What is outdoor therapy?
When people approach me for outdoor therapy they often say that it is because they feel more comfortable and less self-conscious talking whilst wandering side by side outdoors, because it’s not as intense as sitting in a room opposite your therapist.
It’s often also a popular choice because it combines therapy with some gentle activity which supports your wellbeing in a more holistic way than traditional therapy.
While these can both be true, outdoor therapy is so much more than this.
Here’s why…
Studies have shown that spending time in natural environments on a regular basis has a direct positive impact on our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, so before we even get started with therapy being outdoors is having a positive impact in its own right..
Humans are naturally ecological beings, intrinsically connected to the rhythms of the earth. Our human identity; our physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and our sense of fulfillment all depend on the quality of the relationship we have with nature. Our society often leaves us disconnected from the natural world and this in part contributes to us experiencing the emotional issues that bring people to therapy.
Psychotherapy aims to help us work through emotional challenges by increasing our awareness of how we relate to others in our world. This in turn allows us to make more conscious choices in our lives.
Outdoor therapy takes traditional psychotherapy ideas and practices and combines them with a purposeful use of nature as a major part of the therapeutic process.
Outdoor therapy goes beyond exploring our relationships with self and others (including the therapist) and includes the natural world as an active living presence in the therapeutic relationship. Doing therapy in a natural environment facilitates a deeper connection to nature and allows nature to become almost like a co-therapist in the process.
If you wish to find out more please get in touch.