The benefits of wild therapy and eco therapy
The benefits of eco therapy combined with counselling, with a BACP registered and trauma informed therapist
Today I’m sharing some reflections about the benefits of wild therapy and eco therapy, that’s integrated with counselling. Nature therapy can offer a really unique opportunity. Working with a nature-based counsellor or psychotherapist combines the benefits of talk-therapy with the natural world’s supportive and grounding qualities. Additionally, the somatic based approaches that I offer, along with an optional opportunity to explore Earth based spirituality if that feels aligned for you, creates a rich and powerful therapeutic experience. There are so many benefits to therapy in nature.
If you’re new here I’m Laura, a counsellor, nature therapist and a somatic truama therapist. My offerings are all about supporting you to connect with yourself and the world around you. Part of my work is about creating a space for connection with the elements of nature, by exploring our relationship to the natural world’s cycles and seasons.
From hiking to earth based spirituality, the pull to the natural world becomes stronger for me with every passing year. It’s like this for a lot of us, I think. In the business of modern life, nature can be a constant and grounding container that can support us to explore and understand ourselves.
What is counselling combined with wild therapy: how is it different from other nature therapies?
In the words of the Nature Therapy School, who I’ve done some of my training with, “Nature allied psychotherapy provides a comprehensive, ongoing psychotherapeutic framework that allows for deeper exploration and sustained personal growth”
A counsellor or psychotherapist who works in nature is bringing all of the skills and experience from their therapy practice, with the added benefits that come from being in the natural world. I combine counselling approaches with my training in somatics, meditation and wild-therapy, as well as weaving in invitations to explore our embodied connection with the natural world.
The nature based therapy that I offer:
Draws upon a range of counselling and therapy psychological approaches in the same way indoor therapy does. You can read more about my approach as a counsellor and therapist here
Incorporates eco therapy approaches along with mindfulness, somatics, embodiment and polyvagal theory
Supports you to explore and deepen your connection with the natural world
Supports you to explore and deepen your connection to yourself
Offers a space for a long-term, collaborative relationship between you as the client, me as the therapist, and the natural environment
Allows for the scientifically proven health benefits of being in nature
Our work together can also explore ancestral knowledge and traditional healing practices if that feels aligned with your understanding of the world. Through nature allied psychotherapy and therapy and counselling practices in nature, you are connecting with therapy that is rooted in current psychology as well our connection to the earth.
The Neuroscience of wild therapy: why it works
It’s not just anecdotal evidence that shows the benefits of spending time outdoors, neuroscience backs it up too. Studies show that time spent in nature can trigger positive changes in the brain, reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. When we immerse ourselves in natural environments, it has the following impact on our brains and nervous systems:
Stress reduction: nature has been shown to lower cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for stress. This can lead to an overall reduction in anxiety and stress-related symptoms.
Mood enhancement: being in green spaces can boost serotonin production, improving mood and reducing feelings of depression. The natural beauty around us can increase our sense of well-being, bringing a sense of calm and relaxation.
Increased focus: Time in nature helps boost our brain’s cognitive function, which can improve focus and reduce mental fatigue. This can be particularly beneficial for those with ADHD
Nature based therapy provides additional support for Neurodiverse people: there have been studies that demonstrate the benefits of nature therapy and walk and talk therapy for clients with both ADHD and Autism
Nature as a healing partner
In wild therapy, nature is not just a backdrop, it becomes an active part of the process. As the client, you get to decide where we go and how you engage with the natural world around us. You might want to spend your session walking, or sit on a hill overlooking the landscape. You might wish to interact with the trees and plants around you or feel your feet on the earth. The natural world is a dynamic environment and you are in control of how we explore it together.
Nature can become a space where we explore your embodied experience. In the therapy room we are often talking about things that happen outside of the room but in the natural world, we engage with the environment as well as your feelings and experiences, which can mean therapy feels more rooted in your here-and-now experience.
The lasting impact of eco therapies
While traditional therapy takes place at a set time each week, with no access to the therapy space between sessions, with nature therapy you can access the nature element of the therapy process any time. There is the opportunity to form a deep connection with the location where therapy takes place and you can return to it any time you like. I know my own deep connection with land and environments that are special to me is something I draw a lot of strength from, in the same way I do from other supportive relationships in my life.
Nature therapy also connects us to our own nature. Nature and the natural world isn’t separate from us and, for many of us, our lives are structured in a way that disconnects us from both our own nature and the nature around us. Reconnecting with land and the natural world can help us to feel more grounded and in touch with our authentic selves.
Explore nature and therapy in Birmingham
If you are looking for wild therapy in Birmingham, I’d love to chat. This form of therapy can support you to build a meaningful, therapeutic relationship with yourself and the natural world. As well as working with individuals 121, I also run nature circles that are rooted in Earth based spirituality, where you can explore connection to self and the land. Here are some resources and links to support you:
Check out this post about reflections and resources for self guided nature connection practices
If you’d like to work with me 121 drop me a message via this page
You can find out more about my approach to counselling here
Find out more about my values and what matters here
Find out about The Rooted Self nature & ritual circle here
