Nature-Based Therapy: A Practitioner’s Guide to Working Outdoors with Children, Youth, and Families

Take advantage of nature’s therapeutic benefits with this guide for counselors, therapists, and educators who work with children, youth, and families. The number of people seeking help for a wide range of mental health concerns is growing at an alarming rate. Unplugging from technology and reconnecting with the web of life is a powerful antidote to the anxiety and stress that tend to exacerbate so many of our mental health struggles. Nature-Based Therapy addresses the underlying disconnection between humans and their ecological home, exploring theories and therapeutic practices designed for children, youth, and families, including: Developing sensory awareness of outer and inner landscapes Navigating risk in play Case examples with a diverse range of settings, intentions, and interventions

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Notes to the Reader 1. An Introduction to Nature for Therapy 2. Outdoor Therapies: A Choice of Paths to Follow 3. Why Nature-based Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families? 4. Making the Choice to Take Therapy Outside 5. Nature-based Play, Regulation, and Healthy Neurophysiology 6. Outdoor Risky Play in Nature-based Therapy 7. Nature as Co-therapist 8. Nature-based Therapy for Families 9. Multi-family Nature-based Therapy 10. Group Applications in Nature-based Therapy 11. Ethics in Nature-based Therapy Appendix A: Developing a Nature-based Therapy Practice Appendix B: Suggested Clothing and Equipment/Materials List Notes Index About the Authors About New Society Publishers

About the Author :
Dr. Nevin J. Harper is an Associate Professor at the School of Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria. He is the founder of the Canadian Adventure Therapy Symposium, a founding board member of the Child & Nature Alliance of Canada, and his career has included stretches as a youth counselor, outdoor skills instructor, shepherd, and wilderness guide. Nevin has an active research agenda examining human-environmental interactions, primarily through the practices of adventure therapy, wilderness therapy, and nature-based approaches to healing and wellbeing. He lives on Vancouver Island, Canada. Kathryn Rose has been discovering the joys of experiential and nature-based approaches to working with children, youth, and families for the promotion of healing and growth for over 10 years. Katy holds a deep trust in the healing power of connection with the non-human natural world and believes that individuals are born with an innate drive and capacity towards wholeness and health. Katy completed a Master's degree in Transpersonal Counselling Psychology, with a specialization in Wilderness Therapy, from Naropa University in Colorado and is registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. She lives in Victoria, Canada. humannaturecounselling.ca David Segal has been involved in providing therapeutic nature-based counselling for children, youth, and families for over 15 years. He is deeply passionate about the natural world and how human-nature relationships influence our collective and individual well-being. He offers presentations and workshops on cultivating health through contact with nature and has been contributing to the emerging field of eco-therapy through his work as a clinical counsellor serving youth and families in the Greater Victoria area. He completed a Master's degree in Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria and is registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. David has published articles in ecopsychology and counseling journals. He lives in Victoria, Canada. humannaturecounselling.ca