Meet The Cavewoman
Counselor | Ceremonialist | Eco-Therapist
Dr. Michelle Rigling is a Nature-Based Transpersonal Counselor, Soulcentric Eco-Therapist, and Trauma-Informed Sacred Plant Medicine Guide in Chattanooga, TN. She offers private sessions, council circles and ceremonies, wilderness-based immersions, and a variety of events designed to connect us to a wilder way of life.
Michelle specializes in exploring the realms of Spirit and Soul, journeying beyond the mind and integrating mystical experiences, altered states of consciousness, and soulful encounters that occur in connection with nature, plants, and mushrooms.
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Michelle is a Board-certified Holistic Health Practitioner as well as a Wild Medicine Priestess, ordained as a Minister through the Wisdom of the Heart Church.
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Michelle directs of The Wild Medicine Conference and The Midsouth Women's Herbal Conference. (These events have their own websites).​
Scroll down to read more of Michelle's story + a full list of educational qualifications, trainings, and supportive experiences.
Team Members
Jess Mangano, M.Ed, (T) LPC-MHSP
Jess's approach to personal growth is rooted in the notion that therapy is foundational to our souls' work. She believes each person can have a deep, intuitive connection to their own inner world, but this world is often obscured by the trials of everyday life as well as the manifestations of trauma such as depression, anxiety, chronic stress, or profound grief. Jess supports others by helping people awaken to their inner wisdom and healing abilities as well as inspiring us to find connection and community in the natural world.
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Jess has completed training in EMDR, Psychodrama, and Experiential Therapy. Outside of the counseling room, she finds joy in herbalism, cooking, reading, and hiking.
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Jess currently offers coaching, retreat facilitation, and Way of Council through The Cavewoman Way.
"Let us push on now, and remember ourselves back to the wild soul."
-Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Michelle Rigling, PhD
Bio & Education
Michelle grew up on 40 wild acres in Tennesse where she spent her time playing in the woods, telling tall tales, and learning how to listen to her intuition under the guidance of her mom. While she has several degrees and certifications, she considers her most important and relevant "training" to be a childhood filled with story, adventure, and freedom, enhanced by the time she has spent as an adult in close communication with the wild ones - trees, stones, animals such as her black bird friends, and an occasional talkative river.
Professionally, Michelle has over 15 years of social work, counseling, and coaching experience in trauma-informed settings. She spent about 8 years working in community-based social work agencies, gaining experience in clinical interventions, trauma responsive care, and evidenced based recovery. Along the way, she recognized that most interventions and practices she was trained to offer people ignored spirit and soul and rarely recognized or engaged intuition. She felt a pull towards a wilder, more soulful approach to healing and wholeness and started exploring transpersonal psychology and soulcraft practices. During this time she returned to graduate school where she obtained a PhD in Transpersonal Counseling while also receiving training in trauma-informed sacred plant medicine (including psychedelics), wilderness-based immersions and ceremony.
University Education
PhD Transpersonal Counseling
M.Sc. Transpersonal Counseling
MBA Business Administration
BS Metaphysical Sciences
BS Psychology
Board Certification
AADP, 2022-Present
Spiritual Roles
Ordained Minister, WOHC
Initiated Priestess
Certifications
Certified Eco-Therapy Guide
Way of Council, Carrier/Guide
Dialectal Behavior Therapy, PC
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, PC
IAW Life Coach, Int. Certification
Liberating Structures, Facilitator
Family Systems, Group Facilitator
HealthRhythms, Drum Facilitator
Herbal Body Shamanics ©
WRAP © Facilitator
Certified Hypnotist
Psychedelic Trip Sitter, DB
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Sacred Community
Midsouth Women's Herbal, Founder
Celebrate Your Existence, Founder
Chattanooga Red Tent, Co-Founder
Wild Medicine Conference, Co-Founder
Trainings & Apprenticeships
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120+ CE Hours in Psychedelic Medicine
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Trauma-Informed Psychedelic Medicine Guide Training
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Ceremony Apprenticeship with Chief Haru (Kuntanawa Nation)
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In-person immersions with Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés
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In-person immersions with Animas Valley Inst.
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Supervision under a Child Trauma Academy Fellow
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CPS © Training with Dr. Stuart Ablon
"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
-Mary Oliver