Jeni’s Story: Rediscovering Joy, Purpose, and Healing Through Nature

Note: This is a personal story shared in the guest’s own words. It reflects their lived experience and connection with nature, not a fact-checked report. These stories are held with care and shared to inspire healing and reflection.

Welcome back to Healing in Nature Stories. This series is a space where we share real, raw, and inspiring stories of people who found their way back to themselves through nature.

Today’s guest, Jeni Gabrenya, has one of those stories that gently pulls you in. She’s a lifelong nature lover, photographer, rising poet, and certified Forest Therapy Guide.

After years of working in the domestic violence field and leading nonprofit organizations, Jeni reached a point of deep burnout and depression during the pandemic. But nature — and her growing connection to it — became her way back home.

Roots in the Wild: A Childhood Surrounded by Nature

“We lived in a suburban subdivision, but there was a wooded area in the back, and we were out there all the time. We rode our bikes, got lost on trails, swam in creeks we probably shouldn’t have. Being in nature was just what we did.”

Jeni’s love for nature began long before she realized how essential it was to her well-being. Though her adult life led her to the busy streets of Chicago, that early sense of adventure stayed quietly rooted within her.

“As I got older, the connection to nature kind of ebbed and flowed. But when I started running outside — not on a treadmill — I began to feel that same pull again.”

Running through forest preserves rekindled something she didn’t know she’d lost: the joy of simply being outside.

The Moment of Awakening

“One day I was out running in what I call my home preserve, and something just struck me. I was feeling so fulfilled and thought, why am I not doing more about this? Why am I not contributing to this thing that gives me so much?”

That single realization set her on an entirely new path.

She replaced her vegetable garden with pollinator plants, discovered native species, and started volunteering with her local Nature Foundation.

“I ordered forty-five native plants, dug up sections of my yard, and replaced the grass with native species. Once you learn about native plants, you’re gone — down the rabbit hole. There’s no going back.”

From there, one thing led to another: taking conservation courses, joining environmental groups, and eventually finding her way to forest therapy.

Listening to Intuition and Letting Nature Lead

“This whole nature path has been largely intuitive, not logical. I didn’t have to do it for income or anyone else — it was purely for me.”

When COVID shut the world down, Jeni felt an unexpected sense of relief — because the one thing she loved most couldn’t be taken away.

“I could still go outside. I could still go into a preserve. I could still do the things I wanted to do.”

She followed what felt good — running, gardening, photography, and learning — each step guided by curiosity rather than obligation.

“If it wasn’t making me feel good, I wasn’t going to do it.”

That simple compass — joy — began to steer her life.

Losing and Finding Herself Again

“At some point along the line, doing everything I was supposed to do, I forgot myself. And going back into nature again was this process of rediscovery.”

She realized she’d set aside her creative side — her photography, her love for art — somewhere along the way.

“I wanted to be a photographer when I was 14. I shadowed a photographer for career day. Then life happened, and I just stopped doing anything creative. Over the past five years, those parts of me have slowly come back.”

Nature gave her space to remember who she was before expectations and responsibilities took over.

“There’s something about being in nature and the quieting that happens when you’re there that lets other things back in.”

When Leadership Meets Healing

For most of her career, Jeni worked in trauma-informed leadership within the domestic violence field — teaching others how to hold space for survivors. But during the pandemic, she found herself carrying an invisible weight.

“Trying to run a nonprofit organization in the midst of COVID was the hardest professional challenge I’ve ever had. Domestic violence didn’t stop — it got worse. I had to support my staff, keep them safe, and at the same time, my child was home struggling with online school.”

“I felt like I was falling apart in front of people all the time. There was no one who could respond to me in a trauma-informed way because I was the leader.”

The forest became her refuge.

“I went to the forest all the time. I picked up my camera and just went. It was the only place I ever felt okay.”

That realization — that nature was the only space she could breathe — became her bridge to forest therapy.

“Every time I learned more about forest therapy, I thought: this is trauma-informed care. It’s sensory, it’s safe, it’s what worked for me.”

