There is plenty of research on how being in nature can calm us. When you step outside, your senses can hardly help but notice what you can see, hear, smell and sometimes touch and even taste. Experiencing the world through our senses allows us to be distracted for a while from the thoughts about what we’ve done, what we’ve not done and all those other preoccupations that are pulsing at high speed round our brain, leaving us exhausted and stressed. Being in nature gives us space to take things more slowly and reflect on what is happening and/or has happened in our lives. And this is a great start for therapy.
But working through our senses can offer us more than this. The ’head’ has usually developed a set narrative about who we are and our life experiences and it can feel impossible to challenge this – we have been who we are for such a long time. If, however, we allow ourselves to connect with our body and the unconscious self initially through the senses, we may find that our internal self can offer us a different perspective, insights and opportunities for growth, change and healing.
My approach blends movement, metaphor and mindfulness. In a therapy session, we take our time as we move through the woods; stopping, focusing on what the client notices in their bodies and outside in nature and reflecting on the connections and what these may mean for them and their life. A particular flower or tree may remind the client of a significant time in their life; a muddy patch may mirror a difficult experience the client is struggling with; the sun bringing light into the dark woods may offer hope. I help the client to work with the metaphor, to deepen their understanding of themselves and find new insight about who they are and their life experiences, a changed perspective, a solution to a difficulty or even healing a part of themselves.
Another benefit of working in nature, is that it has no ego, it doesn’t judge and is always there for us to turn to when we need to feel calm and resourced.
I work in Views Wood on the edge of Uckfield. The woods are owned by the Woodland Trust and it is open to the public, but there are plenty of parts of the woods where people rarely go, and which are therefore more secluded and private. The Wood offers a wonderful array of natural environments: native woodland, streams, ponds, bog and meadow and there are lots of creatures, plants, insects, birds, etc for the senses to respond to.
I work all the year through which means that the client and the therapy can benefit from the changing dynamics and resources which offer themselves as part of nature’s annual seasonal cycle.
Clients are asked to wear suitable footwear (there may be muddy areas even in the summer) and clothing.
I bring with me a first aid kit and sit mats, and work, as I would indoors, with compassion, confidentiality and care.