Reflection : Time For Hygge

The 23rd of September marked the Autumn Equinox in the northern hemisphere. This means that from then until the shortest day, on December 21st, we will have more darkness than light.

In Ireland we celebrate the ‘grand stretch in the evenings’ in Springtime, and we often lament the light as it begins to subside in Autumn.

My invitation to you this year is to start to make some subtle changes:

• Consciously make an effort to get outside.
• Notice the changes in nature.
• Find joy in the sensory experiences of this time of year.
• And, just like the rest of nature, give yourself permission to slow down.

In the evenings, when you get to rest, welcome it. Your Nervous System needs it. Orient to pleasure and embrace the Danish and Norwegian concept of ‘Hygge’ - create some comfort and cosiness for yourself.

Autumn/Winter, the time with most darkness, is essential for new life to emerge and transformation to take place. Seeds need darkness before they can burst into life.

I invite you to allow Nature’s message in, and remember that ‘unproductive time’ is not somehow ‘lazy’. Rest, and more restful periods are essential parts of our natural way of being.

Upcoming CPD Offerings

Call for participants for unique Group Supervision opportunity in 2027

Call for participants for unique Group Supervision opportunity in 2027

In recent years I have had great pleasure in offering small group supervision in a unique hybrid combination of online and in-person outdoors in Co Clare. These yearlong supervision cycles of working with nature have been absolutely wonderfully reflective, embodied and restorative and have been thoroughly enjoyed by my supervisees.

Apart from my actual supervisees, this creative model has received a lot of interest amongst the therapeutic community. I have been invited to present and write about it by therapy bodies in Ireland, UK and the US. Some of you may have read the reflective piece that was published on the experience of the first year I supervised in this way. The article in ‘Context’, the journal of UK Family and Systemic Therapy is available on the link below if any of you are curious about this way of working. Link to Journal Article​

I am now taking expressions of interest for a new group to form in Spring 2027. Please email me if you think this would be something that would interest you or if you wish to find out more. While the delivery of this supervision will be creative and will integrate nature, you are not required to have any experience of working outdoors with your clients. This will be a source of secondary supervision and will be monthly over a year with two months off in the summer and we will meet once in each season in person outdoors in Ennistymon Co Clare.

In-Person 3 Day Ecotherapy Workshop – Call for Expressions of Interest

My next 3-day Ecotherapy in-person workshop will be held in Spring/Early Summer. Date to be confirmed. This will count for 17hrs CPD and is open to Therapists, Other Professionals from Healthcare, Social Work/Care, Education and Community Support. We will cover a vast area of theory, client vignettes, experiential exercises, practical advice, and much more, all while being emersed in the outdoors in Co Clare. With a max number of 8 participants the fee is €400 for the 3 days and this includes tea/ coffee scones on arrival, snacks, and lunch on the final day. Any past participants from my 3 day online version of this training will get a 20% discount if they would like to join in-person.

Please email me to express interest

In-Person 3 Day Ecotherapy Workshop Feedback

Here’s some feedback from previous participants:

“Thank you for running and facilitating such an amazing workshop, I knew I wanted to incorporate nature more into my practice but I am even more inspired to do so now!”

“I found the workshop to be excellent on a personal and professional level. I took more from it on a personal level than I expected, and found that I was so well regulated and grounded and inspired when leaving on all three days.“

“Professionally, I found it exceeded expectations, and helped me to become more comfortable with my practice. I am happier with the idea of nature therapy that works for me, rather than pursuing some idea of what 'proper' nature therapy would be.”

Date for your Diary – Next Nature Network

I’m celebrating hosting my ‘Nature Network Café’ for three years! It’s a joy meeting many of you regularly this way. Natural easy seasonal themes help slow us down and take stock of ourselves. It’s also a great way for me to meet people from my mailing list that I haven’t met before. While I generally host these bi-monthly, I often consider increasing their frequency as it just feels like such a nourishing space. So expect that I may pop in extra ones here and there.

