Law & Ethics CEs!
Ethics of Simple Self-Care in Nature – Day 1
Presented by: Dr. Brenda Butterfield, EdD, MSW, LMHC
When: Friday, April 24th, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM, Pacific Time
Where: Live in person at the ONE Center (7400 Gallagher Cove Road NW, Olympia, WA 98502)
Continuing Education Credit Hours: 6 Law & Ethics CEs | $199.00
We’re eager to welcome you to the beautiful ONE Center on the South Salish Sea for a day of simple self-care in nature. 2026 is our sixth year providing this monthly workshop to colleagues from WA, OR, MT, and beyond. During this nature-based workshop, you have full permission to slow down, rest, and tend to your own health and well-being WHILE earning ethics credits.
All codes of ethics have been revised to include the ethical imperative to practice self-care. These ethical guidelines give us permission to do just that through professional development. We’ll review ethical codes and explore research findings indicating how and why the therapist’s psychological health and well-being directly relate to treatment outcomes for clients. Indeed, how we show up matters. Therefore, finding ways to practice caring for oneself is not only a personal responsibility and a gift to oneself, but also an ethical obligation.
This is a unique retreat-style, experiential workshop with invitations to practice simple self-care inspired by Japan’s shinrin-yoku. Brenda is a mindfulness-based therapist, a certified Eco Therapist, and a certified Forest Therapy Guide. She’s been teaching clients and colleagues how to lean into mindfulness in nature for health and well-being since founding The ONE Center in 2020.
With Brenda’s guidance, we’ll walk short distances through the forest and by the sea, sit spotting along the way while learning simple, evidence-based self-care practices to use anytime, anyplace. Colleagues have come multiple times, sharing they feel increasingly grounded and connected to their body, mind, and soul as the day unfolds. This deep learning is inspiring and supports ethical work by encouraging the continued use of simple self-care practices at home and at work. When our nervous system is settled, we are emotionally regulated and can help our clients feel more embodied, at ease, and connected to others, too.
Without ongoing self-care, providing mental health care can deplete and exhaust us, leading to burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary vicarious trauma. Added stress from the global polycrisis (social, political, racial, financial, environmental, etc.) can result in feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and hopeless. And yet, we must show up to provide care for so many who are suffering. If this resonates with you, know that you are not alone. Each summer, we find solace in a community of colleagues, in nature, bearing witness and tending to the pain for healing. This is the mindful way. We hope you come to ONE, a sanctuary created specifically for those of us providing care to others, for a gentle landing and a warm welcome. We got your back… we’re here for you.
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES
In this workshop, you will
- Explore experientially a variety of ways to practice simple self-care
- Learn about ethical implications for practicing self-care
- Understand research correlating clinician health and well-being to treatment outcomes for clients
- Assess your current overall health and well-being
- Assess your professional quality of life
- Identify lifestyle choices that are supportive or undermine health and well-being
- Develop a realistic action plan for improved health and well-being
What attendees of this workshop are saying:
“The beautiful time in nature and SLOWING DOWN! Thank you for curating a safe and nourishing environment to just BE.”
“Where to start! I enjoyed the land! The atmosphere of acceptance and compassion. The experiential approach. The connection to ethics. The opportunities to connect with ourselves and peers. The worksheets for reflection and self-assessment. I loved everything!”
“The beautiful and nurturing environment allowed everyone to feel safe and be vulnerable. I admire the bravery and ability of the other attendees to open up and share their experiences, struggles, and challenges. It helps us all feel less alone.”
“This workshop – and the ONE Center – is truly a gift that every mental health professional should give themselves! Hands down, this is the best continuing education workshop I’ve ever attended.”