Outdoor / Eco Therapy

Outdoor / Eco therapies can include a range of initiatives and mental health interventions that take place outside - such as one to one walk and talk therapy sessions, small group work engaging over gardening and ecology activities and Animal Assisted Therapy. Retreat days where participants can access all kinds of activities which have a therapeutic benefit.

Here at The Orchard, we have five acres of land and we have worked tirelessly to restore this neglected and mistreated site it to its natural state and so is once again teeming with wildlife. We keep hens and bees, have an orchard and an allotment on the Oak Garden. Our commitment to ecology, sustainability and protecting our wildlife makes a perfect partnership with the therapeutic and healing work of Eco therapy which encompasses counselling and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT).

One to One

Clients who come for one-to-one counselling have the choice of working in my therapy room which overlooks the oak garden; or as a walk and talk session where we can wander the paths through the orchard, meadow or woods and sit awhile in any of the different seating areas around the site.

Walk and talk counselling sessions have gained in popularity over recent years and there are many reasons why this works. The therapeutic benefits of being outside are that the natural world has a calming effect helping to lower barriers and access deeper feelings. That for many clients walking with a therapist can feel that they are less under scrutiny or self-conscious. The power balance is shifted providing a more equal sense of collaboration than being inside the therapist’s room and domain.

However, there are drawbacks to outside walk and talk sessions for both client and therapist as thought has to be given to client confidentiality and privacy, requiring extra contracting for ‘what we should do if we bump into someone we know or encounter other people whilst in a state of upset’? This before working out where toilets or other amenities might be located.

Here at The Orchard, our five acres of land is fenced and gated providing psychological safety to a client or group knowing they have the space to themselves and will not encounter anyone else during their visit. Also, our climate is unpredictable and the weather can influence when sessions can take place outdoors. Rain, cold and even very warm weather can have an impact on client’s ability to fully access a therapeutic experience. At the Orchard we have places of natural shade and shelter around the site. We have a purpose-built counselling room within the agricultural barn to retreat to should the weather deteriorate. We are equipped with umbrellas, waterproofs and fleece blankets close by in the barn for those clients who prefer to be outside whatever the weather. We have a toilet, water and basic amenities within the barn for the client’s comfort and safety.

I have received a great deal of feedback from clients expressing how this work has been invaluable and a life line.

One female client in her thirties spoke of sitting under the old oak trees with the branches arching over us and the solid roots beneath us, feeling cradled by trees so grounded and deeply rooted, that were here before us and will be here long after us. She experienced the oaks as witnessing her story, feeling her sorrow and keeping her secrets, and giving her their strength.

Group work.

At The Orchard we have had a number of schools groups who access a regular weekly session with myself, Bramble and Laurel. Each group has time tending the growing beds some even making their own. We sow seeds, plant bulbs, collect fallen wood for fires, dig trenches for a ‘no dig Hügelkultur’, eat biscuits, plant old varieties of fruit trees, reseed native wildflowers in the meadow, make outdoor garden art, eat sandwiches, talk to the bees and taste honey, spend time with our hens, make seed cakes for birds placed on squirrel proofed bird tables, create piles of rotting logs to support diverse little eco cultures, share a hot chocolate, observe wildlife, learn about compost and leaf mould, harvest food to cook and eat, celebrate Winter Solstice complete with bonfire and Yule Log. We have even been able to facilitate the gaining of an ASDAN gardening qualification for some groups.

Gradually it becomes clear that life has a cycle, that things take time, we put in the graft and have to wait. Gratification isn’t instant or an entitlement unlike so much in our culture.

And if all that isn’t enough, young people begin to make sense of why we recycle our waste and re use anything and everything we can. How we avoid buying plastics or throw away wipes to add to landfill or don’t use chemicals that might harm wildlife or natural habitats. That conservation is crucial and that whatever we do or don’t do has an impact on our environment. All of this echoes the themes which arise in the group of how actions always have consequences that may be helpful or hurtful. Moments present themselves to talk and share, to learn to listen and develop empathy.

What I see in these amazing young people is a developing sense of stewardship and a building of self-esteem and confidence as they come to know themselves better and discover that they made a difference and changed something for the better.

We also welcome adult groups, those managing their mental health and finding that gardening and being on the land is soothing and restorative. Many have found new interests and purpose and a sense of community and self-worth.

We can create bespoke retreat days for small groups with activities ranging from personal development through expressive media, guided imagery, storytelling, meditation, massage and yoga, to foraging and plant identification, fruit picking and jam making and a whole array of craft sessions.

Here at The Orchard, we are open and willing to discuss your groups need and to work with you to create a programme that will meet those needs.

There is a growing body of research that demonstrates the therapeutic value of working outside. Positive effects of being outdoors is the sense of freedom, antidote to living in urban areas and for those constantly engaged with technology. Nature is a restorative place where people can connect with their surroundings and can serve as a calming back drop. Studies have revealed how therapy can be enriched by nature. When taking place beyond the walls of a therapist’s room, sessions have given clients added mutuality, freedom of expression, mind-body holism and interconnectivity.

There is also evidence that shows a positive effect, not only on clients, but therapists too. The healing and restorative effect of nature initiates therapist’s own relationship with the natural world, which in turn improves their ability to work with and understand clients.

iCAAD Taking Therapy Outside. World conference 2020

Alongside this, did you know that there’s a natural antidepressant in soil?

Mycobacterium vaccae is the substance under study and has indeed been found to mirror the effect on neurons that drugs like Prozac provide. The bacterium is found in soil and can stimulate serotonin production, which makes you relaxed and happier. Soil microbes and human health now have a positive link that has been studied and found to be verifiable.

The natural effects of the soil bacteria antidepressant can be felt for up to 3 weeks if the experiments any indication.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Antidepressant Microbes In Soil: How Dirt Makes You Happy .

Resources:

“Identification of an Immune-Responsive Mesolimbocortical Serotonergic System: Potential Role in Regulation of Emotional Behavior,” by Christopher Lowry et al., published online on March 28, 2007 in Neuroscience. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1868963/

Mind & Brain/Depression and Happiness – Raw Data “Is Dirt the New Prozac?” by Josie Glausiusz, Discover Magazine, July 2007 Issue. https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/is-dirt-the-new-prozac