What is Ecotherapy?
Put simply, Ecotherapy is taking counselling outdoors, enabling us to explore your connection to the Natural World and the environment you live in. It stems from a recognition of the healing power of Nature and that we are inter-connected with all life.
Indigenous peoples around the world have understood this for thousands of years, but in industrialised modern societies we have often lost touch with the Natural world and our place within it, leading to what has been recently described as ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’.
For more information there's a useful article from The Guardian: Ecotherapy: how does the great outdoors improve mental health?
What does a session involve?
We would meet at a pre-arranged place and work outdoors for the duration of the session (whatever the weather!). It is likely to involve walking on some uneven terrain, so you would need to wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the conditions and be prepared for a degree of physical exertion. A session can include a range of practices in order to help you connect with nature and, ultimately, with your own inner nature and process.
These might include:
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Connecting with a particular place, tree, plant, bird or animal and exploring this as a metaphor for your own inner world or what’s going on in your life. -
Mindfulness / Meditation in Nature. -
Tuning into Natural cycles (e.g. weather, the seasons) and learning what they have to teach you about your own cycles. -
Connecting with the elements: earth, water, fire and air. -
Creating personal ‘ceremonies’ or making Nature ‘altars’. -
Walking. -
Movement. -
Working with the four directions (i.e. North, South, East and West). -
Solo time outdoors. -
Creative activities outside, e.g. making a mandala with found objects.
Where does it happen?
Ecotherapy can take place in both rural and more urban settings, such as parks.
Practicing on the beautiful Dartington Estate, I have a wealth of Natural spaces on the doorstep, including woodland, fields, the gardens and the river.
Is it for me?
If you like the sound of working outdoors, then please give me a call and we can discuss whether this is right for you and your needs. We can then arrange an initial session.