For every therapeutic intervention there needs to be an underlying philosophy that supports it's application. Without an underlying philosophy there can be no real structure and depth on which to base practice.

For nature therapy there is a multitude of philosophical theories that could be applied at many different levels.  I like to think of nature therapy as having a framework on which to design, build and shape practice according to the knowledge and skills of the practitioner and their interaction with the person or people participating. 

For me the framework has to start with a philosophy on life.  It is here the Gaia hypothesis captures my heart. At its basic level Gaia poses the belief that everything in this universe is interconnected.  What we do to one part of this balanced system impacts deeply on ourselves in some way.  Many more people are reporting feeling unhappy, distressed and disassociated  as we dive deeper into a technological era.  

It appears to be fundamental to the human psyche to feel a sense of connection and people will seek this in different ways. This can be through religion, family, friends and even our pets. Contact with nature offers a guiding hand to lead the way back to feeling a sense of connection and peace. It offers an understanding of our place in this world and the universal laws that we are all, human, animal and plant,  subject to.

Do you think nature therapy could be prescribed by the medical profession for ADHD?  Well, it seems we might be one step closer to this happening as part of a wider treatment plan. Impulsivity seems to be reduced by contact with green spaces according to research from the University of Illinois.

In case you are wondering why this blog has a picture of pumpkins - shortly after I took this admiring picture of the fruit of my labours from the garden which had carefully and lovingly been tended - one of them exploded. It wasn't just a slide into leakage or even  a general deterioration, it was a full on explosion up the walls. 

It reminded me of when I worked with young people who had a diagnosis of ADHD who could literally run up walls when confined.  The problem with my pumpkin was I had kept it indoors in a hot conservatory so I could picture it with its friends and show it off to mine.  It was just as wrong an environment for the little pumpkin as it was for any of those children encased in four walls so they could be educated. Education can take many different forms and nature, in my opinion, offers the best.  

Have just completed the second application for Unltd following their acceptance of the first.  One of the hardest things for new social enterprises is to obtain start up funding.  Very few organisations are prepared to fund start ups, fortunately Unltd is one of the very few that will. Without a financial history many doors close,  so even a small amount from this well respected organisation, along with their support and advice, has the potential to make a big difference.  Ultimately it is not just the social enterprise that benefits in being able to move forward, it is the recipients of the service.  In this case people with dementia and their families.