Coaching Outdoors

“Many of them (clients) arrive really quite stressed and I can tell as we start walking their pace is quite fast. And gradually they start to slow down a bit as they start to relax, but it’s relaxed in an energised way”

Jacqueline Harris has over 25 years of experience as a coach, with the last 15 of them taking her clients into the great outdoors. She joins us from the edge of a lake she often walks around with her clients.

This podcast focuses on the great topics of how the senses and client's feelings are impacted by coaching outdoors and co-partnering with nature, enabling them to think differently and find creative solutions to their challenges. We also talk about how walking side-by-side adds a different dynamic to the conversation and the ability to listen more attentively, compared to being sat opposite each other indoors.

Jacqueline shares her huge wealth of knowledge and experience and is a wonderful example of a practitioner who has realised the benefits of outdoor coaching for many years.
 

View podcasts and get in touch.
https://www.coaching-outdoors.com
Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com
Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com 

 
#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

“The shadow side of coaching…”

 Catherine Gorham, coach and supervisor who specialises in working with nature as co-partner joins us on a virtual bench enclosed within a beautiful woodland space. Placing psychological safety centre stage she talks through the 3Cs model (Containing – Contracting – Connecting) which offers a structure for coaches to manage unexpected emotional turmoil which may arise during outdoor coaching sessions.  

 Catherine brings her model to life sharing personal and client stories where the unpredictability of nature can trigger overwhelming emotions. In our work as coaches, it’s essential to be able to self-regulate, contain and manage these situations in the moment to ensure personal and client safety. 

 She highlights the importance of inviting nature into the outdoor coaching supervision process as a three-way conversation. She shares her daily supervision practice in relationship with an oak tree through enquiry questions to develop a deep attunement to nature and reflect on what emerges.

 We want to sign post that this interview contains sensitive conversations around miscarriage and emotional responses. Please ensure that you consider your own psychological safety and response to this topic. 

  

View podcasts and get in touch.
https://www.coaching-outdoors.com
Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com
Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com 

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

What do Sacred Pauses, Wilderness Visions Quests and a true partnership with nature all have in common? They are all part of Christiane Frischmuth’s wonderful approach to outdoor coaching.

“These rituals always take place in nature, and there’s a reason for that”

From Washington D.C, Christiane shares her unique and thought provoking approach with us in our latest episode of The Coaching Outdoors Podcast. She is a huge advocate for spending time in nature, and the benefits it can bring us. But also focuses on the importance of creating a true partnership with nature. Co-creating experiences so that natural environments can help clients to explore their questions in real life settings.

“Have nature be a way that you take questions or worries or challenges out of your mind and put it into your real experience”

This podcast is rich in detail and descriptions that capture the imagination. Find out more about Christiane’s use of Sacred Pauses and Wilderness Vision Quests to enhance these experiences for her clients - they are wonderful techniques which really inspired both of us - by listening or watching this wonderful episode.

We’d love to hear your feedback and whether you have experienced indigenous practice inspired techniques yourself.

  

View podcasts and get in touch.
https://www.coaching-outdoors.com
Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com
Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com 

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

“We’re not the first human being to realise we feel more peaceful sitting next to a tree. People have known this for millennia. This is utter basics.”

Dr James Canton, author, Director of Wild Writing at the University of Essex and lover of Oak trees shares an insight into this personal relationship with the Honywood Oak. This 800 year old tree would which have been a sapling when the Magna Carta was signed teaches us how to slow down, shift our perspectives and activate our senses.

He shares insights from visiting the Honywood Oak at different times of day and night, weather and seasons. From frosty daybreaks clutching a thermos of coffee to the emergence of spring sat within the canopy of leaves amongst the Blue Tits. This ‘sit-spot’ practice is often used in nature therapy to identify a safe and wholesome spot which is visited on a regular basis to build a connection with the place. 

Join us on a physical, sensual, historic, intellectual, psychological, philosophical and meditative journey to re-connect with the wonder of trees and discover how this can improve your outdoor coaching practice.

On a beautifully warm and sunny day on the banks of Loch Fyne on the west coast of Scotland, we finally managed to record our first podcast together! 

In this episode, we share our insights into some topics that our listeners have asked us for more detail about. 

Firstly, Anna-Marie covers the hugely important topic of risk awareness in outdoor coaching, and how, as outdoor coaches, we must think about it carefully. Understanding the risks that may be encountered in the outdoors, knowing our own, and our clients’ limits, and ensuring we base our contracting and session planning around these important aspects in critical to both physical and psychological safety of our clients, and ourselves.

“what does risk mean to me, what (situation) am I comfortable with putting myself and my client in?” - AMW

She also covers the topics of coach identity and the relationship the coach and client have with nature. For some, an affinity to nature may be what brought them to outdoor coaching. For others, testing that relationship might be part of the coaching journey. 

Alex then shares more detail about her recent research into the benefits of outdoor coaching and the link to Attention Restoration Theory as a basis to explain these benefits. Looking at some of the key themes of the research such as side-by-side walking, movement and pace and openness.

