Moving beyond counselling and psychotherapy as it currently is – taking therapy outside

Abstract

Research was undertaken by the author in order to describe, interpret and explain what happens when counsellors and psychotherapists who have been trained to work indoors with their therapy clients take their therapy practice into outdoor natural spaces. A central research question addressed ‘What happens when counsellors and psychotherapists, who have been trained to work indoors with their therapy clients, take their therapy practice in to outdoor natural spaces?’ Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with therapists who practised outdoors. Three dominant themes emerged critiquing aspects of current counselling and psychotherapy practice. These were related to the unfolding ecological crisis, the context of the work and moving beyond current conceptions of distress and the role of therapy in addressing this

Significance of nature in a clinical setting and its perceived therapeutic value from patients’ perspective

“…Jordan and Marshall (2010) make the argument that therapeutic use of nature may bring more democracy into the therapy process, since the natural space is not controlled or owned by the personnel or the patients. This may allow both the therapist and patient to find different ways of relating to one another within the therapeutic relationship, and perhaps also find different solutions to issues and problems (Jordan, 2014).…”

“…Nature is sometimes utilized with specific therapeutic purposes in mental health settings, such as being a new therapeutic space different from indoor psychotherapy (Berger & Mcleod, 2006;Jordan, 2014;Jordan & Marshall, 2010, Revell & Mcleod, 2016Revell & Mcleod, 2017), or to engage patients in specific activities or experiences (Berman et al, 2012;Corazon, Schilhab, & Stigsdotter, 2011;Corazon, Stigsdotter, Moeller, & Rasmussen, 2012). The therapeutic use of nature can have various connotations and grounding theories (Stigsdotter et al, 2011).…”

Canoe Trips: An Especially Good Place for Conversation About Student Transition

“…Since the work of therapy is rooted in conversation, practitioners and researchers of ecotherapy are interested in the ways in which the circumstance of being outside together facilitates this. There is a tantalizing and growing body of anecdotal insight arising from practitioners of ecotherapy who notice a change in the quality of relationship when outside with their clients, a stripping of hierarchy and a kind of flow that facilitates more authentic and productive conversation (Jordan, 2014; Revell & McLeod, 2017).…”

“…This idea is rooted more broadly in an ecological concept of human health and well-being, affirming the importance of relationship and interconnectedness, a view of life illuminated variously by ideas like Bateson’s (2000) “ecology of mind,” Wilson’s (1984) “biophilia,” and Louv’s (2008) “nature-deficit-disorder.” A discussion of this grounding is beyond the scope here, but the greater idea about an ecological self provides a seedbed for our more specific discussions about conversation. Jordan (2014) explores this theme more deeply in relation to ecotherapy and highlights the significance of “situated-ness” in therapeutic practice, reminding us that “. .…”

Lives and spaces: Photovoice and offender supervision in Ireland and England

“…Moreover, meaningful contact with the natural world is increasingly recognized as an effective therapeutic tool (e.g. Jordan, 2014).…”