Kirsty Weedon: Psychotherapy, Supervision, Facilitation & Education 

Why take psychotherapy outdoors?

Taking psychotherapy outdoors offers the opportunity to work in a shared space, where we encounter the wider human and (other-than-human) natural world. This invites us into a dynamic, living process, bringing us into contact with ourselves, our relationships (with others, place, and nature), and the therapeutic work in a different way. 

 

Being outdoors can be enlivening, adding sensory, embodied, and relational dimensions to therapy. For some people, this can feel supportive and regulating, offering space, movement, and connection that can facilitate exploration and understanding. For others, however, it may feel distracting, distancing, or overwhelming.

 

As with all psychotherapy, it is important to consider whether working outdoors feels supportive for you. Together, we will explore how outdoor therapy fits with your needs, circumstances, and therapeutic goals.

My outdoor therapy practice

My outdoor therapy work is firmly rooted in my psychotherapy practice and clinical thinking. It is also informed by my professional outdoor experience and training. I believe that we are all fundamentally interconnected with each other and (the-other-than human) nature in an interdependent system, where we shape, and are shaped by the people and world around us.

 

I am interested to work with the outdoors and nature as a co-therapist in a co-creative process, allowing space for things to emerge. At the same time, I recognise that I use the outdoors and nature as a valuable resource to support therapeutic work, offering metaphor and opportunities for connection, reflection and meaning.

 

I also hold the view that outdoor therapy does not fit for everyone, and I have no expectations that this is something people need to do.

 

I am committed to my ongoing development in thinking and practice about outdoor therapy, particularly in psychodrama outdoors, ethical considerations, and supporting other professionals working therapeutically outdoors. It has been a privilege to work with the University of Cumbria and the Association for Outdoor Therapy, and to think collaboratively with others about how we can support the development of this field. 

I currently work from several different locations:

Colwick Lakes, Nottingham

Burnt Stump, Nottinghamshire

Stanton Moor, Derbyshire