Therapy in the Great Outdoors: The Business & Practice of Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy

Hi Friends,

This final episode is a candid, from-the-heart conversation about a pivot I'm making and why this is the last TGO podcast episode.

I share the behind-the-scenes story of my whirlwind year in 2025— expanding my practice, buying a business, onboarding staff, and stepping back from business coaching — and why all of it led to a major pivot I'm making now.

I'm ending the TGO podcast to launch The Well Women Business Podcast, focused on women in health and wellness who are in the growth stage of their businesses. The new podcast will launch in June 2026.

This is a pivot to expand my business coaching, but I'm not leaving you nature-based therapists! The Therapy in the Great Outdoors free online community is staying open. The ConTiGO Nature-Based Therapy Certification program will continue to open for enrollment 3 times per year.

And of course, any of you women who are growing nature-based practices will be welcome in my future business programs and retreats (more on that in the first episode of Well Women Business).

Thank you for every listen and every step you've taken to connect kids and families with nature. I truly believe the ripple effect of all your therapy work in the great outdoors has changed lives forever!

xoxo

Laura

This one's a heart-to-heart.

I'm tired y'all. Just. SO. Tired.

So I'm taking a break from doing the podcast weekly...for I don't know how long. You can hear some of my honest thoughts and off-the-cuff reflections in this short episode.

I bet I'll be back at some point but for now I will be mostly hanging out in the free TGO Community and supporting people in my paid programs.

There are SO MANY people and resources in the TGO Community to support you in your nature-based work. You can join here: https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com

I hope to see you there!

xoxo

Laura

In this episode, I share a few things I'm thinking about putting in the brand new Therapy in the Great Outdoors SHOP for you. Weigh in on which ones you want to see offered in the TGO community at therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com.🌳✨ 00:00 Welcome to Therapy in the Great Outdoors 00:59 Upcoming Growth Code Conference 01:54 Introducing the Therapy in the Great Outdoors Shop 03:36 Social Media Break and Community Engagement 07:30 Valuable Resources for Nature-Based Therapy 10:43 Business Templates and Tools 15:18 Employee Compensation and Work Plans 20:33 Additional Resources and Feedback Request 30:00 Conclusion and Announcements Other resources from this episode: 5-R Work Plans podcast episode: https://sites.libsyn.com/116069/287-transform-your-team-by-leveraging-5-r-work-plans-with-sabrina-davis Flodesk email service: https://flodesk.com/c/Y63MIS

Lauren MacLean is a teacher, podcaster, author, and owner of Teach Outdoors in Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada. She has years of experience teaching children outdoors and is joining me today to talk about how we can integrate sit spot practices into our work as nature-based pediatric therapists. Lauren shares her valuable insights from 17 years of teaching, her work with nature schools, and authorship of children's books. We dive into practical strategies for therapists and educators to help children connect with nature, including tips on balancing structure and freedom, managing boundaries, and adapting practices for children with different needs such as ADHD and autism. You'll learn how to model positive behavior, use language effectively, and integrate play and learning in the great outdoors. 00:00 Introduction to Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy 00:58 Meet Lauren MacLean: Educator and Author 04:37 Understanding Sit Spots 08:12 Implementing Sit Spots in Therapy 12:18 Balancing Structure and Freedom in Outdoor Learning 21:43 Adapting Outdoor Activities for Diverse Needs 28:23 Sports Psychology and Coaching Challenges 28:49 Safety Reminders for Outdoor Activities 29:26 Pre-Teaching and Classroom Management 30:06 Classroom Book Projects and Environmental Awareness 32:03 Children's Picture Books and Their Impact 36:50 Balancing Technology and Outdoor Play 42:30 Risky Play and Child Development 49:10 Final Thoughts and Contact Information 51:25 Enrollment for ConTiGO Nature-Based Therapy Program Connect with Lauren online at teachoutdoors.ca or on Instagram @teachoutdoors.ca The ConTiGO Approach Nature-Based Pediatric Therapist or Therapy Assistant Certification Program is now open for enrollment till Jan 31, 2025 at 5pm CST. Go to contigoapproach.com to get more information.

Here's my annual last-year-in-review episode where YOU get to peek inside my businesses' metrics from 2024 and learn from my mistakes (as usual!) 😆 You'll learn: -What I'm NOT doing anymore this year -Why reviewing your profit-loss statement is critical -How $60,000+ in your business bank account may NOT mean you were highly profitable -Ways to assess market demand for your services -How my business is structured now to be in a position for growth -Strategies for maintaining business growth and fostering a supportive team -The value of slowing down and honoring your own energy/feelings Enrollment will open January 24-31 for you to become a Certified Nature-Based Pediatric Therapist or Therapy Assistant in the ConTiGO Approach. Go to contigoapproach.com to get all the details and join the waitlist. We'll send you an email when doors are open! Timestamped Outline: 00:00 Introduction to Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy 00:58 Podcast Episode: Learn from My Mistakes 01:31 Business Metrics and Mistakes of 2024 02:51 Overview of Therapy in the Great Outdoors (TGO) 04:08 Financial Challenges and Reflections 11:31 Future Plans for TGO 15:13 Financial Overview of Outdoor Kids OT 15:59 Business Budgeting and Profit First 20:06 Challenges of Running a Therapy Business 22:00 Setting Financial Goals for the Year 23:11 Team Expansion and Role Delegation 25:09 Annual Planning and Market Research 28:41 Balancing Transparency and Discretion 35:17 Reflections on Leadership and Personal Growth 42:33 ConTiGO Certification Program Announcement

