More than a Walk in the Park: An Introduction to Nature Therapy

Facilitated by: Becky Robbins, LMHC
Date & Time: June 9th, 4:00 – 7:00 pm PT
CEs: 3 Available
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: $99.00

This workshop offers participants the opportunity to become familiar with nature-based therapy, and specifically, what is involved in a walk and talk therapy session outdoors in a natural setting. Participants will become aware of the legal and ethical considerations necessary to provide this option for client sessions. Participants will learn the key concepts and significant benefits of providing therapy sessions outdoors, in a natural setting, complemented by the use of expressive arts modalities, along with how these connect through a polyvagal lens.

As participants learn what it takes to provide ethical, impactful, confident, and competent therapy for clients in an outdoor natural setting, expressive arts modalities and somatic awareness techniques will be interwoven. Experientials will be facilitated to aid participants in their own embodied experience of a session in nature. Participants will leave this course ethically and legally prepared to facilitate an outdoor, nature-based therapy session, understanding the client appropriateness (what clients are a good fit for this type of therapy), location considerations (parks, trails, beaches, weather conditions, parking, etcetera), and critical skills needed for facilitating a helpful walk and talk session outdoors (multidimensional awareness, various approaches to facilitation, and safety considerations).

• Understand the legal and ethical considerations of practicing nature-based therapy in a walk and talk session.
• Understand the key concepts of a walk and talk style, nature-based therapy session in an outdoor, natural setting.
• Understand multiple nature-based and expressive arts techniques for the application of nature-based therapy sessions.

Becky Robbins is a life-long resident of the PNW and a long-time lover of all things natural, creative, expressive, and beautiful. She is an avid nature photographer and outdoor adventurer. Becky holds a Professional Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy and is a Nature-based Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) working in the greater Seattle area. She graduated from Antioch University Seattle in 2019 in clinical mental health counseling, specializing in Drama Therapy, and Expressive Arts, and holds several certifications, including SoulCollage® facilitator, yoga therapist and instructor, expressive arts therapist, and life coach.  

Becky is passionate about creativity, safe embodiment, exploring dreams, creating ceremony and ritual, being outdoors in and with nature, and walking a path of ever-curious self-discovery (for herself and to aid others along their path). Personally, you can find Becky spending hours in the local parks as a daily habit, photographing macro and micro aspects of nature, writing and dancing with and about nature and her relationship with it, as well as camping, hiking, backpacking, and connecting with nature any way she can. Professionally, she enjoys facilitating workshops, trainings, and groups, speaking and presenting at conferences and community events, seeing clients, and always learning and creating. Becky loves taking clients and groups outdoors for the therapeutic benefits of nature, self-awareness, and creativity. 

Becky’s has a love of weaving nature-based and expressive arts approaches into therapy sessions outdoors. For instance, she runs a weekly dance/movement and expressive arts group in North Seattle to help individuals process their experiences in an embodied way, increasing self-awareness and self-regulation skills. Her passion for this types of work resulted in the pursuit of a second master’s degree focused on Resilience through dreamwork, expressive arts, and nature-based therapy at Antioch University (completed March 2022). She is a member of the Association of Outdoor Recreation & Education and Therapeutic Adventure Professionals Group, and the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. Becky consistently sees the value of nature-based and expressive arts therapy modalities with her clients in her private practice work and her everyday exploration outdoors.