieter locations and avoid crowded areas, but complete confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in a public outdoor setting. You will discuss location choices and what to do if either of you encounters someone you know.
What should I bring?
Depending on the location and weather, you may want comfortable shoes, water, sunscreen, a hat, a rain jacket, or an extra layer. Ginny will provide location-specific guidance before the appointment.
Can I stay completely virtual?
Yes. Nature-based therapy is an option, not a requirement. You may continue with virtual sessions when that format feels more comfortable or practical.
Is nature-based therapy spiritual?
Not inherently. Sessions are grounded in clinical therapy and shaped around your own goals and beliefs. Spirituality will only be included when it is meaningful to you.
Can I switch between outdoor and virtual sessions?
Generally, yes. Advance notice may be required because outdoor appointments involve additional travel and scheduling considerations.
Do you work with couples, families, or younger clients?
Ginny has experience working with individuals, couples, families, adolescents, and young adults. Current age limits and service availability can be discussed during your introductory consultation.
You do not need to know exactly what needs to change.
You only need a place to begin.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to ask questions, learn more about Ginny's approach, and decide whether Open Trail Therapy feels like the right next step.
Nature-based therapy available in Snohomish County. Virtual appointments available to eligible clients in Washington and Texas.
Free 15-minute consultation
Book a Free 15-Minute Consultation
Share a little about what brings you in, and Ginny will follow up to schedule your free 15-minute consultation.
Fastest response: (360) 218-4902