Tag: counselling

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Why walk and talk?

The idea of taking therapy out of the counselling room and into nature has really taken off in recent years. Covid pandemic lockdowns have been one driving force, as it was sometimes the only way for counsellors to keep seeing their clients in person. On the other hand, it could be seen as a practice with ancient roots in shamanistic healing work that sees humans as part of our natural environment. More than 2,000 therapists on one major counsellor directory now offer outdoor sessions as an option as well as or instead of counselling rooms or by internet or phone. So what might be the benefits?

Photograph of fallen trees covered in moss against a backdrop of a winter deciduous woodland in North Wales.

Nature’s effect on mental health and wellbeing

While research about the effects of being outdoors on the nitty gritty of counselling is still catching up, there’s a large – and growing – body of research about the benefits of time in nature on humans’ mental health and wellbeing.

They include calming of the nervous system, boosting thinking power and mood, raising self-esteem and fostering a nurturing sense of connection.

Quite how this is achieved is less certain but we do know that our evolution may play a part – affecting the kinds of places we feel safe and nourished in. Edward O Wilson put forward the biophilia hypothesis, which suggests humans have an innate tendency to seek connection with other forms of life and nature as a whole. Ecopsychology, which has been developing for several decades now, claims to ‘revision’ traditional psychology in a way that puts the human psyche back into intimate relationship with the wider world.

Further research shows how the combination of movement in the form of walking with being outdoors can also support therapeutic goals.

A wider picture

Much of the above information comes from my research towards my Masters degree (and I have references available for anyone who would like them!). But what really struck me as I was reading all the research papers and books were some of the terms that kept recurring:

Connectedness, interconnectedness, inter-relation, a sense of a natural bond, holistic, interdependence, belonging.

This is the stuff that leads me to want to practise my therapeutic work outdoors. I believe that modern life in my culture has artificially separated us from the rest of nature. That healing requires connection, that wholeness comes from being part of our wider worlds.

It’s hard to explain. It’s easier to experience. And having experienced it for myself at some tough times of life, I want to share it with others.

You can find out more on my counselling practice here.

Or at my Counselling Directory entry, where you can also book a free discovery call.

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Choosing a counsellor

Some stuff you might not know…

Two shiny red rosehips next to each other against dark green leaves.

Anyone can call themselves a counsellor

Titles such as ‘counsellor’ and ‘psychotherapist’ are not what is known as ‘protected titles’ in the UK. This sets them apart from the likes of medical doctors, physiotherapists, arts therapists, dieticians or podiatrists – these are all protected titles and it is illegal to call yourself one without undergoing appropriate training that allows you to join a professional register. Anyone can call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist regardless of training or experience.

So what training could my counsellor have had?

There are routes that are generally recognised as providing enough training and experience for people to practise as counsellors. These usually involve a course at a minimum of a Level 4, but possibly up to level 7, that includes 100 hours of experience of providing counselling on a placement. It’s sometimes known as core practitioner training. Level 4 is equivalent to the first year of a university undergraduate, or bachelor’s, degree. Level 7 is Masters degree level. Level 2 and 3 courses, often available at local colleges, are usually done in preparation for this practitioner training, or by people who may use counselling skills as part of a different job such as support work.

How do I know if my counsellor has training?

It may be listed on their website or directory entry, otherwise you can ask. If you’re worried, you could ask to see the documentary evidence in the form of a certificate from their training provider. Some of the organisations they could belong to will require evidence of core practitioner training.

Isn’t there a professional organisation?

Yes and no. There are several organisations counsellors can choose to become members of. Membership of any is voluntary. There is no single official professional organisation overseeing practitioners. There is currently a lot of disagreement about the role these organisations play. Many of the membership organisations will require members to have undergone recognised training routes, abide by a code of ethics and have a certain level of supervision in place.

Why is this all so confusing?

There is a great deal of controversy and debate over the regulation of counselling and psychotherapy. Some believe that compulsory regulation would stifle innovation and distort the natural connection between two human beings, among other potential downsides. And some think that the whole thing is a bureaucratic money-making machine for the membership bodies. On the other hand, membership bodies do require members to have recognised training, adequate supervision and to adhere to an ethical code – and give clients somewhere to complain to if they believe they have experienced unethical or harmful practice.

What can I do?

You can check what training a counsellor has, whether they are a member of an organisation with an ethical code and whether they have insurance. It may say this on their profiles on directories, or you can ask. If they haven’t had the more generally recognised training, they should be willing to discuss their reasons for this with you and what makes them appropriately skilled and experienced. Some of the membership organisations are accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

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Counselling and forest bathing: An update

I woke to snow this morning. A bright day with moisture droplets sparkling on the lime trees opposite my house. A cold day with the thermometer down to 14C in my living room. And I have turned to my to-do list, as is appropriate for that January feeling of new beginnings, putting things into place while I wait for a hint of spring in the air. Today that meant a bit of light painting as I prepare to sell this house and then the search for a suitable room in which to meet therapy clients.

That’s the big news. I completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling at Staffordshire University and I’ve gone on to begin my Masters research with them. I primarily want to work with clients outdoors, bringing all the healing of nature into the work. But even I understand that torrential rain or gale-force winds may not be conducive to therapeutic conversations. So I’m looking for a room to hire for when we’d rather have a comfy seat and a roof.

I didn’t quite know what would happen to my outdoor work – as a forest school leader or as a forest bathing guide – when I began the counselling course. I knew something might have to give but tried to keep it all up to begin with. But I wasn’t really prepared for the overwhelming emotional toll of the course, of the depths of personal reflection and exploration involved. (I’ve since realised I’m probably a highly sensitive person, which explains why I felt that so strongly. See Elaine Aron’s website and books for more!) Forest school work naturally dried up and although I could have gone looking for new sources of work, I let it go. I miss working with children in the woods and I’d love to have the occasional opportunity to do so again. I don’t miss working within school bureaucracies or having a car full of musty tarps and firewood so much.

Forest bathing

My initial model of offering forest bathing sessions or my ‘Forest School for Grown-Ups’ sessions was difficult to manage. They are of necessity small group activities. But that means I often found myself as the dates approached worrying if I would have enough participants. I hated the couple of occasions when I had to let down those who had booked because there just wouldn’t be a big enough group to make it work. So for now I’ve switched this to a bespoke service people can commission me to provide. I can offer individual forest bathing, or tailored sessions for small groups – friends, families, social groups, businesses looking to help staff with self-care and nature’s route to creative thinking. More info here.

Counselling

And in my new role as a counsellor I am offering people the chance to take their therapy outside and benefit from all that nature can offer us. This is a fairly new practice for counsellors that is really starting to become more popular – but it’s also an ancient practice in which we recognise that healing comes only in connection with the bigger world we are part of. For anyone who knows about counselling modalities, I’m person-centred with a dash of integrative. The focus is on providing a nurturing space in which you are fully heard and fully accepted as you are, without judgment. There’s more about my practice and the facility to book an initial inquiry call at Counselling Directory.