Outdoor Therapy During Lockdown

We are here again. Another lockdown. Although we have been reassured by the government that there will be a return to a slight sense of normality from the 2nd of December, the truth is we don’t really know how often we’ll find ourselves in lockdown. Some suggest that until a vaccine is widely available, further local and even national lockdowns are inevitable.

The first lockdown resulted in several creative adjustments by therapists as well as clients. Many continued to see their clients via Zoom or Skype and a number of my own clients started online therapy without having met me in person. The experience of online therapy was, to my surprise, very positive and has become an accepted alternative to in person therapy.  I’d like to briefly discuss a third alternative which is rarely spoken about.  Although the majority of my clients were happy to go online during the first lockdown, a small number are still not keen on the idea.  This has led some of us to explore the idea of outdoor therapy. Initially the thought of it conjured up images of us sitting in a busy park keeping a low voice and looking over my shoulder so I naturally felt some resistance! Issues of confidentiality were my biggest worry but after a client suggested it, I decided to give it some thought.

Not long after hearing my client’s suggestion, I came to the conclusion that my concerns might not be justified. For one, there are lots of open spaces that are not crowded and plenty of places where you can place a couple of foldable chairs and have a session. Alternatively, a walk around nature can work really well and provide a peaceful setting for a therapy session. All the clients I’ve worked with have been vocal about how helpful they’ve found it. There can be a peaceful feeling that can be accessed in nature that is hard to find anywhere else. It also felt like we’d exercised after in one case having walked almost 5 K!

If you feel this is something you might benefit from you might want to suggest it to your Therapist alternatively, contact The Practice and we can put you in touch with our therapists who use outdoor therapy as one of the ways in which they practice.