“Our indoor lives, our stressful lives, our busy lives means our directed attention is being taken up and used, and depleted very easily. Which means it’s harder for us to think differently, be creative, problem solve and the things that we as coaches want to help our clients to do” - AB

We also both share our favourite moments from the 14 episodes so far, and a sneak peak of what’s to come in the rest of series 2.

We are already planning series 3 and beyond, so if you have any suggestions for topics or guests you would like us to include please share and get in touch.

Simon Hawtrey-Woore joins us from Regent’s Park in London. Simon has been taking his coaching clients outdoors for a number of years and shares his insights on the topics of permission, diversity and inclusion. 

Simon talks about his keen interest in the concept of permission and how clients choose to give themselves permission to spend time outdoors - primarily at the weekend and for leisure, sport or exercise. And whether Organisations are giving their employees permission to have coaching outdoors, rather than indoors. 

We also discuss how accessible, or not, the outdoors is to different groups in society, based on culture, language and association. And how, as coaches, we can help bridge the gap and make it easier for our clients. 

“The more we (coaches) model the fact that it can be done, it can be woven into our day to day, and is hugely beneficial… showing the way is a big step” 

And Simon’s recommendation… “Be brave, be courageous and try it out” 

These fascinating topics really get us thinking about how we approach our clients and our outdoor coaching practice. 


View podcasts and get in touch. 
https://www.coaching-outdoors.com 
Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com 
Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com 


#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently 

"It’s not easy facing into the climate emergency"

 Publisher turned coach the phenomenal Liz Hall joins us for our latest episode.  She has a string of accomplishments to her portfolio; senior practitioner coach, mindfulness and compassion teacher, writer, editor of ‘Coaching at Work’ magazine and initiator of Climate Coaching Action Day. 

 Climate Coaching Action Day is held annually at the beginning of March and is designated to create space inspire and promote coaches to explore HOW the climate can be brought into the coaching conversation. More recently the coaching community has started to bring the environment into the mainstream; individual coaches are more open about their environmental activism and involvement with Extinction Rebellion, different approaches are openly shared and a more networked global community has been created.

“What if my job was to planet please, rather than people please?” - James Farrell

A thought provoking and challenging question from James Farrell, of the Natural Coaching Company, who joins us for the latest episode of the Coaching Outdoors Podcast.

Drawing on his wealth of experience as an environmentalist and conservationist, James shares wonderful insights into the relationships people have with natural spaces, the benefits of outdoor coaching and it’s link to ecology and the planet.

James also discusses the move from ego-centric to eco-centric thinking, sharing his belief that recovery from the Covid19 pandemic is “An opportunity to reposition ourselves and step away from that ego-centric view of the world that has got us into a lot of the messes we’re in”

And, focusing on what we as coaches can do to ensure our businesses are environmentally friendly, James shares some great examples of actions we can take.

This episode touches on some really fascinating topics, they’re tricky, they’re complex, and we don’t have all the answers. But it’s all about continuing the conversation.

James leads events and training for coaches on the science of nature and health. The next event is on 22 July, with tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-science-of-nature-health-what-coaches-need-to-know-tickets-152194743575

View podcasts and get in touch.
https://www.coaching-outdoors.com
Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com
Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com 

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

On today’s podcast, the first of Season 2 of the Coaching Outdoors Podcast Series, our guest is Dave Stewart, founder of “The Fresh Air Leadership Company”.

Dave has a wealth of experience in the outdoor world, having a background in the military and then as a mountain rescue specialist, which he brings to his group and team coaching journeys. 

We talk about Dave’s 3 P’s of outdoor coaching - Place, People and Process - and how important each is to creating these wonderful learning experiences for his clients. 

Dave also shares how he uses the technique of Appreciative Inquiry to help the groups and teams he coaches to identify the big question(s) they are facing and want to inquire about. Using the landscape to then delve into the question, discussing what the ideal future would look like and identifying what things they can do now to achieve that ideal future.

We also discuss the practicalities of taking groups of people on outdoor coaching adventures, keeping them safe, excited and giving them a sense of freedom to explore mentally, physically and emotionally without worrying about what is going on ‘behind the scenes’.

Through story-telling and anchoring, Dave ensures his clients have a truly experiential outdoor coaching journey. 

View podcasts and get in touch.
https://www.coaching-outdoors.com
Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com
Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com 

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

To see the world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in just one hour ~ William Blake 

Peter Hawkins opens our conversation with the beautiful words above from the stunning grounds of Barrow Castle, his home on the edge of Bath in Somerset. We’re delighted to share this interview as part of Mental Health Awareness Week where the theme for 2021 is conveniently… nature.  

Our conversations dive into Peter’s eco-participatory awakening journey which goes beyond the dominant intellectualised cognitive neo-cortex to a more embodied, spiritual, intuitive and emotional patchwork. He offers thoughts around how to prevent the conceptualisation of ecology becoming another ‘it’, the ability to simultaneously hold different time horizons, observe the double nested systems of ecology which are embedded within us and the benefits of bringing the outdoors indoors.  

It’s mind blowing stuff which is the perfect end to Coaching Outdoors Podcast series one! 

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode and any others from series one.