a journey of self discovery

Honoring our history

The Inner Wild Institute is a group dedicated to the exploration of the depths within. Founded in 2022, we trace our roots back to community found within the Shalom Mountain groups of Livingston Manor, NY.

The Shalom process was created more than fifty years ago by Jerry and Elisabeth Jud and their loving community. The process relies on the truth that “more than anything, we want to love and be loved” and seeks to help foster healing, growth, and community through loving connection via four day long structured retreats. For more information on Shalom Retreats, click here.

Most recently, Joanna Wiebe and Tim Baer, who built the foundation of the Shalom community in the Pacific Northwest under the name Shalom Orca. Joanna died in January 2021, and Shalom Orca is now stewarded by Andrew and Lauren Cyders, and Emma Oswald. The administration team opted to re-brand Shalom Orca as the Inner Wild Institute as we seek to expand our offerings in the future beyond traditional Shalom retreats. Learn more about us below.

Administration

Emma Oswald (she/her), admin
Lauren Cyders (she/her), admin

Ricky Doherty (he/him), retreat leader

Ricky Doherty is an entrepreneur at heart and currently has a real estate investment firm and a Campervan Conversion company. Ricky lives in Denver, CO with his wife Kori.  Ricky has been a very active part of the Shalom community since 2010 and loves the embodied process.  Over the years at Shalom, Ricky has completed his training in Art of Loving and also the Shalom Retreat Leadership Training. 

Andy Cyders (he/him), admin

Retreat Leadership

Andy Cyders (he/him), retreat leader/admin

Andy is a mental health counselor from Seattle who focuses on trauma healing, men’s therapy, and somatic techniques. Andy has been part of the Shalom community since 2017 and has completed the Shalom leadership trainings. He also recently celebrated 12 years clean/sober, and cites his healing through Shalom as the “most powerful healing experience” of his life.

Beth Lewis (she, her), retreat leader

Beth is a Registered Psychotherapist and a Certified Core Energetics Practitioner (CCEP) with a Masters in Counseling Psychology and a B.A. in Kinesiology. Beth recently completed an Internal Family Systems (IFS) Intensive program to help further inform her practice. Beth has a long history of leading Shalom retreats® which evolved after completing the Introduction to Shalom Process Training, Shalom Retreat Leadership Training and advanced training in the Shalom Process.

Beth is deeply committed to sharing the beauty of transformative work with the world and maintains a Psychotherapy and Core Energetics informed private practice and retreat leadership, facilitating process work in Canada and the US.