Nature and Therapy: Understanding counselling and psychotherapy in outdoor spaces

163 Pages·2014·1.421 MB·English

by  Martin Jordan

Nature and Therapy
Recent decades have seen an increasing interest in the healing and therapeutic
potential of nature and the potential of green care interventions for the benefit of
mental health. The field of nature-based therapies is expanding in line with this
interest. Nature and Therapy: Understanding counselling and psychotherapy in
outdoor spaces offers a unique contribution by outlining the specific processes
involved in conducting counselling and psychotherapy sessions in outdoor natural
environments.
Central areas covered in the book include:
• a thorough exploration of the evidence for the psychological and healing
potential of natural spaces;
• developing a therapeutic rationale for nature-based therapeutic work;
• understanding the therapeutic relationship and the unique therapeutic pro-
cesses that come into play in outdoor natural spaces;
• translating indoor therapeutic work to outdoor contexts;
• the practicalities of setting up and running a therapy session outside of a room
environment;
• experiential exercises to explore the therapeutic potential of nature.
Martin Jordan offers a clear outline of how to set up and hold a therapeutic
session outdoors. Using case examples, Nature and Therapy explores both the
practicalities and the therapeutic processes that come into play in an outdoor natural
setting. The book will be of use to counsellors, psychotherapists, arts therapists,
psychologists and health professionals who are interested in taking their therapeutic
work into natural environments and outdoor spaces.
Martin Jordan is a chartered counselling psychologist, UKCP registered
psychotherapist and counsellor. He is also a senior lecturer in counselling and
psychotherapy and course leader for the postgraduate diploma in psychodynamic
counselling at the University of Brighton, UK.
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Nature and Therapy
Understanding counselling and
psychotherapy in outdoor spaces
Martin Jordan
First published 2015
by Routledge
27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 2FA
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Martin Jordan
The right of Martin Jordan to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jordan, Martin, 1967–
Nature and therapy : understanding counselling and psychotherapy in
outdoor spaces / Martin Jordan. – Dual First.
pages cm
1. Counseling. 2. Psychotherapy. I. Title.
BF636.6.J67 2014
158.3–dc23 2014013680
ISBN: 978-0-415-85460-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-85461-0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-75245-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Times
by Keystroke, Station Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton
To Cara, Gemma and Mary with all my love
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Contents
List of figures ix
Foreword xi
Preface xv
Acknowledgements xvii
Author’s note xix
Introduction 1
1 The healing effects of nature – why go outdoors? 9
2 The field of nature-based therapies 30
3 The therapeutic relationship and nature-based therapy 45
4 Understanding the range of therapeutic processes in nature 58
5 Practice issues in moving counselling and psychotherapy
outdoors 79
6 Therapists’stories – taking therapy outside 98
7 Developing your own therapeutic relationship with nature 121
Index 137
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Figures
1 The willow dome space where I practise one-to-one work 3
2 Camping on trip 60
3 Carved stone figure at breathing space 62
4 Art making in nature 69
5 Breathing space: maintaining confidentiality with signs 89