Meg Mattingly, Creator & Therapist at Willow Tree Collective, didn’t start off wanting to be a therapist. In fact, she was well into her undergraduate years before she even realized that was an option!

“I took a very winding and meandering road to get to where I am today,” Meg says. “I remember in college—after switching my degree for the 5th time—I said to a friend, ‘I wish I could just have a job where I get to sit and talk with people all day!’ Coming from a small town in Texas, I had never even heard or had any knowledge of psychology.”

On her way to what would become her life’s work, Meg spent time working in the woods as an outdoor educator, in treatment centers, on farms educating young people, and in schools advocating for youth, to name a few. Though the psychology piece came later, she always knew she was drawn to people and helping to cultivate growth and change in people and the earth.

Her love of people and her belief in the healing power of nature later led Meg to experiment with incorporating nature into her therapy practice.

Bringing the Outdoors into Therapy

Meg says, “At the beginning of graduate school, I knew that finding ways to bring nature into my work was essential. I discovered the term ‘ecotherapy’ while in school and always found some way to incorporate that into my research papers and assignments. Even now, when I meet with clients inside my office, it is important to me to have the natural world present in that space. Pictures of trees, shells to touch, real plants, wild grasses, etc. There is something grounding in that for me, and I hope for my clients as well.”

The pandemic turned out to be the perfect time for this approach, and Meg took more steps to make ecotherapy work for her patients.

When everything was online, Meg started to notice how challenging it was for some of her teen clients to sit in front of their computers for therapy after a full day staring at the screen for school. Until then, she had thought she would have to wait until she was fully in her private practice to fully incorporate ecotherapy into her work, but the pandemic made her realize how important it was to start right then. For a few of her clients, she experimented with meeting outside at a park, and either finding a nice place to sit or walk for the duration of the session.

“The natural world has so much to teach us about slowing down, being still, rebirth, death, and healing,” Meg says. “When I’m with my clients outside, it can create new avenues of connection and paying attention. What are you hearing and smelling? What do you notice in yourself when you’re outside of a building? What feels different about your breath outside?”

This adds a whole new dimension to therapy and mindfulness that is much harder to access in an office.

Developing a Private Practice

Early in 2022 after a period of practicing as an associate therapist, Meg founded Willow Tree Collective, a private practice based in Austin, Texas, offering both in-person and telehealth services. She named her practice after a beautiful period in grad school when she lived with her two best friends on Willow St. in Austin, where they hosted Backyard Story Night, friendsgivings, and many other celebrations. This time turned out to be massively beautiful and formative for all of them. “A few years ago, we all got willow tree tattoos to honor our time together in that house,” Meg says.

Additionally, Meg is also drawn to trees and loves a good tree metaphor. “There is always a lesson or experience that can relate back to trees!”

Turning the Big Visions Into Big Action

Meg connected with me for help getting organized and launching her private practice.

As she built her practice, Meg started to realize her big visions for her business. But as a dreamer and a big thinker, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and wanted help grounding that vision into action.

“When I looked at your website, I felt an immediate connection with you,” Meg told me. “I had never worked with any type of coach and didn’t necessarily know what I was looking for, but felt very drawn to you and your work. When we met for our consultation, I just knew this was going to be great. From the beginning, you made me feel seen and heard. You create a space of acceptance and joy and that’s exactly what I needed!”

Working together allowed Meg to still think big, now with a container for her ideas and dreams. She says “It’s such a vulnerable process, starting a business, and you gave me all the space to name my fears and feel supported.”

Meg has also found that working together has deepened her connection with herself, and helped her embrace her true nature. “I am a dreamer,” Meg says, “And sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming to connect to one thing, but I am working on embracing that part of me. The dreamer. Working with you helped me embrace that more. I don’t have to niche down! I can just be me and trust the process. Maggie was such a strong support in helping me find the words, organize my thoughts, and give me space to dream bigger.”

Growing a Healing Practice

It’s been amazing to witness the birth and growth of Willow Tree Collective and be a supporter of Meg on her journey to realizing her dream. Her dedication to her work is truly inspiring, and it’s been a privilege to watch this new endeavor take shape.

In her private practice, Meg works with individuals and couples navigating identity exploration and life transitions. Her focus is around helping people find and discover more connection in their lives, as well as meaning and belonging in their healing journeys. Working from a relational lens, Meg brings a variety of approaches into her practice, including experiential, mindfulness, parts work, and ecotherapy. Meg also strives to create equity in her practice and business so that connection is accessible to all.

“My hope, my vision for my work is to create a space for people to know themselves, to know their story,” Meg says. “There are such ripples to this work. I believe that therapy is legacy work. That when we choose to slow down, really slow down, turn down the volume, and listen, there is much to discover. . This isn’t something that is always big or grand, but it’s the small shifts and movements I find truly profound and beautiful.”

To learn more about Meg’s work, visit her at willowtreecollective.com!