ECOTHERAPY AND EGRETS: IN THE COMPANY OF TREES

THE EGRET

A few days ago during my morning run I stopped to snap a photo of a tall, white bird standing in the shallows of Wascana Lake. Not recognizing the species, I sent the pic to my birder, photographer friend, Cathy, who identified it as an egret. As our chat continued, we also discussed our Wascana consumer habits, my running and her walking and birding in general. Not-so-strangely, Ecotherapy quickly came into the conversation and thus, the title, ECOTHERAPY AND EGRETS: BEING MINDFUL OF NATURE. 

Ecotherapy embraces the principles of Ecopsychology, the psychology that suggests clients can improve their mental health by way of reconnecting with nature. Ecotherapists utilize outdoor settings for their therapy sessions, in an attempt to cultivate fresh solutions for their clients’ long-standing problems. 

Purportedly, the benefits of ecotherapy, too, effect the physical health of clients, movement improving mood, so to speak. Also, for any clients having angst about attending therapy sessions in same ol’ same ol’ clinical settings, ecotherapy definitely fits the bill (pun intended) by providing a new and natural surrounding. 

Ecotherapy is often referred to as Nature Therapy, Green Therapy, Forest Therapy, Forest Bathing, Earthing, Shimrin-Yoku, and Sami Lok. However, to connect this type of therapy to my current hypnotherapy practice, I am contemplating a new tag for it. 

Ecotherapy sounds technical and scientific, suggesting that one needs a certain knowledge that is much more than a pedestrian awareness of our ecosystems. Nature Therapy and Green Therapy sound like laundry or body soap commercials, while Forest Therapy, has an artsy and ethereal hippy vibe, smacking for tree-hugging. Forest Bathing could be a marketing line for a nudist camp, a warm and steamy midsummer night’s dream populated with gamboling wood nymphs; whereas, Earthing could be a body wash of gritty behaviour, a roll in the leaves and the mud instead of the hay. Shimrin-Yoku or Sami Lok could be some pop-up studio, another dojo promoting the latest discovery of some ancient hard-core martial art. 

Because I love hiking, I was thinking about Hiking Therapy! But alas, Hiking Therapy suggests a pre-requisite fitness component to partake. Hmmm. Maybe Excursion Therapy? Nope. The notion of Excursion suggests more of a trip or journey. Maybe Ramble Therapy? Nope. To Ramble suggests a quick and physical spurt or scramble of sorts. At a session yesterday evening I proposed the new handle to a new client, Amble Therapy. He said he liked it. But he was a new client and upon reflection, he might have agreed to liking any of my above mentioned labels, and probably any other I could have put forth. Oh well and so what. I like it and I’m going to stick with it … for now. 

And here is my plan: I’ll not jettison my principal practice of Hypnotherapy to start up a practice of Amble Therapy. I am seriously thinking, though, of employing Amble Therapy as my go-to-imagery for at least most of my Deepening stages. Not coincidentally, because of my hiking, I have often suggested forest scenes for my clients in trance. Also, I’ve decided that for any of my clients who are needing a tweak to strengthen any scenario from a previous session, a literal walk in the park may be the natural way to go. And lastly, for any potential clients who are too angst-ridden, struggling either mentally or physically, to actually travel to my office for a session vis-à-vis, offering Amble Therapy along with my current offering of Face-time, could be a soliciting strategy. 

Factoid: On my website I do offer home visits, but have had only one taker to date. And during that one-time home-visit, during the hypnotherapy session there was a door bell rung soon followed by a heavy, heavy knock on the door. And that session abruptly concluded when the husband walked in and demanded, “What the hell is going on here!” Needless to say it was not my finest hour. 

I thought that Amble Therapy would have been free of intrusions, but it wasn’t. My client and I met in a parking lot on the edge of the forest in Wascana Park. It was cold and rainy and we were bundled up accordingly. (I’m of the belief that there is no such thing as bad weather, there is only bad dress. I had suggested that my client pack along a rain coat.) Our nidus for the occasion would be the first picnic table we ambled upon entering the forest. Such a spot I thought would be tranquil enough for our session. I was wrong. 

Almost immediately as we sat down there were, literally, trumpets blowing. And from a gargantuan tent situated a couple hundred feet away, evangelicals were delivering revival sermons to a throng of hallelujah listeners, all of which being transmitted through microphones. Also, there happened to be a provincial marathon race, hundreds of runners pounding along the Devonian Pathway, so close we could hear them grunting as they passed by. 

No. My client did not have the chance to notice the crackling of leaves under his shoes as we meandered to the picnic table. No.  My client did not see or feel or smell any of the cacophony of clichés I am about to present. He did not hear the whispering winds or the murmuring trees. Neither did he hear the chattering of squirrels nor the chirping of birds. He did not have a whiff of the aromatic pines or the slight and musty scent emanating from the lake. Instead, my client did feel the bites of the rain on his face, and he did feel the clammy and soggy rain-resistant, not rain-proof, windbreaker clinging around the skin on his arms. 

Note, dear readers, Wascana Park is the second largest urban park in North America! So this setting should have been the perfect test for my Amble Therapy debut! Reflecting on this soon after saying adieu to my client, I knew that if any of my clients could focus on the natural things emitting from the forest, rather than these other uncommon and unnatural noises, then I would have reason to celebrate not only the success of this session, but future suggested hypnotic musings as well. 

In my typical fashion I did a follow-up with my client the very next day. I texted him an emoji, a hand with fingers-crossed followed by a question mark. He responded with an emoji having a straight-mouthed, not a smiley face. I translated his response to infer that it was not a success. Hmmm. 

Over the years I continually experiment and adapt new methodologies for my private practice. Needless to say I have experienced non-success before and so I decided this particular Amber Therapy session to be just more grist for the mill, just another counter-pattern to acknowledge and overcome, from which to learn and therefore strengthen my practice. Instead of stewing, I began writing. (When I really want to think about something, I write about it.) 

Here is my first written epiphany with regard to Amble Therapy: 

No matter how loud the other barks in the forest be, 

tune in especially to the bark on your neighbouring tree! 

And here is my wry attempt in parting humour for today: 

May the forest be with you!

Those marching in my CHAUCERIAN PARADE this week:

MY COUSIN, DAVE

 

BUSKING WITH MY NEW HARPING BUDDY, WHO WAS PASSING THROUGH TOWN