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

What are common "tenets" (traits, ideologies, beliefs, or principles) of a nature-based lifestyle?

In today's episode, I'm sharing my very EARLY thoughts on commonalities I've noticed from working with other nature-based therapists for several years now.

Through conversations with others in this space, I have developed seven tenets that I think exemplify values we share as nature-loving therapists.

I'm sharing them in this unscripted, semi-fumbling-over-my-words, early ideas format because I want to hear what YOU think!

The 7 (tentative) Tenets of a Nature-Based Lifestyle may be:

• We CONNECT with each other and nature
• We PROTECT the earth
• We HONOR the interconnectedness of life—past, present, and future
• We NOTICE things, both big and small, in nature and in each other
• We MOVE our bodies for health and well-being
• We GROW by embracing opportunities and staying open-minded to change
• We SIMPLIFY our personal and professional lives to make time for what matters in life.

So in sum: connect & protect, honor & notice, move & grow, + simplify.

After you listen, I want to know: Does this resonate with you?? Share YOUR thoughts inside the Podcast discussion in the TGO Community here: https://www.therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/join-the-community

Resources from this episode: Dr. Paul Saladino on InstagramDiana Rodgers, RD on InstagramSacred Cow book and documentaryKaty Bowman - Nutritious MovementAnya's Reviews - minimalist shoes

If you're ready to take the next step in this adventure, join our free Therapy in the Great Outdoors Community at therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com. The TGO community is a private space just for nature-based pediatric practitioners. We have loads of resources there to support you as you start or grow a nature-based practice or program.

Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? The ConTiGO Approach Online Course will open for registration soon: visit www.ConTiGOapproach.com to join the waitlist.

Do you think outdoor play is associated with better motor skills?

It may SEEM like a no-brainer, but often research is needed to prove something known by therapists for a long time!

This article needed more than a 2 minute takeaway- so I'm doing a whole episode to break it down.

The study examined the relationship between childhood outdoor play and motor skills in 2-7 year old children in the country of Finland. In this episode, I discuss the findings (one of them is rather perplexing) and suggest ways we can apply this research to our work as nature-based therapists.

We'll discuss:

• The purpose, study design, and measurement tools used in this study of over 1000 children in Finland.
• The differences in outdoor play among children living in metropolitan vs. rural areas
• Surprising correlations found in the research
• Takeaways from this study you can use in your own practice

Resources from this episode:

Is Outdoor Play Associated With Better Motor Skills?

If you're ready to take the next step in this adventure, join our free Therapy in the Great Outdoors Community at therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com. The TGO community is a private space just for nature-based pediatric practitioners. We have loads of resources there to support you as you start or grow a nature-based practice or program.

Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? The ConTiGO Approach Online Course opens for enrollment every few months: visit www.contigoapproach.com to join the waitlist.

Email marketing was a big contributor to the early success of my business. Unfortunately, it's not something that a lot of nature-based therapists make a priority. It might seem overwhelming, but there are tools that help to make it easy for you to establish your email list. And the benefits are worth it.

In today's episode, you'll learn how email marketing is an easy and effective way to connect with your potential customers. We'll discuss my favorite (and least favorite) platforms, why automation is so important, and how to write emails that keep your audience engaged so that they will want to work with your practice.

We'll discuss:

• A study that showed that children made more prosocial choices after spending the day in a nature setting
• What exactly is email marketing
• Why you need to use an email service provider for your email list
• How automation allows your business to run smoothly behind the scenes so you can enjoy your work
• How short, helpful emails at regular intervals will keep your practice top of mind
• Using email marketing to answers questions that you frequently receive
• Why you will automatically stand out if you add email marketing to your business
• The importance of a good copywriter (whether it's you or someone you outsource)

Resources from this episode:

Dopko, Capaldi, & Zelenski (2019). The psychological and social benefits of a nature experience for children: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Environmental Psychology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494418307102?via%3Dihub.

This Book Will Teach You How To Write Better by Neville Medhora

Jenny Gill Copywriting

Krista Frahm Agency

The Office on Call

Flodesk: Design emails people love to get.

If you're ready to take the next step in this adventure, join our free Therapy in the Great Outdoors Community at therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com. The TGO community is a private space just for nature based pediatric practitioners. We have loads of resources there to support you as you start or grow a nature based practice or program.

Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? The ConTiGO Approach Online Course will open for registration soon: visit www.ConTiGOapproach.com to join the waitlist.

As therapists, what we assess is what we address. But when you take your practice outdoors, you might find that your assessments change a bit. For nature-based therapists, it's important to find a balance between the tried-and-true standardized assessments you're used to and new, nature-specific ones.

In this episode, I'm talking about the importance of assessments and how to use them in your nature-based therapeutic practice. I'm sharing ways you can adapt your current assessments to a nature-based practice and a few new assessments to try. Plus, I'm explaining how you can supplement your standardized assessments with more organic observation.

