I am writing this first blog about NatureACT - and I would love to get in contact with and hear back from other ACT therapists how also are interessede in and have experince with doing ACT outside the therapytic room.
First a little about my self and what I am working to develop in the framework of doing ACT in the Nature.
I have been taking my clients outside to do ACT in the nature, since I started my practice, "KTpsykolog" in 2017 - since then I am now called "Psykologen på Landet" (in danish), and translated: "the psychologist in the contryside". It makes so much sense to me - both on a personal level and for most of my clients; is it something they can relate to and are open to engage in. There are many bennefits from dooing ACT in nature. Beeing outside is good for you and it can be a bit more calming - especially for those clients, how are nervouse about entering the therapeutick room.
My practice is located in the beautyfull danish countryside at my home adress. Our old house is big enough, so that the indorse practice it self is fully seperate form the personal living area for my husbond and I. Our smallholding is set in 2 acres of land, we have a lot of different animals - from free range chickens, cats, horses and donkeys. Some of the animals can join in on sessions (ex. the two donkeys and our dog). I would like to incoorporate the animals in a larger scale - but for now mostly they are just a part of the rual setting. Around the house is a cottege garden with old appel trees, nice places to sit (both with an inclosed/secure feeling and places with an open view of the roling hills) and there are plenty of walking paht in the surrounding landskabe. And to top it all of; we have a stream with a bridge over it.
So I think that there are pleanty of different posibilities to bring the ACT metafores to life! The reason that I am pointing this out, is an assumption that the clients can better remember the exersices when we do them - so to speak ACT out the metafore in a naturalistic setting. Example: when walking over a plowed field, you take ekstra care where you are placing your feet and your pace becomes slower. A client and I where walking on this wobbly ground, and we started talking about the differences between when you are allowing your self to come a bit out of balance rather than stiffening up and beeing worried about falling down. The client draw associations to letting go of the impulse to being in control (her primare struggle). So she began to walk slowly with her eyes closed and let the feet be places where they found footing.
My point is that by doing the therapy wiht the client in a setting that speak more to the experience (body) orient rather than primarily to the intellect, you facilitate different/more possibilities for development process.
In other words, you do not merely speak about it, you act it out - you do it!
On an theoretical level am I reviewing the litterature on the supject of nature based therapy and wild nature/garden therapy (nature based rehabilitation programmes), and it is a mixed field - and I must confess, that I am not into the concept of healing, and maby a bit worried that others would think this ACT in the outdoors is to alternative and not scientific enough - I know, because I have had this concern a LOT ;)
If you know of any empirical studies or anything at all that you think could be relevant - please do not hesitate to contact me :)
Thank you so much for your efford - Karina Thomsen, http://ktpsykolog@gmail.com
And you are more than welcome to take a closer look at: https://www.psykologenpaalandet.dk