Wilderness Therapy
“Self doubt is as as self-centred as self inflation. Your obligation is to reach as deeply as you can and offer your unique gifts as bravely and beautifully as you are able.”
Bill Plotkin
It is often said that “Nature is the greatest healer”. And indeed, personally speaking I (Bo) have repeatedly been astounded by the depth of my experiences and insights in these focused encounters with nature. In some ways, and I say it reluctantly since I am a human therapist, trees, mountains and rivers seem to make better therapists than people.
In bringing people into contact with the natural world in a therapeutic context, we are creating an optimal environment and container for the safe exploration and healing of psychological wounds, depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma as well as personal development in general. The focus of this kind of wilderness work is often on initiation.
Finding the courage to take full responsibility for your life and assume your true purpose.
Through the deep encounter with nature and the experience of the wider context of your life (namely the whole world and the entire history of the universe) you get in touch with a larger perspective that is very different from your day to day small frame. This throws an entirely fresh light on your life and your life issues and allows you access to a sense of great ease, belonging and feeling at home in the world.
In our Wilderness Therapy approach we are inspired by the work of Bill Plotkin. His is a beautifully comprehensive model for human development and integration that offers you a chance to understand your different facets (or sub personalities) and fosters connection to the more- than-human-world.
Our wild minds possess astonishing resources, untapped potentials and depths that we might not even know exist until we discover how to access them, cultivate their powers, and eventually integrate them into our everyday lives.
By participating in wilderness therapy you will discover:
- How to recognise and consciously cultivate the four facets of the Self — your innate human wholeness.
- How to identify the sub personalities that supported you in childhood and adolescence to adapt to the challenges of family and social life, but ultimately became barriers to your full and authentic humanity.
- Practices and guidelines for cultivating relationships between the Self and your sub personalities, enabling you to heal your sub personalities, discover their gifts, and foster Self-actualisation.
Wilderness therapy can be especially helpful for people who don’t feel at ease in a standard ‘sitting down and talking’ type therapy setting. Most of the work is done by yourself, alone (of course guided and facilitated by us, but there is no need to share your inner processes if you don’t want to).
Our vision is to reconnect individuals and organisations to the beauty, joy and wonder evoked by nature and re-open them to a sense of connection and gratitude, for the life continually provided by our planet. Nature is also a great source of inspiration. By bringing you into contact with the land and creating an inspirational context, we are catalysing your creativity, nurturing your dreams, and supporting you in achieving your highest potential.
The journey into Nature encompasses both the outer world and the inner world which are ultimately inter-meshed and inter-dependent. During this journey you may find yourself bush-whacking through psychological realms, plunging into the deep waters of your soul, or climbing to the peaks of Spirit, in an adventure that facilitates both healing and whole-ing.
We have introductory meetings every last Saturday of the month- check here for more details, just come along and see if it is for you!
