This is my first official blog post! I’d like to briefly share the spirit of how Guided in Nature was born. Throughout my life, both personally and professionally, I have been a quiet observer of the wonders of nature. That same curiosity of a child admiring the radiant hues of fall-time leaves or feeling the texture of grass beneath bare feet–I keep that spirit alive and well to this day. It’s been my experience that nature has the awe-inspiring capacity to teach and heal in ways that might defy logic. For well over a decade I’ve found various ways of bringing nature to people in times of trouble. Whether it was the scent of fresh lavender sprigs from my garden, photos of beaches, trails, or lakes, or listening to the sound of a babbling brook, nature’s quiet presence held space as a co-therapist.
Much of my experience as a helping professional, Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C), and therapist, has been in the role of guiding families during some of their most challenging times. Many of these instances were in healthcare settings- a nursing home, a hospital housing facility for families of children receiving lifesaving treatments, outpatient health and mental health clinics, and a pediatric inpatient neuro-rehabilitation unit for individuals who had sustained Traumatic Brain Injuries and Spinal Cord Injuries. I walked the fluorescent lighted halls of those buildings with hundreds of families over the years, offering quiet support and space to feel whatever emotions were present at the time. I first realized the healing power of nature by bringing it into my office, and observing. I watched as caregivers relaxed into the space, often sighing a breath of relief amidst the dim lighting of my floor lamp, the fresh flowers I would often invite into the space, and nature-themed photos on the walls. A forest, a lake, a beach, a sunset, birds taking flight in unison. Caregivers regularly commented on this as a place of solace–calming, grounding, peaceful. Nature has a way of reaching us at our most vulnerable times, reminding us in visual metaphors of our strength and resilience, the seasonality of our lives, and our innate capacities for growth.
After years of bringing nature in to meet people in their troubled times, I decided to also start taking people straight to the source of solace. As I embark on the innovative modality of nature informed therapy, I hope this website will serve as a space to share in nature’s healing properties, metaphors, and lessons. My new “office” is officially open, and it has no walls. I hope you’ll join me, guided in nature.
