In this issue
Features
An upward spiral: exiting prostitution
Catherine Jackson talks to counsellors听working with women in the sex industry.
The practice of Wild Therapy听(free article)
Nick Totton explains how 鈥榤oving into听the outdoors鈥� can bring wildness into听the therapeutic relationship.
The story goes on
Judy Sherwood explores the听intergenerational impact on children听born to immigrant and refugee parents.
Beginner鈥檚 mind
Charles Gordon-Graham welcomes the听freshness that this Zen Buddhist concept听brings to his psychotherapy practice.
Supporting Canada鈥檚 Aboriginal students
Jacqui Gray discovers how Canada鈥檚听university counselling services are reaching听out to their Aboriginal students.
Group supervision 鈥� does it count?
Trainee counsellors Kath Caffrey, Julie听Scott and Geraldine Touhey describe their听experience of group supervision.
Regulars
In practice
Jeanine Connor: Parents and online safety
In the client's chair
Ethel Henry: It all comes down to you
In the supervisor's chair
Rosie Dansey: Learning from each other
The researcher
Barry McInnes: Is it time to think positive?
Dilemmas
Are his fellow students racist?
The interview
Peter Fonagy: The mind from the inside
How I became a therapist
Lee Partis
香港六合彩精准资料
From the chair
Amanda Hawkins: Dialogue is strength
Members and subscribers can download a pdf of this issue听 from the Therapy Today archive.
Editorial
I鈥檝e long been interested in how being听outdoors can help you know yourself,听physically, mentally and emotionally. Reading听Nick Totton鈥檚 article about the practice of听Wild Therapy, I can appreciate what he means听when he writes, 鈥榃orking in the outdoors听seems to offer a direct route into authenticity.鈥櫶齀 have heard people make similar observations听about equine-assisted therapy 鈥� ie that the听horse knows if you are not being yourself!
As I understand it, wilderness therapy听makes use of the healing effects of natural,听wilderness settings and takes place over听a prolonged period of time. It can involve听taking clients on wilderness journeys for听weeks, sometimes months.听
Nick Totton鈥檚 own particular take on听outdoor therapy has grown from his work听in ecopsychology and his concept of 鈥榳ild听mind鈥� 鈥� the alternative to 鈥榩urpose-obsessed听consciousness鈥� 鈥� which he has previously听written about in Therapy Today (鈥榃ild at听heart鈥�, December 2005). Wild Therapy听involves spending time outside in a wild place听and then working with the effects that this听has. For example, how may spending time in听the outdoors change the relationship between听client and therapist? In the therapy room Nick听says he is now aware of a 鈥榩oseur鈥� element听that can get in the way of the relationship.听Outdoors, the client and therapist both听have to negotiate the practical and physical听processes involved, which can make the听relationship more equal. The client may be听more physically agile, which adds another听dimension to the therapeutic dyad 鈥� it also听brings an awareness of the body into the work.
How does being outdoors make us feel听more relaxed? What is it about the other-than-human听environment that induces cognitive听rest? And what does being immersed in nature听actually mean for people on a profound level?
Sarah Browne
Editor