My outdoor therapeutic practice started when I began to explore how
being in nature has always been my way to manage my stress and
support my mental health. I believe that being in nature gives us a
fundamental base to start feeling better. For me, it’s the natural place to
begin to connect with ourselves. To ensure that I have the right
knowledge and skills to take clients outside I have completed an
International Forest Therapy Diploma with Nature & Therapy and a
Certificate in Ecotherapy with The Tariki Trust.
Working in nature is conducive to building our personal wellbeing. As
you may know there is plenty of research to explain why being in nature
is good for us, reducing blood pressure, increasing endorphins and
placing the nervous system into rest and repair mode. So for me being
outside in a woodland or by the sea adds to the therapeutic process and
clients report the same.
I offer both walk and talk counselling and Ecotherapy as separate
options, but they can overlap. Initially we can discuss how you may wish
to tailor the therapy you are looking for.
Walk and Talk– A counselling session that takes place at a suitable
outdoor location. These sessions take a similar format to indoor work, in
terms of the focus being on the client’s work with the advantage of being
in the natural world.
Ecotherapy, is therapeutic work that is embedded in nature, focusing on
your own connection to the natural world. Developing a relationship
between the therapist, client and nature, reminding us that we are not
separate from the natural world. Sessions include mindfulness and
grounding techniques along with creative activity and metaphor.