Outdoor Therapy

More and more people are discovering the benefits to mental health of walking, and spending more time in nature. For some clients, the intensity of sitting face to face with a therapist can feel uncomfortable, so walking side by side is a great alternative. Just ‘being’ in nature can open us up to really connect with the beauty that is around us. Silence and space for thoughts are more natural in the outdoors, and talking alongside a therapist in this environment can open up new ways of working together.

I was brought up in Kendal, and my knowledge of the local area has been formed over many years. I feel a deep and nurturing connection with our natural environment and love to get outdoors often. There are a number of different locations that I use for outdoor therapy in and around Kendal. These can be chosen to suit your physical health, capability and weather conditions. You do not need to be ‘super fit’ or even particularly outdoors-oriented to benefit from this setting for your therapy. We may decide to sit in a particular spot for the entire hour or vary our route a little from session to session.

If you’d like to try some outdoor therapy, it’s best to meet indoors or on Zoom first – just to get to know each other a little and to talk about how our sessions outdoors might work. We can also discuss practical things – like what kind of clothing to bring, what we’ll do if the weather is terrible, what we’ll do if either of us bumps into someone we know, etc. It’ll also give you a chance to ask me any questions or raise any concerns you may have about having an outdoor session.

"Not to take possession of your life plan is to let your existence be an accident."

Irvin D. Yalom