Welcome to the Nature Calling Introduction to Ecotherapy Course

Ecotherapy is an umbrella term for lots of different practices that tap into nature to provide healing and return us to a sense of flow. This introductory course explains

Your guides are Dr Geoff Berry, the founder of Nature Calling, and ecotherapists Rhiannon Arcana and Cassie Sell, who introduce themselves in the first video.

To get the most out of this course, simply follow along with the videos, which are designed to offer you a personal touch as well as a broad spectrum and all the foundational information you need to start your Ecotherapy journey.

There is a video, which contains informative slides as well as audio explanations, for each part. The course comprises of three modules, each of which has three sections. Thus, there are nine videos in total: Module 1 parts 1-3, Module 2 parts 1-3, and Module 3 parts 1-3.

Module 1 offers an initial Introduction to Ecotherapy;

• Part 1 is an overview and Introduction to Ecotherapy;
• Part 2 covers the theoretical foundations of Ecopsychology;
• Part 3 explores the various benefits of Ecotherapy. 

Module 2 covers the Practice and Techniques that form Ecotherapy;

• Part 1 starts with common nature connection practices;
• Part 2 covers therapeutic approaches;
• Part 3 examines some practical applications. 

Module 3 covers Implementation and Integration,

• Part 1 learning about what goes into designing Ecotherapy programs;
• Part 2 covers ethical considerations and safety;
• Part 3 ends with bringing nature into the clinic and home. 

Next, please watch the first video and slide show, where our intrepid guides introduce themselves and offer a concise but thorough Introduction to Ecotherapy. 

Sit Spot

For your first optional exercise, find a Sit Spot you can visit regularly for some time. Try to sit daily, or at least a few times a week, even if it’s just for a short period of time. Try to ‘just be’ with nature, allow distracting thoughts to dissolve, and record what you notice. It’s amazing how powerful the insights can be, or alternatively how lovely the peace seems, when we take notice of the little things around us, and the passing of time at a different pace.

In Module 2 we shift a gear into the realm of Practices and Techniques. Now we start to answer the question that inspired so many when the field of Ecopsychology became prominent in the 1990s: great, now how do we do it? 

We start with some great ideas for nature connection practices, which will help you and the people you help to become and stay grounded, to feel the expansion and spaciousness that nature offers as well as the nourishment and support. 

In Part 2 we move into more specific therapeutic approaches and in Part 3 we consider how these practical applications might look in the real world. 

Try one of the nature connection exercises from Module 2, Part 1 and journal your results. What are you most attracted to, when it comes to connecting with nature – soil or trees, rivers or ocean, mountains or sky, fire or clifftops? Start to take note of your natural inclinations, including about the kinds of exercises you feel more drawn to – quiet, contemplative ones, or ecstatic dance? Mindful walking or creating ritual? All of this information will help you build your own ecotherapy profile.

In Module 3 we add a professional touch to your Introduction to Ecotherapy, by covering what you need to know about the Implementation and Integration of what you have learnt into your own practice. 

In Part 1 we learn about what goes into designing Ecotherapy programs, noting of course that we need to be adaptable in order to meet a diverse set of needs. 

From there we go on, in Part 2, to the important issues about ethical considerations and safety. Many beginners get quite concerned about this, and fair enough – it is a big step to take therapy outdoors, when nearly of our training took place inside four walls! But have faith, there are ways to prepare for anything and, alongside good insurance and knowledge of First Aid, we can care for others as well as ourselves when we proceed with appropriate caution as well as knowledge. 

Finally, we end the course in Part 3, with a conversation about bringing nature into the clinic and home. This will help you to ground what you have taken from the course into your own life as well as into your professional practice. 

Go well and please get in touch if you liked this course! 

Practical Exercise 3:

Find a place in nature, preferably one where you could potentially bring clients once you feel more confident in your ecotherapy practice. Spend some time there, finding a spot where you are comfortable sitting or standing still.

Do you feel safe here? Ask this question of your body as well as your mind, so that you tap into your innate sense of knowing, which is connected to nature in a somatic way. What makes you feel safe? Is there anything that doesn’t feel safe, or can you envision any threat or annoyance that could happen here? Be sure to remain regulated as you ask this second set of questions; you don’t want to have your sense of peace and comfort ruined by allowing negative imagination to take over! But we do have to be prepared for anything in the great outdoors.

Before leaving, get back in touch with the sense of safety, comfort, peace and/or happiness that brought you to this place. Embed it in your body and consider journalling about your experience, so that you keep a record of places where you can experiment with your own relationship with nature, as well as working towards sharing that with others.