Why choose Outdoor Therapy?

It’s more than “just” walk and talk…

Feeling overwhelmed by the busy, chaotic whirlwind that is life? Fed up with technology and feeling a yearning to be outside, like our ancestors did? Outdoor Therapy gives you a chance to step into and connect with nature, giving a well-needed pause from the busy-ness of the world around us. It’s still one-to-one therapy, it’s still 50 minutes, but by taking therapy outside, we can gain so much from the richness the nature would has to offer us. It’s really hard not to be inspired to grow, when there’s growth happening unassumingly and gloriously all around you. I often talk about my job being to walk alongside you as you navigate life’s challenges and hardships – well for 50 minutes I can literally walk alongside you, going at your pace and gaining insight into what life is like for you, whilst also helping you to make links and gain a different perspective. Yes, there’s walking, yes, there’s talking, but there’s also so much more…

Nature as a healer

In Six Ways That Walking in Nature Can Improve Our Wellbeing, I go into lots more detail, but there’s lots of research to prove that simply being in nature is so healing for us humans, and walking adds to the benefits. But for now, let’s just paint a snapshot. The birds are singing, the leaves on the trees are gently rustling in the wind, the sun dances on the ground creating dazzling spotlights… Outdoor Therapy gives us a chance to take a moment out of the busy hustle-and-bustle of daily life and just breathe. Yes, there will be times when we walk, but there will also times when we simply stop, pause and take a moment, calming and grounding our nervous system and giving us time to reflect.

Nature as a metaphor

An uncomfortable emotion or a symbol of everlasting solidity? You get to decide what something means to you @Jules Lowe Counselling

What’s one of the biggest differences between standard walk and talk therapy and outdoor therapy? In my opinion, it’s that we use what we can see around us and the movement we make through it, rather than simply use it as a backdrop to a walk. My clients know that I LOVE a metaphor. And being out in nature, well, metaphors just appear, like nature is helping us out. A fallen log might represent an obstacle that we need to overcome – we can then choose how we are going to overcome it and physically step over it… or even leap over it. Our bodies can get in on the action – one of the most powerful experiences I’ve had as a counsellor is when we physically go back to where a client was talking about a certain issue and asking whether it feels the same way now. It doesn’t always involve movement though – it could be flowing water reminding us to stop trying to resist change, or an overgrown holly bush representing how prickly life is feeling right now.

As always, any metaphors I offer will be just this – an offering that you can take or leave. You might see the holly bush, for instance, in a completely different way. But whereas in the therapy room we have to imagine the images, which some of us find harder than others, outside in nature the holly bush or the log or the stream are all actually there – we don’t have to use our imagination. You can explain how you are feeling using the props that nature has provided – it can help me to see life through your eyes and together we can work on what to do with this information to help you grow.

Adventure awaits @Jules Lowe Counselling

Nature as a taskmaster

It’s worth noting some of the pitfalls of outdoor therapy too… For instance, we live in England, and we’ll be out come rain or shine. The rain can add more meaning to our work – we may be tempted to avoid the discomfort of the rain, just like we might try to avoid feeling difficult emotions, and the experience of tolerating the rain may encourage us to tolerate our emotions, to remember that once we’ve felt the emotion, instead of resisting it, it too shall pass. However, on a more literal level, rain is wet, cold and it’s not the same vibe as the comfort of my gorgeous indoor spaces. If you’re not up for experiencing nature in all it’s moods, then I’m afraid Outdoor Therapy may not be for you…

It's interesting, when I carried out my risk assessment for my outdoor space, I started to view it with different spectacles, spectacles that were constantly looking out for risk. Tree roots sprawling out onto the path became potential trip hazards. Water cascading beautifully between rocks became an accident waiting to happen. When my anxiety was at its peak of taking over my life, this is how I saw life, through these risk-spotting spectacles. Potential danger was everywhere, my nervous system was on high alert and I was constantly vigilant. As always, it’s not that we want to get rid of anxiety – it’s there to protect us. Just like me looking out for potential risks for my risk assessment so that my clients can be as safe as possible, our anxiety does the same. Be vigilant enough not to walk headfirst into a tree, that kind of thing. But just like my risk assessment, however hard I think about it, I cannot predict everything that could possibly happen. So maybe there’s something in acknowledging the risks, accepting that we can’t predict every eventuality, but letting nature hold us and let us know that we are safe as we can be, and that we can handle anything that comes our way.

Nature as inspiration

Sometimes part of the process is to stop and take a moment to experience the awe and wonder of nature. For instance, it can be humbling to remember that some of these trees existed long before we did, and will continue to grow long after we have left this earth. They stand there without a care for the email your boss just sent or the snide remark a colleague meant. This is not to dismiss the impact of how these make you feel, but more it gives us a chance to see how life carries on regardless of how much we worry about it.

And we are part of this awe and wonder. A waterfall may look magnificent, and you may marvel at how a bird instinctively knows how to feed its young, but you too are part of this world, and you too have a part to play. It can remind us that we are all part of this circle of life. As someone who works a lot with grief and loss, the natural world is overflowing with examples of life, death, and further growth and rejuvenation. Connecting with nature helps us take a step back and see the bigger picture. In the grand scheme of things, what is really important to us?

Feeling inspired? Curious? Ready for Adventure? Get in touch to book you FREE initial call and explore how Outdoor Therapy with me might work for you.