Nature-Based Therapy
When I chose occupational therapy as my profession, I was also hoping that I could somehow incorporate nature into my therapy practice and I was ecstatic to listen to the podcast with Amy Seymore detailing her nature-based therapy practices. Two of the things I highly value are animals and nature; surrounding myself in nature has always brought me a sense of peace and comfort while animals bring me happiness. I had been hoping that we would learn about therapy practices in nature, so it was refreshing to know that there are occupational therapists who do nature- based therapy. This type of therapy isn't so different from clinical therapy, you are just moving it outdoors.
Nature-based therapy is important because it integrates sensory elements that may be challenging for children, but also integrates it in a way that will support the client outside of the therapy environment. By taking the therapy outside, you are introducing as many sensory elements as you can, which can be beneficial because you have the ability to manipulate the environment better in a nature-based setting than a clinical-based setting. A nature-based setting can be used for fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and foundational skills that a client might be struggling with. Interestingly these can include handwriting skills, working with a client who has ADHD, or working with a client who has a sensory processing disorder.
When using nature-based therapy I also learned that, just like in clinical settings, you set goals for your clients and use the same standardized testing as you would in clinical settings. You also conduct pre and post tests for your clients just like you would in a clinical setting. With nature-based therapy I learned that sometimes you work more on foundational skills instead of specific skills. This could include working on core strength, grip strength by hanging from tree limbs, and near/far vision tracking by looking for birds, looking at leaves, or looking at the clouds. Nature-based therapy is extremely interesting to me, and I will further look into the therapy practices associated with it!
Nature-based therapy is important because it integrates sensory elements that may be challenging for children, but also integrates it in a way that will support the client outside of the therapy environment. By taking the therapy outside, you are introducing as many sensory elements as you can, which can be beneficial because you have the ability to manipulate the environment better in a nature-based setting than a clinical-based setting. A nature-based setting can be used for fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and foundational skills that a client might be struggling with. Interestingly these can include handwriting skills, working with a client who has ADHD, or working with a client who has a sensory processing disorder.
When using nature-based therapy I also learned that, just like in clinical settings, you set goals for your clients and use the same standardized testing as you would in clinical settings. You also conduct pre and post tests for your clients just like you would in a clinical setting. With nature-based therapy I learned that sometimes you work more on foundational skills instead of specific skills. This could include working on core strength, grip strength by hanging from tree limbs, and near/far vision tracking by looking for birds, looking at leaves, or looking at the clouds. Nature-based therapy is extremely interesting to me, and I will further look into the therapy practices associated with it!
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