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

A short-but-sweet episode for y'all today. I'm sharing a story about how sometimes the plans we adults have for the therapy session don't end up being the most therapeutic parts. Children have their own ideas about how to use materials in nature...and that's part of the beauty of nature-based therapy. One child created a super-fun activity during our group therapy session and I'm sharing it with you here...because it is SO easy and all you need is a rubber band to do it!

Have fun out there! And if you want 120 ideas for nature-based therapy sessions, get the Big Huge List of Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy Activities here.

Jenny Gill is an OT-turned-copywriter focused on website copy and brand strategy. She's worked with lots of nature-based businesses. She came on the podcast today to talk about all things websites! Your nature-based business website can be a way for potential customers to get to know, like, and trust your business and believe in your expertise. But that doesn't matter if no one can find your website online! Jenny's here to help you learn how your nature-based business website can show up on the first page of google in your area. You'll learn simple strategies that you can do TODAY to optimize your website and connect with your ideal clients locally.

Expect to learn:

- How your practice can show up on the first page of google when people search for therapy in your area.

-What search engine optimization (SEO) is and why you should care about it for your nature-based business

-Easy (FREE!) ways you can optimize your website content

-Why the words matter on your website and which words you need to make sure you have on your nature-based business website

-How to structure your website for ease of use by customers as well as optimizing for SEO

-Why you should start with the WORDS on your website first and use images to illustrate the words

-How your website can be a conduit for connection with families and create safety and trust for the children you see

-Considerations when marketing your business on your website (hint: focus on the outcome for your client, rather than the product/service)

Connect with Jenny:

Website: www.jennygillcopywriting.com

Instagram: @jennygill_ot

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennyGillCopywriting

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-gill-ms-otr-263a2515a

Get Jenny's FREE Hooks, Headlines, and Subject Line Idea Guide.

Get the Free BIG HUGE List of Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy Activities here!

In this episode, I review the basics of Attention Restoration Theory (ART), which was developed by Rachel & Stephen Kaplan in the late 1980s. It is a widely cited theory today among nature-based therapists. You'll learn:

-How ART explains the concept of nature as an environment that restores attention

-The 4 components of a restorative environment, according to ART

-How ART can help you choose an optimal therapy site for your sessions with children, especially those who have ADHD.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective by Rachel & Stephen Kaplan, 1989.

Get the free BIG HUGE List of Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy Activities here.

In this episode, I share results from a recent systematic review examining the effect of exposure to nature on children's psychological well-being. You'll learn what the literature says about this topic (it's good news but also NOT as great as we might wish for...more research always needed). Plus, I pull out a few practical takeaways for your work as a nature-based therapist. I also give a little mini-lesson on Attention Restoration Theory, and realized I've never done an episode on the topic of ART so stay tuned for that coming next week! See ya then!

References from this episode:

Liu, J., & Green, R. (2023). The effect of exposure to nature on children's psychological well-being: A systematic review of the literature. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 81, 127846.

Bang, K.-S., Kim, S., Song, M., Kang, K., & Jeong, Y. (2018). The effects of a health promotion program using urban forests and nursing student mentors on the perceived and psychological health of elementary school children in vulnerable populations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(9), 1977.

Get the free BIG HUGE List of Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy Activities here.

Kate Glennon MS, CCC-SLP, Certified Nature Educator came on the show this week for a live coaching call. She has a GREAT problem of lots of growth in the early days of her nature-based speech therapy practice! On this live coaching call, we discussed:

-Ways to get focused time to work on your business while raising a young family in a small house (without spending extra money on an office space)

-How to boost your productivity by pairing something positive with the negative business stuff that we all have to do (like taxes)

-Thinking about who to hire & when, once your own schedule as the business owner is full to the brim

-Why bookkeeping is one of the best things you can spend money on early in your business (& recommendations for how to find a good bookkeeper)

-Considerations when hiring employees vs. administrative help for your first hire (there are pros and cons of each)

-Ways to know when you're ready to hire another employee Connect with Kate @outdoorsyslp on Instagram or on her website at outdoorsyslp.com

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Profit First Professionals website to find a bookkeeper who is familiar with Profit First

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

Get the BIG HUGE List of Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy Activities here!

In this Ask-Me-Anything episode, you'll hear my answers to TGO Podcast listeners' questions about:

-Using swings and sensory equipment in nature-based therapy sessions

-Renting land from local businesses or private land owners - how to figure out what is fair to pay for rental of the land.

-Doing school observations as a nature-based therapist

-How we can show parents that nature-based therapy is effective and makes a difference

-Parent involvement in nature-based individual therapy sessions with a child

Want 120 ways to get kids outdoors for therapy? Get your copy of the FREE BIG HUGE LIST of 120 Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy Activities right here.

