Nature Therapy
The natural world is the larger sacred community to which we belong. To be alienated from this community is to become destitute in all that makes us human. To damage this community is to diminish our own existence.
~ Thomas Berry (author of The Dream of the Earth)
Nature. Psyche. Soul.
Helping you to embrace your true nature and potential.
Working therapeutically in nature stimulates us to connect with ourselves in a gentle way and for some people this can feel more comfortable than traditional talking therapy. Nature expresses in cycles as we ourselves do, in seasons, in morning and night, in dark and light, in sunsets and moon rises, through birth – growth – death – renewal.
The potential to nurture ourselves through nature, to see how the different seasons change the same landscape, enables us to discover new patterns and ways of being through the potential of nature, and our connection with it. We are nature - interconnected with the natural world and beyond, although we may sometimes feel loneliness and isolation, even alienation and loss of purpose. Our therapy sessions can happen as we walk and talk and ‘just be’ in nature, either here in the fields and surrounding woods and orchards, or at a pre-arranged location relevant to you. I also have a base-camp of chairs and a fire in the orchard, where we can sit under the canopy of blossoms, or stars, and hold our sessions outside, seated, in tranquil surroundings. Getting back into contact with elements of fire and earth for example, holds tremendous healing potential and helps us to reconnect with forgotten parts of ourselves.
My suffolk practice is based in an orchard near to Lavenham. Nature therapy can be a grounding resource which can help to reconnect ourselves with self and other. Living mindfully is a huge benefit of nature therapy and this can help you feel more vital and connected.
With therapeutic walking the walker is encouraged to focus on nature, to look at the little things under foot, to notice the surrounding environment and to pay attention to the journey - the many things that are missed when walking lost in thoughts. Taking time to slow down, to notice and reflect on the surroundings - trees, plants, animals, rock formations and wildflowers - can be very restorative and worthwhile.
~ Jon Kabat-Zinn
We can discuss if nature therapy may be of benefit to you in our initial session. The same psychotherapeutic boundaries will still apply, and we will discuss confidentiality as we may meet other people whilst working outside.
We are all, we are all the children of a beautiful coloured flower, a flaming flower, and there is no one, there is no one who regrets who we are - Huichol song