THANK YOU for being a TGO podcast listener! To celebrate our 100th episode of Therapy in the Great Outodors, this week I answer YOUR questions about: - How to start and run a nature-based camp (3:20) - Evaluation methods for both group and individual therapy (13:40) - Choosing the right website hosting platform (26:30) - Balancing business growth with family life (31:10) - Handling extreme weather conditions in your nature-based practice (41:40) - Navigating permits and waivers for public parks (46:00) Join me as we dive deep into these listener questions and help you take steps towards creating your dream practice. And if you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving a review to help our podcast grow! 00:00 Introduction to Therapy in the Great Outdoors 00:58 Celebrating Episode 100 with Listener Q&A 03:09 Starting and Running a Nature-Based Camp 09:04 Nature-Based Evaluations for Group and Individual Therapy 14:54 Rules and Regulations for Providing Services Outdoors 15:57 Website Hosting and Business Planning Tips 25:12 Managing a Nature-Based Practice in Extreme Weather 27:48 Waivers, Permits, and Liability Insurance 31:01 Conclusion and Call to Action Want free resources to support your nature-based practice? Go to https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com

In this episode, we dive into the 'Tool for Observing Play Outdoors' (TOPO), a new typology for capturing children's play behaviors in outdoor settings by Lobach and Cox. (If you missed part one, be sure to catch up with episode 98 first!) You'll learn:

• The non-hierarchical framework of TOPO
• Ways to capture the complexity of play when making observations
• How the TOPO can help you plan nature-based treatment sessions for children

00:00 Introduction to Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy

00:58 Exploring the TOPO Tool for Outdoor Play

04:27 Implications and Applications of the TOPO Tool

10:53 Using the TOPO Tool for Individual and Place-Based Observations

17:24 Alternative Uses and Practical Tips for the TOPO Tool

20:45 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

Link to the article: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7432422/

In this episode, I discuss the article The Tool for Observing Play Outdoors (TOPO): A New Typology for Capturing Children's Play Behaviors in Outdoor Environments by Loebach & Cox. You'll learn how this tool was developed and tested, and hear about the 9 categories of outdoor play and their subtypes included on this tool. This episode will help you hone your observation skills of children's play and consider ways to inspire different kinds of play in your outdoor therapy sessions. Next week (in part 2) we'll talk about implications for nature-based therapists and how you can use the TOPO tool in your practice to become a more skilled facilitator of play in your nature-based sessions.

00:00 Introduction to Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy

00:59 Personal Reflections

02:18 Introduction to the TOPO Tool

03:13 Abstract and Relevance of the TOPO Tool

05:38 Development Phases of the TOPO Tool

09:17 Nine Types of Outdoor Play

10:43 Physical Play and Its Subtypes

12:31 Exploratory Play and Its Subtypes

13:32 Imaginative Play and Its Subtypes

15:15 Play with Rules and Its Subtypes

17:32 Expressive Play and Its Subtypes

20:15 Bio Play and Its Subtypes

21:20 Restorative Play and Its Subtypes

23:45 Digital Play and Non-Play Categories

26:28 Conclusion and Certification Information

Enrollment is open till Dec 31 at 5pm CST for you to become a Certified Nature-Based Pediatric Therapist or Therapy Assistant in the ConTiGO Approach. Go to contigoapproach.com to get all the details and join us before the price goes up in 2025 for the first time in 5 years!

How are you feeling in your nature-based practice or business right now? In this episode, you'll hear about my current feelings about both of my nature-based businesses, my therapy practice (Outdoor Kids OT) and my online business (Therapy in the Great Outdoors - which produces this podcast for you!).

You'll learn:

-That you are NORMAL if your emotions ebb and flow over the course of your practice/business!

-Tips for choosing the right niche

-Why it is important to think long-term about your work and life

-The importance of knowing how you come to your best ideas/decisions (and how I come to mine.)

-How YOU can give feedback to guide the offerings of Therapy in the Great Outdoors next year in 2025!

Here's the link to the TGO 2024 End-of-Year Survey! Please share your thoughts. All replies are anonymous! https://forms.gle/9o64NtPVeGsA75yg9

In this episode, I share my recent travel experiences in Nepal and Indonesia and reflections I had along the way. This trip was MUCH more challenging than I anticipated it would be! In many ways, it was just like being an entrepreneur: super rewarding and ALSO very hard. You'll hear what I observed about children in these different cultures and how that impacted my own thinking about nature-based therapy service provision and life here in the US.

00:00 Introduction

00:58 Personal Travel Reflections: Nepal and Indonesia (an overview of the trip and what we did)

09:10 Challenges and Hardships of the Journey

15:32 Cultural Observations of Children

27:16 My Existential Crisis and Reflections on Nature-Based Therapy Service Provision

33:30 ConTiGO announcement

Enrollment is open till Dec 31 at 5pm CST for you to become a Certified Nature-Based Pediatric Therapist or Therapy Assistant in the ConTiGO Approach™. Go to contigoapproach.com to get all the details and join us before the price goes up in 2025 for the first time in 5 years!