On episode 51 of the TGO Podcast, social worker Tammy Thielman, BSW MSW RSW EMDR-CT EFW-MHP, joins me to talk about her nature-based therapy practice, Town & Country Counselling in Salmon Arm, BC, Canada. You will feel so encouraged & inspired after listening to this episode! We discuss:

• Tammy's transition into nature-based practice (and why she did)
• How Tammy created her office in a cabin and things she considered in the design of her indoor nature-based therapy space on her property
• Resources Tammy used to get started in her nature-based work and what she's learned about nature-based practice along the way
• Types of children she works with in her counseling practice as a social worker
• How Tammy takes care of herself while working with children who have experienced trauma
• Differences between different professions working in nature-based therapy with children
• Tammy's favorite nature-based therapy activities for children
• How Tammy uses EMDR in her practice

Connect with Tammy on Instagram @townandcountrycounselling or check out her website at www.townandcountrycounselling.com

Resources mentioned on this episdoe: The ConTiGO Approach Nature-Based Therapy Certification & Mentoring Program

In this episode, Devin Hatch, OTR/L, CSRS, joins me for a live business coaching call. Devin is the co-owner of 509 Therapy Hub in Spokane, Washington.

Devin and I discuss:

-Ways to make your website CLEAR for your potential customers so they know the value you can offer to them in your services.

-Strategies for gathering more clients to form nature-based therapy groups (Hint: YOU NEED AN EMAIL LIST!)

-Tips for generating ideas for a lead magnet to grow your email list

-Valuable lessons Devin learned in his early days working with a contractor

-Logistics for working with contractors (and if you even can hire contractors. See info here on employees vs. contractors from the IRS for US business owners. Also check your state laws.)

-How simplifying your systems across your business will help limit your overwhelm

-How much revenue should go to payroll in your practice

-How to communicate with your team about the intangible benefits of working in your practice

-Why hiring someone for more hours may be a smart idea (rather than just a few hours a week)

-How no one really knows what they're doing when they first hire!

-The importance of having a bookkeeper

-Considerations for salaried vs. hourly pay for employees

-Taking metrics on your marketing efforts in order to know if your marketing is effective and worth the money you are spending.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Flodesk affiliate link to get 50% off Flodesk email service for your first year

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Business Hive is open for enrollment! The Hive is a year-long business coaching program to help you run a PROFITABLE nature-based business. Inside the Hive, you'll get access to:

-My popular Business Bedrocks curriculum to help you set up effective systems in the areas of mindset, operations, finances, and marketing so your business will run itself as much as possible.

-LOADS of nature-based treatment resources

-Done-for-you business forms & templates

-Weekly group coaching calls with me & Hive mentors & members

We open enrollment for the Hive only twice yearly in January and July. Join us and make 2024 the year you get serious about your nature-based business! Doors close Friday, Feb. 2 at 5pm CST!

This episode could save you thousands of dollars. 💵 Listen in to hear details and my stories about making these mistakes so you can avoid them!

1. Imposter syndrome and perfectionism paralyzing you from getting started. I had to have a friend command me to make a website and start my business. 🤣
2. Not focusing on a specific niche.
3. Being unaware of your negative mindset around money.
4. Charging too little. I charged $40 for 2 hours of outdoor therapy when I started in 2015! Don't do this.😆 Research the going rate for therapy for your area and charge at least that much.
5. Comparing yourself to others on social media.
6. Not prioritizing SEO on your website. I recently learned there are specific, simple things to do to make sure your website shows up on the first page of Google when people search. Make sure you have words that describe the type of services you provide, your location(s), and common diagnoses of clients throughout your website. And make sure to fill your headers on your website with those descriptive words as well.
7. Not setting up a lead magnet on your website (and also: not having an email service provider).
8. Waiting too long to hire.
9. Not having good financial systems in place.
10. Not investing in business training and support. This is one mistake I haven't made, but I think is common among us DIY therapist-types. It has served me well to invest in training, coaching, consulting, and support at every step along the way...even before my business was bringing in any revenue!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Free business trainings this week inside the free TGO Community (replays available if you're reading this later):

Jan. 23: First Steps to Start Your Nature-Based Business

Jan 24: Kickstart Your Nature-Based Business Growth

Jan 25: Becoming Boss of Your Nature-Based Business

🐝 The Business Hive, my year-long group business coaching program for nature-based business owners, will open on Jan 29-Feb 2 for our first 2024 cohort. Get all the info & join the waitlist here.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Get Rich Lucky B*tch by Denise Duffield Thomas

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Flodesk affiliate link to get 50% off Flodesk email service for your first year

ep 5 Email Marketing for Your Nature-Based Practice

ep 41 Live Coaching

Call with Kristin Park where we discuss who to hire first in your nature-based therapy practice

As a pediatric therapist, there are 2 different ways you can provide nature-based services to children. One is enrichment, the other is therapy. Each of these has certain purposes, principles, processes, and precautions to consider. In this episode, I break down the differences between these two types of nature-based services so that you can decide which one is right for you to offer in your practice. I also share some of the reasons for the decisions I made in my own practice, in case it can be of help to you in yours.

Here is a visual I made that you can screenshot or print if you'd like an easy reference for the distinctions between the 2 types of services -https://t.ly/OInSc

If you decide you'd like to offer therapy services in your nature-based practice, there is no better place to learn than in the The ConTiGO Approach™ Nature-Based Therapy Certification & Mentoring Program! We are NOW OPEN for enrollment this week only, January 15-19, 2024. This program gives you all of the essentials you need to become an expert nature-based pediatric therapist. Go to www.contigoapproach.com to join until 5pm CST on January 19. (There will be only 2 more cohorts in 2024.)