Today we’d like to introduce you to Audrey Costa.
Hi Audrey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My path into this work has been both professional and deeply personal. I spent over 20 years in education and wellness, beginning my career as a physical education and health teacher where I saw firsthand how movement, the outdoors, and supportive community could transform people’s well-being. Over time I expanded into personal training, holistic health and nutrition coaching, and corporate wellness leadership, always focusing on the connection between body, mind, and environment.
Alongside my professional path, I was also navigating my own journey of healing—from an abusive marriage and struggles with substance use. Nature became a powerful part of my recovery. Time on the trail, in the woods, and in community helped me reconnect with myself and rebuild resilience. That experience ultimately shaped the direction of my work.
I founded Deep Rooted Wellness and Creatives to create spaces where others—especially women—could experience that same healing connection through nature, movement, and shared experience. Today I lead nature therapy hikes, backpacking retreats, and experiential programs designed to help people reconnect with themselves and with the natural world.
I went back to school just before I turned 50 and completed my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and am now a Licensed Associate Counselor, Certified Nature Informed Therapist and Consultant, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, as well as a Licensed Hiking and Camping Guide. My work now integrates clinical counseling, experiential practices, and outdoor experiences to support healing, growth, and resilience.
At the heart of everything I do is the belief that healing happens in connection—with ourselves, with others, and with the natural world.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The struggles I’ve walked through didn’t break me—they shaped how I now walk beside others on their healing journey, often on the same trails that once helped heal me.
Not at all. My journey has been anything but a straight line. For many years I was in an abusive marriage, and that experience profoundly shaped both my personal life and the path I would eventually take professionally. During that time, I also struggled with alcohol as a way to cope with the stress and pain. Recovery became a turning point in my life and ultimately deepened my commitment to helping others navigate their own healing journeys.
One of the most difficult experiences has been watching my son struggle with substance use and mental health challenges that stemmed from the trauma he experienced growing up. As a parent, there is nothing harder than wanting to protect your child and realizing some battles they must fight while you stand beside them and support them. That experience has given me tremendous empathy for families navigating addiction and recovery.
In the midst of all of this, I made the decision to go back to graduate school just before turning 50. Reinventing myself, my career, and my life at that stage was both empowering and incredibly challenging. Balancing school, work, healing, and motherhood required a level of resilience I didn’t always know I had.
But I wouldn’t change any of it. Those struggles shaped the person and the professional I am today. They taught me compassion, perseverance, and the power of healing in community. They are also why I feel so strongly about creating spaces where others can reconnect with themselves and know they’re not alone on their path.
We’ve been impressed with Deep Rooted Wellness and Creatives, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the founder of Deep Rooted Wellness and Creatives, a nature-based wellness and experiential learning wellness company that focuses on helping people reconnect with themselves through movement, community, and the healing power of the outdoors. My work blends my background in education, wellness, and counseling to create experiences that support healing, growth, and resilience.
I lead nature therapy hikes, backpacking retreats, and immersive group experiences for women and families, as well as provide counseling and coaching that integrates somatic and nature-informed approaches. Many of the women who find their way to my programs are navigating major life transitions—recovery, burnout, trauma, or simply feeling disconnected from themselves—and the outdoors becomes a powerful space for reflection and transformation.
What sets my work apart is the integration of multiple disciplines. I bring together over two decades of experience in education, wellness, and outdoor leadership with my training as a Licensed Associate Counselor, Certified Nature Informed Therapist, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, Yoga and Licensed Hiking and Camping Guide. The experiences I create aren’t just outdoor adventures—they are intentionally designed spaces for reflection, connection, and healing.
My signature experiences include the Wild Resilience Women’s Backpacking Retreats and Connected Together Family Retreats, where women and families step away from the noise of everyday life and into nature to reconnect with their strength, their stories, and one another.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is the community that has grown organically around this work. Women come on a hike or retreat as strangers and leave feeling deeply connected—to themselves, to nature, and to one another. Watching those connections form on the trail, around a campfire, or during quiet moments journaling on a ridge is incredibly powerful.
At its core, my brand is about creating spaces where people feel safe enough to slow down, reconnect with their inner strength, and remember that they don’t have to navigate life’s challenges alone.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up in South Jersey and spent most of my childhood outside—making mud pies, building forts, climbing trees, and exploring the woods. Nature was my playground long before it became part of my professional work. I was definitely a tomboy and happiest when I was moving, exploring, and creating my own little adventures outdoors.
Personality-wise, I’ve always been more introverted and quiet. I’m a listener by nature. When people speak, I really hear them. And when I do speak, I tend to mean what I say. That ability to listen deeply has stayed with me throughout my life and is something that now serves me greatly in the work I do with others.
Like many people, I also had some childhood experiences that shaped me in difficult ways—experiences that left lasting scars. But over time, those experiences also became part of what allows me to connect with others in a very real and compassionate way. They gave me an early understanding that people often carry stories and struggles beneath the surface.
Looking back, the seeds of what I do today were there from the beginning. I’ve always loved nature, movement, and teaching. My parents like to tell the story that when I was little, I used to play “school” and teach my stuffed animals—and the members of “The Monkey’s” (dating myself) that apparently made up my first classroom.
In many ways, the work I do today still reflects those same interests—nature, learning, listening, and helping people grow.
Pricing:
- My offerings range from single-day nature experiences to multi-day retreats and backpacking trips.
- I also offer a limited number of partial scholarships for retreats and programs each year for women who feel called to the work but may need financial support to participate. Accessibility and creating inclusive spaces in nature are important values within my brand. Readers who are interested in upcoming hikes, retreats, counseling services, or scholarship opportunities can learn more through my website and social platforms.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.deeprootedwellnessnj.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deeprootedwellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Deeprootedwellnessandcreatives
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-costa-deeprootedwellness
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DeepRootedWellness
