Over the past several years, I’ve spent considerable time thinking about the work I’ve done, the people I’ve worked with, and the experiences that led me to develop Healing Pathways in the first place. What began as a deeply personal exploration of recovery, identity, and change eventually became a collection of books and a framework for helping others examine their own lives. And while the original material remains important to me, I’ve come to realize that Healing Pathways can become something considerably more useful than what I initially created.
One of the things I’ve learned is that the circumstances that bring people to a turning point may be very different, but many of the questions they face are similar. Whether someone is recovering from illness, moving through a major life transition, challenging long-held beliefs, or simply wondering what comes next, there is value in taking the time to understand where we are, how we got here, and what our best available choices are as we move forward.
Healing Pathways is built around twelve interconnected Paths that encourage individuals to examine different aspects of their lives, including their experiences, beliefs, values, relationships, personal challenges, and the ways they approach change. Rather than providing a set of answers or telling someone how they should live, the framework introduces questions, reflections, and practical exercises intended to help people develop a clearer understanding of themselves and the circumstances they face. The idea is not to arrive at someone else’s definition of a successful life, but to become better equipped to make thoughtful decisions about our own.
With that in mind, I’m preparing a revised and expanded direction for Healing Pathways, beginning with a more individualized approach to personal exploration and development, followed by a four-week founding beta planned for January 2027. The beta will introduce the framework in a facilitated group setting while allowing participants to help us identify what works, what needs clarification, and what might be improved before the next editions of the Healing Pathways books are completed.
There is also another important part of this development. Around spring 2027, we plan to release Personal Pathways, a new standalone book designed specifically for individuals who want to work through the twelve Paths on their own. Unlike the existing Companion and Facilitator’s Guide, which were developed with facilitated programs in mind, Personal Pathways will bring the teachings, questions, reflections, and practical exercises together in one publication. Readers will be able to move through the framework at their own pace, revisit particular Paths when appropriate, and develop their own understanding without needing to participate in a group or work with a facilitator.
The existing Healing Pathways Companion and Healing Pathways Facilitator’s Guide are also being revised and expanded. Those editions will incorporate what we’ve learned since their original publication, along with feedback from the founding alpha in 2025 and the upcoming beta group. Together, the three books will provide different ways of approaching the same framework: independently, as a participant in facilitated work, or as someone interested in guiding others through the process.
This is not psychotherapy, dependency treatment, or a clinical program. Healing Pathways is an educational and reflective approach to personal development that draws on my own experiences, years of study, and working with hundreds of clients in both clinical and coaching settings. It does not require participants to share my beliefs, adopt a particular philosophy, or approach life in the same way I have. In fact, one of the things I consider most important is that people have the freedom to question the material, decide what is meaningful to them, and develop their own perspective.
The individual offering is being prepared for December 2026, and the founding beta is planned for four Wednesday evenings in January 2027. The beta will be offered without charge to accepted participants, with additional details about participation and registration to follow. The revised books and Personal Pathways are expected to follow during 2027 as the material is completed.
This is a new chapter for Wind and Raven, but it’s also a continuation of something that’s been developing for a very long time. Much of what I’ve learned has come from experiences I certainly wouldn’t have chosen for myself, but those experiences also led me to ask questions I might otherwise never have considered. Healing Pathways has grown out of that process, and I’m interested in seeing where it goes as more people bring their own experiences and perspectives to it.
Development and Collaboration
Healing Pathways is developed and published through Valkyrie Counseling Group, with Wind and Raven serving as its public home for personal development and educational programs. I also want to recognize the staff of Recovery Café, whose contributions have been instrumental in developing the framework. Their experience working with individuals in recovery and facilitating group discussions has provided valuable insight into how the material can be presented and used by others.
For the January 2027 founding beta, Healing Pathways will be offered in collaboration with Recovery Café, which will provide administrative and online infrastructure for the four-week group. This arrangement is specific to the beta. The individual Healing Pathways offering beginning in December, along with future programs, books, and educational resources, will be developed and administered independently through Valkyrie Counseling Group and Wind and Raven.
Interested in Learning More?
If Healing Pathways sounds like something you might be interested in, whether through individual work beginning in December or participation in the free four-week founding beta in January, I’d be happy to hear from you. You don’t need to have read the existing books or have any particular background to express an interest. At this stage, we’re gathering inquiries and providing information as the program approaches its next phase.
You can reach out through the Contact Us page at Wind and Raven, letting us know whether you’re interested in individual Healing Pathways work, the January founding beta, or simply receiving information about the upcoming publications.
More information about the program, participation requirements, and registration will be available as we move toward the launch.