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

In this episode, I share the answers to frequently asked questions about starting a nature-based pediatric practice.

You'll learn:

🌱How I started Outdoor Kids OT (OKOT), my nature-based pediatric practice, and how it grew.

🌱How the ConTiGO (Connection & Transformation in the Great Outdoors) Approach was developed. 😁

🌱Start-up logistics: finding a location, getting liability insurance, and grouping children for services.

🌱Structure of our nature-based OT groups at OKOT: length of sessions and the different activities we include in each group. You can get a bunch of treatment activities to try in my book.

🌱Systems needed for nature-based therapy: Nature-based therapy is not just nature play. There is a therapy process behind nature-based therapy in which you individualize the support for children based on their needs as you carry out your therapy services as a co-facilitator with nature.

Next week on the podcast, we'll delve into the topic of the differences between nature-based learning/enrichment/education versus nature-based therapy. So stay tuned!

Link to download my 2020 article on the ConTiGO Approach™

ANNOUNCEMENT: The ConTiGO Approach™ Nature-Based Therapy Certification & Mentoring Program will open for enrollment next week January 15-19, 2024. If you want to truly develop expertise as a nature-based pediatric therapist, this is for you. Check out the program and join the waitlist at www.contigoapproach.com to be notified when enrollment opens. We open enrollment only 3 times per year.

This is my 2023 Year-in-Review episode (part 2) where I'll focus on sharing behind-the-scenes of my online business: Therapy in the Great Outdoors, where I help pediatric practitioners start and grow nature-based practices or programs.

You'll learn:

• How I developed the suite of offers that I currently have.
• Exactly how much money I brought in with my online programs this year.
• How much I paid myself (you will be shocked)
• Mistakes I made so you can avoid them in your nature-based practice.
• Why you MUST control expenses!
• Why the advice to "outsource" or "delegate" is not always the best advice
• How to be confident in the face of competition in a market
• Goals for the TGO business in 2024

🎉 ANNOUNCEMENT: The ConTiGO Approach™ nature-based therapy certification & mentoring program will open for enrollment from Jan 15-19, 2024. It includes all the essentials you need to become an expert in nature-based pediatric therapy. Join the waitlist at contigoapproach.com

This is the 2023 Year-in-Review episode where I take you behind-the-scenes of my nature-based pediatric practice, Outdoor Kids OT. In this episode, you'll get a feel for what it takes to hit 370k+ in revenue in your nature-based therapy practice.

You'll learn:

-What my total revenue was this year in the business

-What I paid myself

-If the business was profitable

-What it takes to manage a large(ish) nature-based therapy practice

-Why systems are KEY (big surprise, I know)

-Tips for forming a great team

-What I've learned about leading a team this year

ANNOUNCEMENT: The ConTiGO Approach™ nature-based therapy certification & mentoring program will open for enrollment from Jan 15-19, 2024. It includes all the essentials you need to become an expert in nature-based pediatric therapy. Join the waitlist at contigoapproach.com

You must have a plan to grow a successful nature-based business. (I've learned this more and more as my practice has grown!) In this episode, I'm sharing my yearly business planning guide to help you plan for your best year yet in your nature-based practice.

In my coaching program, the Business Hive, I teach a curriculum I developed years ago called the Business Bedrocks. The Business Bedrocks are the 4 essential areas that every business owner needs to master in order to thrive: Mindset, Operations, Finances, & Marketing.

There are 10 yearly planning areas in the broad "business bedrocks" categories:

MINDSET

1. Mindset and personal growth

FINANCES

2. Financial growth

3. Diversifying revenue streams

4. Financial systems / organization

OPERATIONS

5. Product development and growth

6. Team and culture

7. Physical resources (supplies, space, etc.)

8. Systems (productivity, efficiency)

MARKETING

9. Visibility and growth

10. Customer satisfaction

If you feel like you're flying by the seat of your pants in your business, listen to this episode to make a YEARLY PLAN so you can have your best year ever in your nature-based business next year!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Business Hive Group Coaching Program for nature-based business owners

Yes, you can do nature-based therapy outdoors in WINTER!