Lets get together and to celebrate Samhain. Grab your tea or hot chocolate and make yourself cosy next Thursday night November 5^th (7.30-8.30pm) as we reflect on natures teachings at this time of year.

I will send out the zoom links in advance with an open invitation to join.

See more about my 16^th cafe below in the ‘What I’ve been up to’

Interesting Books Podcasts Articles

What I've Been Up To

Trauma Informed Guidance Workshop

In September I had the pleasure of spending the day with a wonderful group of Guidance Counsellors from the Tipperary branch of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC), facilitating a ‘Trauma Informed Guidance’ workshop.

Days like these always leave me feeling hopeful. The care, commitment and energy in the room was inspiring, and a reminder of the incredible work being done every day to support young people, families and school communities.

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Key to working with stress responses is that understanding trauma and understanding regulation go hand in hand. Before meaningfully relating, learning, problem-solving or decision-making can happen, people need to feel safe, connected and supported. There was plenty of discussion, shared experience, reflection and laughter throughout the day, which is often where the richest learning takes place.

While this work is especially important in education, the principles apply wherever people are working under pressure, navigating change or supporting others through challenging situations. Creating trauma-informed environments helps people feel more supported, more resilient and better equipped to manage the demands of everyday life and work.
If your organisation, school or community group is interested in exploring how a trauma-informed approach could support wellbeing and effectiveness of your team, I'd be delighted to have a conversation.

Integrated Health-Harmony-Healing Webinar

Integrated Health-Harmony-Healing Webinar

l had the pleasure of presenting to the ‘Integrated Health-Harmony-Healing (IH3) Matrix’, at the start of October. This is an inspiring network of Doctors & Allied Medical Professionals from the UK, who are dedicated to holistic and patient-led care.
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Invited by the group lead, Dr Minha Rajput-Ray director of the ‘Curaidh Clinic’ in Dundee, I was happy to discuss Trauma and Ecologically informed care. Introducing the group to theory, research and practice in the field of Ecotherapy, our conversation embraced all things from Green Prescriptions to the significance of bringing the natural world more into the clinic.
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If your organisation or network would like to learn more about Wellbeing, Stress Reduction and Trauma Informed approaches feel free to get in touch.

Nature Network Café #16

Nature Network Café #16

In August I facilitated another of my ‘Nature Network Cafes’. I was joined by an inspiring group of progressive and innovative Irish Health Professionals interested in healing with nature.
My loose guide for this session was an invitation for the group to make recommendations of Ecotherapy or Nature related books they’d read recently.
We started with useful literature, but developed into great conversations about the real life experiences of the group, which is where the true peer learning took hold.
It was a delight to hear about the development, support and success of a CAMHS nature based intervention in Dublin, and HSE supported Social Farming interventions for various client groups in the Midlands.
Such a great evening of sharing, learning and networking.

Sharing and Accepting Vulnerability

For the first time in 5 years, I had to cancel a 3-day In-Person Ecotherapy workshop that I’d planned for the end of September, and refund those that had signed up. Why? I just didn’t have the numbers needed for the peer learning and group dynamics I’d envisioned. As most of you know, this workshop has been my passion project and I’ve facilitated it twice a year for the last 5 years.

One thing this experience brought to light for me is how vulnerable running your own business can be. When your knowledge is the product, marketing can be draining and setbacks can feel very personal! When I’m invited by companies or organisations to present, my job is so much easier. I need to prepare content based on the organisation’s needs and then just turn up, knowing the audience will be there and my fee is secure. When I offer my own workshops there’s a lot more vulnerability. I put something I care deeply about into the world and hope the right people find it. So this time, instead of my usual photos of my participants smiling in the forest, I’m sharing the other side of the story. I think it’s important that we don’t just share the wins. We also need to highlight the challenges and disappointments, because they are part of our working lives.

There have been plenty of people in touch before and since the September date saying they are really interested in this CPD and that they have not found another one like it in Ireland, however the stars just did not align for that particular weekend. I will be happy to offer this again in the Spring.

Working On Something Exciting

I'm currently working on a new project. Its exciting and scary for me but more to come in the next newsletter!