A Note From Our Founder

Natural Connections was born from the belief that healing should feel expansive, embodied, and deeply connected to the world around us. Over the years, I’ve witnessed—and personally experienced—the power of nature in transformation. Therapy is more than conversation; it’s movement, experience, and reconnection with self and surroundings.

Many of the interventions I use to guide clients are practices I have personally engaged with, deepening my commitment to providing authentic and effective therapeutic experiences. Through this work, I strive to create safe spaces where individuals can rediscover their resilience, strength, and sense of belonging.

At present, Natural Connections is led by me, Diana Portner, but I use "we" intentionally. The heart of this work is about community, and my vision includes welcoming additional professionals, guides, and partners who share in the mission of nature-based healing.

It’s truly inspiring to see this work grow and touch lives throughout our community. I am honored for the opportunity to walk alongside you on this path.

Safe journeys,

Diana K. Portner

Meet Your Therapist

Diana Portner offers therapy experiences that honor the complexity of being human—through movement, breath, and relationship with the natural world. Drawing from the land, somatic wisdom, and co-created presence, she helps clients reconnect with their inner clarity, capacity, and sense of belonging. Diana values community-centered decision making and brings over a decade of experience guiding complex dialogue, resolving conflict, and helping groups find common ground to support meaningful, lasting change.

Education

Diana is committed to lifelong learning, as evidenced by her academic background:

Master of Arts, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Naropa University, 2022

Specialization: Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy

Master of Science, Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan, 2013

Specialization: Behavior, Education, and Communication

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, 2009

Specialization: Environmental Psychology

Wilderness First Responder, NOLS, valid 2025-2027

In addition to the degrees and certifications listed, she is pursuing professional counseling licensure in Alaska, and continued training in evidence-based mental health strategies.

Areas of Support

Healing is a collaborative journey. Diana works alongside you to navigate life’s complexities with care, curiosity, and compassion. These may include specific diagnoses or broader life challenges—each approached with nuance and care. Some areas she commonly supports include:

Anxiety and depression
Emotion regulation and mood stability
Trauma and post-traumatic growth
Personality and mood disorders
Boundaries and complex relationships
Identity development and self-worth
Life transitions and personal transformation
LGBTQ+ identity-affirming care
Substance use and recovery-oriented care
Grief, loss, and meaning-making
Stress, burnout, and caregiver fatigue
Emotional resilience through challenge and uncertainty

Therapy Modalities

Each session is designed in collaboration with you—rooted in trauma-informed care and a trusted therapeutic relationship. Diana draws from a range of evidence-based approaches to meet your unique needs, intentions, and pace of growth. The following are therapy approaches that Diana thoughtfully integrates into her sessions.

Somatic
Ecotherapy
Experiential
Gestalt
Relational
Mindfulness-Based
Strengths-Based
Humanistic
Animal-Assisted
Psychoeducation
Feminist
Existential
Transpersonal

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Visit Our Office

At Natural Connections, our office isn’t confined by walls—it stretches across forests, beaches, and winding trails, offering an immersive space for reflection, movement, and healing. Sessions take place in carefully chosen locations that align with your therapeutic goals, whether by the calming rhythm of the ocean or within the quiet embrace of the forest. Each session is designed with intention to honor the season, landscape, and individual.

Reconnect through nature-based therapy, adventure therapy groups, and immersive retreats designed to foster growth, resilience, and community.

Explore Your Path to Connection

Nature-Based Therapy

Walk, reflect, and heal in nature through personalized one-on-one therapy.

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Adventure Therapy Groups

Step outside your comfort zone with shared experiences that foster connection and personal growth.

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Nature Immersion Retreats

Slow down and deepen your connection in a three-day retreat into nature.

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Your Questions Answered

Natural Connections blends movement, mindfulness, and nature-based therapy techniques to create a holistic approach to healing. While mental health counseling principles guide every experience, the approach is more experiential and interactive than conventional talk therapy. This integrative model fosters emotional regulation, resilience, and personal insight beyond traditional talk therapy. Clients often find that movement, nature, and structured reflection provide new insights in ways that sitting indoors might not.

That’s completely okay! Natural Connections is about engagement, not performance. Every session and retreat is designed to be accessible, adaptable, and supportive—whether you’re an experienced adventurer or simply looking to connect with nature in a new way.

Sessions are tailored to meet each participant where they are, with structured guidance and options to fit all comfort levels. At Natural Connections, we believe in challenge by choice—you engage at a level that feels right for you. Whether that’s pushing outside your comfort zone or participating in quiet reflection, you determine what feels supportive, without pressure to go beyond that.

We understand inclement weather is a reality in Juneau! To ensure warmth and comfort, we provide layered clothing and essential gear, utilize natural shelters and fires when possible, and adapt activities to suit conditions.

If the weather becomes unsafe, we have backup options:

Rescheduling sessions when needed.
Utilizing indoor community partner spaces, such as a yoga studio or the climbing gym.
Transitioning to telehealth for individual therapy sessions when appropriate.

Safety is always a priority at Natural Connections. Each experience is designed with structured facilitation, risk management, and individualized support. Activities are adapted to participants’ abilities and comfort levels, and precautions are in place to create an accessible, thoughtful, and well-supported approach to healing.

Our professionals are trained in wilderness medicine, ensuring preparedness for medical situations in outdoor environments. Industry-standard safety equipment is provided, including harnesses, helmets, and emergency communication devices to provide security in outdoor conditions. All gear is regularly inspected and maintained to meet safety standards, ensuring participants have reliable, high-quality equipment available for their experience.

Emotional safety is equally important as physical safety. Guided by skilled mental health professionals, we provide trauma-informed and empowering interventions to support each individual’s healing journey.

Partnership Makes It Possible

At Natural Connections, we believe collaboration fuels connection. Our work is made possible through the generosity and dedication of many community partners—organizations and individuals who share our commitment to fostering growth, healing, and resilience. While not all partners are represented here, their contributions are invaluable and integral to our mission.

We are a proud member of the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, a dynamic collective uniting diverse skills and perspectives to strengthen cultural, ecological, and economic resilience across Southeast Alaska. Our program is funded in part by a grant from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.

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