What is eco-arts therapy?
Eco-arts therapy combines eco-therapy (nature based healing) and creative arts therapies. Eco-therapy connects us with nature. By spending more time in nature, in all weather, you will be more connected to the natural cycles of the year, enabling you to tune into sights, sounds and smells of the natural world that are accessible whenever and however you need them. We are part of the environment we live in, and eco-therapy helps us to connect with animals, landscapes, trees and working with natural materials.
Eco-therapy can help you to feel significantly better, by feeling more grounded, reducing depression, anxiety, anger, stress. It helps you to provide a different or alternative perspective on life, enabling you to relax in body and mind. It also helps to improve your self-esteem, mood and resilience. By providing you with an environment where you don’t have to directly focus on whatever is going on for you, or talk about it directly (unless you choose to), you can spend time in a very therapeutic space, that you can then access as needed outside of the therapy sessions.
Where do the therapy sessions take place?
The therapy session takes place in an outdoor natural environment, such as a park, wildlife trust setting or other nature based outdoor area. There is an option to just walk/sit and talk and/or use natural found materials to create artwork or take inspiration from the natural world to create artwork. For example, den building, nature journals, mindfulness, patterns in nature. Some clients prefer to have a counselling session outside, just seated, or walking along a path, others like to take photographs, make objects, or write a poem for example.
If you are wondering if this type of therapy is suitable for you, take a moment to think about how you feel in nature, do you enjoy being outdoors, or is being outdoors unfamiliar to you?
What do the eco-arts therapy sessions involve? What can I expect?
The initial conversation is to see if this type of therapy would be suitable, and this takes place virtually (telephone/zoom). We will discuss the therapy contract and practical issues of outdoor sessions and any concerns or queries you may have. Following this, if we are both happy to start sessions, we will agree a date for the first session outdoors. Please contact me for further information.
I facilitate therapy sessions in a natural environment in Staffordshire, agreed in advance. All sessions are risk assessed in advance, and are chosen with safety and practicalities as the main important factors (all sessions will take into consideration mobility, access to toilets and amenities such as food/water/First Aid, telephone signals.
Sessions last for 1 hour.
Practical points: Sessions do run through all the seasons – outdoor clothing and footwear is important.
Transport may be needed to access sessions. Some locations require payment for parking (notified in advance).
Payment is paid in advance and requires 24 hour’s notice to cancel (please see my cancellation policy).