Deepening Our Therapeutic Practice through Nature and the Natural Self

Workshop: Deepening Our Therapeutic Practice through Nature and the Natural Self

Description: Members of the teaching team from Natural Academy and developers of The Grenian Ecotherapy hub at Ham Green near Bristol, will draw on the Natural Self Ecotherapy (NSET) model, developed by Natural Academy. Through this experiential learning day, they will invite participants into a deeper relationship with their own sense of presence, self-regulation, and therapeutic attunement. Rooted in trauma-informed, eco-centred and reciprocal processes. The day will expore how working with nature can enhance therapeutic holding, enable embodied listening, and support lasting integration for clients. It will highlight this developing modality and how it meets the multiple crises that we all face. This session is suitable for counsellors, psychotherapists, and wellbeing professionals curious about expanding their practice into nature-based approaches.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the principles and structure of Natural Self Ecotherapy (NSET) and its application in one-to-one and group work.
• Deepen your felt experience of the therapeutic relationship through connection with natural spaces and eco-centred processes.
• Explore your own internal landscape of regulation, resistance, and response within the container of natural space.
• Develop ways to integrate nature-based methods safely into your existing therapeutic framework.

Facilitators:

Ruth Taylor - Ruth is a qualified nature-based practitioner with training in ecopsychology and other counselling psychology approaches. She works as an ecotherapists and counsellor in private organisations and is working in the Grenian centre.

Simone Heyland - Simone is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and ecotherapist working as a consultant in specialist educational settings and in private practice. She has worked in higher education as a lecturer and clinical supervisor training psychotherapists, she has worked within the NHS as a group therapist and has published research in her fields of study.

Micheal Connors - Michael has a background in education, psychotherapy and nature based therapy. He brings a grounded, relational and trauma-informed approach to his work. His practice is influenced by the Natural Self Ecotherapy model, which supports psychological and emotional healing through intentional connection with the land and with self. Mike has worked across therapeutic and nature-based settings and is passionate about holding spaces that support deep, whole, integrative healing.

Price: CaPPP Member's Early Bird £65, CaPPP Member's £70, Non-members £75, Student Therapist Early Bird £40, Student Therapist £60

Places are limited and must be booked in advance by 12.00pm Wednesday 1st October.

Registration & refreshments: 9.00 to 9.30 refreshments will be available during registration.

Lunch: Lunch and refreshments are included in your booking

Venue: Penny Brohn Centre, Chapel Pill Lane, Pill, Bristol BS20 0HH