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Working outdoors

Eco-therapy or walk and talk therapy.

Meeting outdoors is an effective way to conduct therapy providing we understand the parameters and meet the challenges together. That said, nature and the local area provide a huge opportunities, inspirations and metaphor as well as encouraging calm, reflection, contemplation, acceptance, perspective… so many things that are helpful in the self-development process.

Walking, pausing, resting, exploring etc.

Setting challenges and observation exercises.

Changing pace and noticing our need to hurry or slow down.

Perhaps most importantly for me, walking side by side shifts us from head-to-head seating, which can so often lock us into thinking processes and encourages a journeying-together-perspective.

When outdoors, we may be utilising our senses and feelings as much or even more than our verbal capacities. By taking this more embodied approach, working outdoors can deepen the experience and integrate clients in ways that standard therapy conversations struggle to do.

Contracting

But it is not always right for every client, so I insist on a staged assessment which allows us to clearly establish whether this process will suit you and whether we can work safely in this way. This includes a preparatory conversation – by phone or video-call, a meeting outside and an assessment by email/phone, before meeting outside.

Sometimes we have contracted to explore a few sessions outside followed by some inside. Each step provides reflection time to absorb what you are learning and help us build a bespoke therapy for you.

Sunlight through winter trees over a woodland path