Wild Therapy
This is a way of working together rather than a requirement or an end goal
Wild Therapy is concerned with the themes of wildness and domestication which touch all our lives and cultures. It comes from a place of viewing ourselves as part of a wider ecosystem, deeply connected to and dependent on all other elements in our world, and how all these elements mutually respond to each other.
There is an emphasis on working with how things are rather than pushing against or controlling our world and working outdoors in and with the natural environment. Spending time with the 'other-than-human' environment and slowing down to the pace of the land with a therapist trained and experienced in this approach allows space for reflection, restoration and connection, to ourselves as well as our surroundings and between client and therapist.
Connecting our thoughts and feelings, mind and body, ideas and actions, inner and outer worlds we are more able to find our way forward through painful and difficult places and make choices and changes that support our wellbeing and personal goals. This is certainly true for me and working with other therapists in this way has been the most personally valuable experience.
I offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in combination with Wild Therapy. It is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy that helps people recover from past trauma and other distressing life experiences that can feel stuck and difficult to move on from.
It does not always involve lengthy discussions about the particular experience or memory but allows the brain to support its own natural healing capacity by processing things in a particular way.
This film by the EMDR Association explains how it can help.
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The specifics will vary depending how we are working together but generally, in the first session we will answer any questions you may still have and establish:
– Whether counselling is right for you
– What you would like to work on, and why now
– Some history of the development of the issue and how it affects you now
– Some goals for how you would like things to change during counselling and how we will know if we are meeting them
– Whether we are a good fit to work together and how we will work if we are to continue
– Agree fees and payment details
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I have several regular outdoor places where I work in East Kent but we can also be in parks, woods, by the sea, or in a garden. Maybe in a cafe if the weather is bad if that feels comfortable for you, in my therapy room or online. Wild therapy can also be done entirely remotely and doesn't always entail being outside.
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For deeper work, it can be helpful to sit in a peaceful outside space, such as in the woods or a garden rather than walk, but we will always be mindful of maintaining confidentiality wherever we work.
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Wild Therapy can be done with or without Stanley and Peggy. They like to be active though, and if we want to be quiet or still it may be best for them not to be there. Also if the weather is hot or they are poorly or already tired they will need to rest at home. I will always be mindful of their welfare and their participation is always voluntary.
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You will need appropriate clothing to be outdoors for at least an hour, particularly footwear, a warm coat if it's cold and a waterproof/umbrella if it's raining, or might rain. Suncream and/or hat in the summer. Maybe something to drink to keep hydrated and a snack if you want one.
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We can still decide to be outdoors if we want to – there isn't much apart from tropical heat, blizzard or monsoon that puts me off. We can also work in my therapy room or switch to a video call if you'd rather not go out at all. We can decide on the day, and this is usually your decision. I am happy to be led by you and whatever you're comfortable with unless the weather is extreme or there are specific reasons I can't work outdoors.
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Every person and their circumstances are different, so it is impossible to give an answer to this question before we start. Some services will limit sessions to 6 or 8. Sometimes that is enough and sometimes people leave not satisfied with the progress they've made. What I can commit to is that I will work hard to support your progress at a pace you're comfortable with and not extend counselling beyond what is helpful to you, for my own financial gain. We can agree the goals and pace of the work together and will review as we go along. There isn't really an average number, as no-one is average.
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My fee for an hour session is £65. The first session is sometimes longer because people walk at different rates and often have questions they think of at the end and if it is over 1hr 15m I charge £75. If I need to travel for more than 15 minutes I will charge a small amount extra and we can agree this before we start. Likewise, if we decide to do longer sessions we can agree an amount at the outset.
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Whilst the weather doesn’t always stop us from working outside, shortening daylight hours do, so this limits sessions from roughly mid-November to the beginning of April to before dusk. Indoor sessions in my therapy room or online are still available at any time.