Opening to Transformation

“When I went through my forest therapy immersion, I don’t even have words to describe it. I felt like I was broken open — like a geode. A rock on the outside, but inside there were all these hidden crystals I didn’t know were there.”

After years of pushing and striving, she learned to slow down.

“I’m a lot slower now. I walk slower. I wake up early to sit outside for hours. I just notice everything. The moon, the sunset, the beauty around me — I want everyone to see it.”

Her photography and poetry became ways of sharing that beauty with others — tiny invitations to pause and notice.

“If you didn’t notice any beauty around you today, here’s some beauty for you.”

Guiding Others Toward Stillness

As a forest therapy guide, Jeni now helps others reconnect with themselves through nature.

“People always feel calmer. Even after the first invitation — pleasures of presence — everyone feels better. Sometimes that’s all they need.”

She’s witnessed participants release grief, reconnect with memories, and rediscover joy — all through the simple act of slowing down and being outdoors.

“One woman told me she felt like she healed her relationship with her grandmother just by hugging a tree, because her grandmother used to do that. It’s incredible to see how being in nature means so many different things to people.”

Through her work, Jeni sees how forest therapy complements traditional talk therapy by offering another doorway into healing.

“Not everyone can talk about their trauma — but they can feel it. Nature gives space for that. It’s body-full, not mindful. It’s about sensation, not words.”

From Healing Ourselves to Healing the Land

“When you start learning about native plants, you move straight into conservation. Once you have a tree that’s your tree, you want to protect it. You want everything around it to be healthy.”

Jeni now serves as Board Chair for the Nature Foundation of Will County and advises on her village’s sustainability committee, helping remove invasive species and advocate for native ones.

“Forest therapy deepened that connection even more. Once you feel connected to the land, you can’t help but care for it.”

And in true Jeni fashion, she’s literally planting seeds of change — harvesting native seeds from her yard to share with others.

“I think I’m going to start giving seed packets on my walks,” she smiled. “A little circle of giving back.”

Lessons from the Forest: Find Your Joy

“My tip is simple: keep going. It gets better when you keep going. And find your joy — then do as much of it as possible.”

“Even if you feel like your life doesn’t allow it, I promise you it does. I thought I couldn’t take on anything else, but living in my joy actually keeps me going.”

Reflections from Me

What stands out most about Jeni’s story is her courage to listen — really listen — to what life and nature were trying to tell her.

She didn’t rush her healing. She allowed it to unfold, one plant, one walk, one photograph at a time.

Her journey reminds us that healing doesn’t always happen in a straight line. Sometimes it’s messy and slow — like a garden that keeps surprising us with new blooms.

Why I’m Sharing This Story

I’m sharing Jeni’s story because it beautifully shows how returning to nature helps us return to ourselves.

It’s a reminder that slowing down, following our intuition, and choosing joy are acts of courage.

If you’ve ever felt lost in the noise of life, I hope Jeni’s journey reminds you that there’s always a path home — and it often begins with a single step outside.

Thank You, Jeni

Thank you, Jeni, for your honesty, humor, and heart — and for showing us what it looks like to live in alignment with your values.

You’ve turned your healing into a ripple effect that touches the land, your community, and everyone lucky enough to walk beside you.

🎥 Watch the Full Interview

In our full conversation, Jeni opens up even more about her transformation — from burnout and depression to rediscovering joy, creativity, and healing through nature.

We talk about intuitive living, the power of slowing down, the intersection of trauma and nature, and what happens when we finally stop rushing and start listening.

Come join us. Listen. Reflect. Heal. 🌿

Over to You

What part of Jeni’s story spoke to you most?

Have you ever felt a moment in nature that helped you slow down and reconnect with yourself?

Share your reflections in the comments — or reach out if you feel called to share your Healing in Nature Story.

With love and respect for your journey,

Klara!

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Disclaimer: Healing in Nature Stories features personal reflections shared by each guest in their own words. These stories are not fact-checked or edited for accuracy, but offered as authentic expressions of lived experience, memory, and meaning. The intention is to create space for healing, connection, and the role of nature in each person’s journey—not to verify details or retell events objectively.

Thank you for reading with an open heart.