Survivor-Led · Trauma-Informed · Culturally Rooted
Survivor-Led · Trauma-Informed · Culturally Rooted
Outdoor Healing · Southern Maine
Maine has trails, forests, coastlines, and open skies — and they belong to you too. Wounded Healers International takes African and immigrant women outside, into nature, as part of our healing work right here in Southern Maine.
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“When I first came to Maine, I was afraid of the woods. In my country, the forest had a different meaning. WHI walked with me — and slowly, the trees became a place where I could breathe again.”— WHI Community Member, Southern Maine
Why This Matters
If you came to Maine from another country, you may have noticed something: the trails, state parks, and outdoor spaces here are almost entirely white spaces. It can feel like those places were not built for you — and honestly, for a long time, they weren’t.
Add to that the weight of everything you are already carrying — navigating a new country, a new language, a new system — and stepping into a forest trail alone can feel like one barrier too many.
WHI is here to change that. We go together. We make it familiar. We make it safe. And we bring the warmth of community with us into every outdoor space we enter.
You belong on these trails. You belong in these parks. Maine’s natural world is yours too.
When you are carrying trauma, your nervous system stays on alert. Being in nature — walking among trees, hearing water, feeling the ground — helps your body begin to relax and feel safe again. This is not just poetic. It is real.
Healing outside, in community, connected to the earth — this is not a new idea. African traditions have always known that the natural world is part of our wellbeing. We are reclaiming that here in Maine.
Our outdoor programs are not solo experiences. You go with other African and immigrant women, led by WHI facilitators who understand your experience. You don’t have to figure out Maine’s outdoors alone.
You do not need to speak English well to participate. Nature does not require translation. Our community speaks many languages, and you are welcome in whatever language feels like home.
What We Do Together
Guided walks on trails and in parks around the Greater Portland and South Portland area. You don’t need hiking experience or special gear. We walk at a pace that works for everyone. The goal is not the distance — it’s the feeling of being outside together.
Slow, quiet time in the woods — using your eyes, your ears, your hands, and your breath to simply be present in nature. No hiking, no exercise. Just stillness, trees, and the kind of quiet that is hard to find when you are always busy surviving.
Our healing circles — held outside in the open air — bring women together to share, support one another, and breathe. Something about being outdoors, under the sky, makes it easier to speak and easier to listen. These gatherings carry the spirit of African communal healing.
Throughout the year, WHI holds seasonal outdoor gatherings — celebrating spring, summer, and fall in Southern Maine with food, music, movement, and community. These events are open to the whole WHI family, including children. Come and feel at home in Maine’s seasons.
Maine has some of the most beautiful coastline in the country — and many of our community members have never seen it up close. We organize visits to the coast, beaches, and waterside spaces so that every woman in our community can experience what Maine has to offer.
Simple, accessible mindfulness practices — breathing, grounding, gentle movement — practiced outdoors. No prior experience needed. These practices help calm the mind, ease anxiety, and build the kind of inner stillness that trauma often takes away.
“I had been in Maine for two years and had never left Portland. The first time WHI took us to the trail, I cried — not from sadness, but because I had forgotten what it felt like to just be in the world.”— WHI Community Member, South Portland
You don’t need to have done this before. You don’t need to be ready. You just need to show up — and we will do the rest. Maine’s outdoors is waiting for you, and so are we.
