Ecotherapy for Trauma
Trauma is held in the body and recent understanding of trauma as related to how traumatic memories are held in the nervous system, suggests that it is important to include body work into therapy as well as befriending the nervous system and understand its functioning.
I have extensive experience of working with trauma including early separation of children from their birth parents and families, various forms of abuse and neglect, attachment disruptions, insecure attachment patterns of relating that may be carried into adulthood e.g. relationships with partners.
An integrated trauma informed approach and nature
Working in nature with trauma starts with learning to feel safe in the body through the regulating effect of being more grounded and relaxed in body and mind when outdoors.
I use various trauma-informed skills from various trainings i.e. EMDR (eye movement and desensitisation and reprocessing), Polyvagal approach, and Qi Gong, a movement practice to help the energetic body to align with mind and spirit.
Trauma work is often long-term; however, once we learn to feel safe and secure in their body this can be very healing and beneficial to change how the nervous system tends to respond e.g. fight of flight or freeze.
These responses can be maintained and enhanced by spending regular time in nature.