We'll discuss:

• How natural environments can improve parent-child communication
• Why assessment is so vital to the therapeutic process
• Understanding the purpose of and process for assessment in your specialty
• Adapting the assessments you already use in your practice to outdoor therapy
• How to supplement standardized assessment with clinical observations and nonstandardized assessments
• Measuring nature connection in children
• Three nature connection assessments to try in your practice

Resources from this episode:

Cameron-Faulkner, Thea & Melville, Joanna & Gattis, Merideth. (2018). Responding to Nature: Natural Environments Improve Parent-Child Communication. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 59. 10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.08.008.

Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? The ConTiGO Approach Online Course will open for registration soon: visit www.ConTiGOapproach.com to join the waitlist.

If you're working with children who have challenges with attention, sensory processing, social skills, or executive function, gather a few simple supplies and try these 3 activities in your next outdoor therapy groups!

In this episode:

• 2-minute takeaway from the research: 5 ways you can create the conditions for children to engage with nature
• Why I love the giant spider web game to teach learning through failure, problem solving, and motor skills
• The ONE knot to know how to tie (that will make your work SO much easier as a nature-based therapist)
• How to use map-making activities to help children become more comfortable with and aware of their surroundings
• Why I love fire building with children after a less-than-ideal therapy session
• How to balance risk-taking and keeping children safe during sessions
• Why it's important to let the children take the lead and practice problem-solving themselves

Resources from this episode:

This week's 2-Minute Takeaway article: The Art of Working With Nature in Nature-Based Therapies

My video on how to tie the bowline knot

My Book, Therapy in the Great Outdoors

The ferro rods we use in my practice when teaching fire building

🌳 Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? The ConTiGO Approach Online Course will open for registration soon: visit www.ConTiGOapproach.com to join the waitlist.

As you grow your nature-based practice, you'll find that there are 4 main stages of business that you encounter. There is no endpoint and your journey will take you from stage to stage, and as you evolve you will face new challenges and opportunities.

In this episode, I'm sharing what you should focus on and the mistakes to avoid as you go through each stage of your business, You'll hear insight from my own business as a nature-based pediatric therapist as well as the knowledge that I've accumulated over my years of group coaching and observing other practices and how they manage their companies.

We'll discuss:

• My takeaways from the Umbrella Review from Harper, Fernee and Gabrielsen
• The 4 stages of nature-based practice
• My tips for what to focus on in each stage of your practice
• Mistakes to avoid during each business phase
• Why I recommend investing in mentoring or coaching

Resources from this episode:

Nature's Role in Outdoor Therapies: An Umbrella Review (Harper, Fernee, & Gabrielsen, 2021)

The ConTiGO Approach Online Course

Nature-Based Practice Roadmap

Small Business Administration

Nolo

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Trello

Therapy in the Great Outdoors Community

Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? The ConTiGO Approach Online Course will open for registration soon: visit www.ConTiGOapproach.com to join the waitlist.

Are you a pediatric therapist who wants to take your work with children outdoors into nature? As a nature-based pediatric therapist & entrepreneur, I've spent years finding the balance between the practice of nature-based therapy and improving my business.

There's so much to learn–from groundbreaking research on the therapy side to new marketing strategies on the business side–and I'm here to help you make sense of all of it, all while staying true to the core of your work.

In this first episode, I'm sharing my journey to becoming a nature-based pediatric therapist and what led me to help other professionals expand and improve their own businesses. I'm explaining why I pivoted from my old show to this one and what you can expect from upcoming episodes.

We'll discuss:

• How nature-based practice might help you reignite your love of your work as a pediatric therapist
• How the ConTiGO (Connection & Transformation in the Great Outdoors) Approach was created
• A story about fear when starting something new & "putting yourself out there"
• Why I started this podcast and ended my old one (which had 100k+ downloads and 75 episodes!)
• What you can expect from upcoming episodes...how THIS podcast will be similar to my old one AND different.

There IS an irony to this episode! Did you notice it?

Since it is episode #1, I felt I needed to give a little intro and my history for new listeners. Then right after that, I'm telling you to STOP talking about yourself in your marketing and talk about what's in it for your customers! 😁 So...I just want to reassure you that future episodes will be jam-packed with helpful content for you and I will NOT be talking about myself as much! haha! 😆

Resources from this episode:

Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? Visit www.contigoapproach.com to join the waitlist for the ConTiGO Approach Online Course.

While you're waiting for the course, join our FREE Therapy in the Great Outdoors Community. We have treatment activities, research, training, a job & volunteer board, and a discussion forum where like-minded therapists are all gathered together to help you take your therapy work with children into the great outdoors! Did I mention it's FREE? Go to therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com to join today!