Eco-Psychotherapy

Working with nature to inspire post-traumatic growth

The seeds of complex trauma are often rooted in early attachment difficulties, emerge from overwhelming traumatic events, and are maintained through continuing nervous system dysregulation. What elements of nature are actively therapeutic, and how can we harness them to help us to regulate a dysregulated nervous system, and – through the use of metaphor and meaning, connection and containment – to establish recovery on solid ground and foster post-traumatic growth and resilience? Recent ideas from a variety of disciplines – for example, affective neuroscience research, sensorimotor psychotherapy, and evidence-based therapeutic site design – as well as hands-on personal experience, will be explored to offer some insights and inspiration as to how we might incorporate the natural world more effectively and confidently into our healing work.