Category: Blog

When I first started developing nature based therapy, I had not heard of the term green social work. I came across this concept while I was doing a unit in my current studies for the Master of Social Work. I was so excited to learn that the social work sector was aware of our connection to our environment and that social justice and environmental justice appeared to be intimately connected. After having worked as a drug and alcohol counsellor for 17 years I had not come across green social work…

Do you know your neighbours? What are their names?  Do they have jobs? I am not talking about your human neighbours.  I am talking about the other life that surrounds your home that is either in your front yard, back yard, nature strip or down your street! Tree’s, plants, flowers and weeds! That’s right, our eco-system is our community isn’t it?  We depend upon it to survive and when we engage with it, we somehow feel a connection.  I think this is why gardening appeals so much to older people. …

Life can be stressful. Relationship breakdowns, the death of a loved one, loss of job, financial struggles and exposure to negative environments can all prompt us to see darkness and blind our vision of a happy future. In times of darkness we often focus on the seeing what is wrong with life rather than what can be right.  We also sometimes feel that we are all alone in the struggle to be happy. It’s ok and perfectly normal to feel sad when we experience grief in our lives.  However, if…

I am very passionate about teaching nature based therapy! It excites me that the processes that I have developed are simple ways for people to be able to reconnect to the natural world and experience the awe that life brings. When we talk about these processes in group discussions comments come up like, ‘we know this, but often forget’, ‘this is something that I can do daily’, and ‘this stuff is really very simple’. Yes, to all the above! However, we when go out to put this theory into practice…