In this listener feature episode, you'll hear from 4 different TGO Podcast listeners (and yours truly) about our favorite activities to do with children outdoors in winter. ⛄️

I also share some updates from my own businesses...and what you can expect from me in the coming year in 2024.

Have fun out there in the cold! ❄️⛄️

Resources mentioned in this episode:

-->Alexis Filippini's nature-based literacy activities at Words in the Wild: https://www.wordsinthewild.org/educator-resources

-->The ConTiGO Approach™ Nature-Based Therapy Certification & Mentoring Program: https://www.contigoapproach.com

Lots of people dream about nature-based therapy practice. Far fewer actually start and grow a successful nature-based therapy practice that is profitable and sustainable over the long haul. I just finished reading Dorie Clark's book, The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World…and I couldn't help thinking about how everything she shared related to my experiences starting and growing my nature-based pediatric therapy practice. In episode 42 of the TGO Podcast, I'm sharing the lessons I learned from this book and highlighting 6 things you must do to be successful in nature-based pediatric practice.

You'll hear my thoughts and stories on:

[04:33] Setting high goals.

[07:20] Sticking with things even when they're hard.

[09:59] Understanding that growth is exponential, not linear.

[11:51] Remembering why you do the work you do.

[12:55] Learning from the right role models.

[18:03] Never underestimating the amount of work it will take.

If you want support in starting and growing a profitable nature-based therapy practice, I've got you covered!

Join the Therapy in the Great Outdoors Community - Free & low-cost resources and networking for nature-based therapists

The ConTiGO Approach™ - Nature-Based Therapy Certification & Mentoring Program

Business Hive - Year-Long Group Business Coaching Program for Nature-Based Business Owners

In this Nature-Based Business Coaching Call episode of the TGO Podcast, speech therapist Kristin Park, owner of the Magic Speech Bus (and previous guest on episode 40!) joins me to get clarity on the best next steps right now for her to GROW her nature-based business in the near future. You'll learn:

[02:21] Kristin's 6-12 month dreams for her business

[03:34] Why hiring is important for her to achieve her business goals

[05:49] Kristin's current caseload…and why it may be too low for a full-time employee caseload

[08:18] Finding ideal clients & considerations with niching a practice (is the niche too small?)

[13:24] What to include on your website to speak to your ideal client

[19:10] How Kristin has found clients

[20:02] The ONE most important thing to get clients to commit to working with you

[25:49] Why an email list is essential to grow your practice

[31:54] How to decide whether to hire admin staff or another therapist for your very first hire

[44:56] Things you should consider when hiring part-time employees

[47:57] How to decide what to pay employees (+ a bit about employees vs. contractors)

[52:49] Kristin's top 3 takeaways from this business coaching session

Resources mentioned in this episode: TGO Podcast episode 20 - How to Hire Great People

📖 Want help as you start or grow your nature-based practice? Get my free e-book: The Nature-Based Practice Roadmap. It is a guide to help you focus and avoid costly mistakes as you start or grow your outdoor work with children. In it, I share the four stages of nature-based practice, plus a checklist of specific action steps for you to take at each stage in the process. Get it at therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/roadmap

🚌 Kristin Park, MS, SLP is here to share all about the creation of her business, the Magic Speech Bus! In this episode, you'll learn:

[03:39] How Kristin got started

[09:00] How much it costs to build out a van to use for nature-based therapy services (you might be surprised!) 💰

[18:02] How Kristin considers weather when offering mobile nature-based therapy services

[22:41] Kristin's marketing strategies and her first few months in business

[29:25] Kristin's challenges and successes with targeting different speech language skills outdoors

[37:46] Kristin's advice for overcoming imposter syndrome and having courage to take the leap into nature-based therapy!

[39:47] Why Kristin joined the Business Hive, my group coaching program for nature-based business owners.

[43:31] The key reasons I think have been critical to Kristin's early success in her nature-based practice

Connect with Kristin on Instagram @ magicspeechbus or on her website at www.magicspeechbus.com. She also offers consult for anyone who wants to get started using a bus for mobile therapy services- you can book on her website.

