Eco-therapy, also known as Green Therapy, Nature Therapy, Beach Therapy
Nature Base vision is to see families immersed in nature, connecting with the natural environment, exploring life in the present moment. This ‘experiencing’ often leads us to moments of Awe and Wonder;
“Wonder requires a person not to forget themselves but to feel themselves so acutely that their connectedness to every created thing comes into focus” (Arthur Riley, This Here Flesh, 36, 37)
At Nature Base it’s this ‘connectedness’ that we aim to facilitate: from a Community Play session to a Therapeutic Workshop, we see the health and well-being benefits that spending time in nature brings for self, our families and the world around us.
Sessions and Workshops:
We offer a range of Nature Based therapeutic sessions to include; photography, storytelling, nature art, working with sand, poetry, mindfulness, woodcraft for well-being and continue to develop our knowledge in this area to offer new sessions.
These sessions are usually focussed around doing an activity in nature.
Where:
Our sessions take place in green spaces, woodland and on the beach to provide a rich multi-sensory environment with opportunities to reflect and connect.
What Do others say about Eco-therapy, also known as Green Therapy, Nature Therapy, Beach Therapy?
Stephen McCabe, 10 Directions course leader, Tariki Trust
“Ecotherapy defines any activity that connects people with nature for the good of their mental health and wellbeing, and for the good of the planet too. The sense of utter awe at nature’s power, beauty and mystery that ecotherapy inspires is what we tap into. As an ecotherapy practitioner, I trust that my clients’ renewed love for nature will lead to a healthier relationship with it, and with themselves”
Fairlie Winship, 10 Directions course leader, Tariki Trust
“Ecotherapy is a nature-based approach to healing that can include a wide range of therapeutic practises such as walk and talk therapy, horticultural therapy, wilderness therapy and outdoor adventure to name a few. It relates to the outdoor environment as a healing space in which the senses are engaged and there is movement. It is a shared experience between client and therapist, and natural objects may be used to facilitate the therapeutic process”
“by observing nature, noticing ourself in nature and developing awareness of how we relate to. From this we can develop secure attachments with all of life, reconnect with our own beingness and find healing, all of which inter-relate with and contribute to a larger healing process in the world around us”
Mind
Ecotherapy is a formal type of therapeutic treatment which involves doing outdoor activities in nature. There isn't one single definition of ecotherapy, but it's often used to describe a regular, structured activity that:
is led by trained professionals (sometimes therapists), who are there to support you
focuses on doing an activity, rather than on your health
takes place in a green environment
is related to exploring and appreciating the natural world
involves spending time with other people, although you can always choose to interact at your own pace.
What training do we have?
Eco-therapy offers a type of therapeutic treatment/ facilitation or/and intervention.
Sophie; our lead practitioner has training in Eco-therapy with the Tariki Trust 10 Directions course and is a certified ‘Intensive Outdoor Mental Health Practitioner’ through The Therapy Adventure. She has a certificate in Therapeutic skills for Outdoor Leaders with the Therapeutic Forest; currently extending this training in addition to the Adult Mental Health certificate for Outdoor Leaders. She also has undertaken training with Jill Carter; using a Sand Tray as a therapeutic tool and is part of the Out of the Box storytelling community for personal and community well-being.