On NEXT week's episode, Kristin will be back for a live business coaching call with yours truly- so you'll get to hear how she thinks strategically about her business and see behind the scenes as we work on her business together.

📖 Want help as you start or grow your nature-based practice? Get my free e-book: The Nature-Based Practice Roadmap. It is a guide to help you focus and avoid costly mistakes as you start or grow your outdoor work with children. In it, I share the four stages of nature-based practice, plus a checklist of specific action steps for you to take at each stage in the process. Get it at therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/roadmap

Alexa Ambrosino is an occupational therapy doctorate student at Duquesne University. As part of her capstone project, she requested an interview with me to discuss nature-based practice and advocacy…and I agreed on the condition that we could have the conversation publicly on the podcast to share with all of you! So this was a reverse interview where Alexa became the host and I had to answer all the questions. Here's everything we covered in this interview:

0:00 Introducing Alexa & her capstone project work

1:20 What is my professional background? (Summing up 23 years in 1 minute!)

4:20 How is nature-based therapy different than outdoor play?

6:05 How Alexa structured her social groups using her OT knowledge

6:36 What is the process for starting a nature-based business?

8:35 What are the benefits (& challenges) of nature-based therapy for children?

11:30 Alexa shares a great story about a real-life challenge that happened during one of her camp groups

12:31 Does my nature-based practice offer individual or only groups?

13:15 Why a group is not always best for a child & why it is hard for Americans to understand a group therapy model

12:15 What diagnoses does my practice see most often?

16:53 Would my practice ever expand to seeing adults in nature? (And why I said "Nope" really quickly.)

18:22 Have I noticed a difference in kids who spend more time outdoors? What about technology? (And my embarrassing confession)

22:40 Can nature-based therapy be covered by insurance in the US? Does my practice take insurance? What about other nature-based practices? Challenges of insurance reimbursement & different funding sources to consider in a cash-pay practice.

30:00 What does my practice charge for nature-based sessions? + Ways to price services using an equity-based pricing model.

34:30 What do I think deserves the most advocacy in nature-based practice?

37:47 What have I done to advocate for nature-based programming? (Here I admit something I'm kind of insecure about.)

41:33 How do I recommend promoting nature-based therapy to parents and other people who aren't therapists?

47:00 What do I think are the drawbacks or negatives of nature-based therapy?

51:22 Do parents ever worry about safety in nature-based therapy?

52:30 What is my biggest piece of advice for new nature-based therapists?

📖 Want help as you start or grow your nature-based practice? Get my free e-book: The Nature-Based Practice Roadmap. It is a guide to help you focus and avoid costly mistakes as you start or grow your outdoor work with children. In it, I share the four stages of nature-based practice, plus a checklist of specific action steps for you to take at each stage in the process. Get it at therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com/roadmap

In this episode, you'll learn 4 activities to do with kids outdoors in nature-based therapy sessions during the fall season, plus hear some of my reflections on WHY these activities are engaging for children. Thank you to Jenna Miller, Jillian Blount, & Kim DeLaura for sharing your ideas!

If YOU want to share your favorite WINTER activities for nature-based therapy sessions, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/TGO and leave me a message to be featured on our upcoming winter activities episode!

📣 Announcement! 🌳 ConTiGO (Connection & Transformation in the Great Outdoors) is open for our last 2023 enrollment from Nov 1-7.

ConTiGO is a nature-based therapy certification and mentoring program that gives you all the resources and community you need to become an expert in nature-based pediatric therapy.

If you feel a tad overwhelmed, a little uncertain, or just kind of ALONE in your nature-based work with children, ConTiGO will give you a specific framework, evidence, done-for-you resources, and expert mentoring to help you grow as a nature-based therapist and bring about true transformation for the children & families you serve.

(Also: we're in the early stages of planning an in-person retreat next year to gather ConTiGO trained therapists together for in-depth training with experts in nature-based work with children…so if you join now, you'll be invited when we nail down all the details.)

You MUST be on the waitlist to be notified when enrollment opens, so join the waitlist at www.contigoapproach.com to be sure you get the link to enroll. 💚