Much of being a Gestalt therapist means observing the here and now...Observing the I and Thou, and paying attention to what emerges organically inside the client, outside of the client, and in between client relationships (with therapist, nature, animals…). It also means disturbing the client’s homeostasis. Fritz Perls, originator of Gestalt therapy along with his wife, Laura, states: “The simplicity of the gestalt approach is that we pay attention to the obvious, to the utmost surface. Everything that a person wants or needs to express is all there in the obvious.” The ‘obvious’ that Fritz speaks to includes paying attention to clients’ breath, gestures, posture, body and psychosomatic language, and quality of contact. All of these plus their stories emerge in session for us to observe and track. The German word "Gestalt" is commonly understood to mean "whole"The German word ‘Gestalt’ does not have a direct English translation, but it is commonly understood to mean ‘whole’. A Gestalt wants to be completed, meaning a situation, a movement, or unfinished business wants to be completed, made whole and integrated into one’s being. Gestalt also means, ‘formation out of the dark’. Imagine yourself for a moment......walking along a path at dawn in a thick fog. It is difficult to see what you are approaching, yet slowly your eyes begin to perceive the outline of a tree. As you draw closer, the tree becomes clearer and in focus. This is what we mean by ‘formation out of the dark’. There is always something there, and it can take time, a careful approach, and unique interpretation to see what emerges for any particular person. And there is always something emerging because we are always in process. Our bodies, emotions, thoughts, breath, passions… are always in flux. I remind my clients and students regularly that ‘everything is always on its way to becoming something else.’ This often serves as a mantra of comfort for moments of struggle. In therapy, clinicians have the privilege of stepping into the moving path of someone’s life process. Then we purposefully and creatively work and play with what emerges in that process, at that time, and in this place. If we are to observe what emerges in the here and now, then there is no protocol to follow. There is awareness, skill, disturbing, and relationship to create with. For styles of therapy such nature-based or art, there are partnerships or tools to work with as well. From an eco-therapy lens we can perceive what emerges elementallyOur bodies correspond to the earth; our emotions are like water and are fluid; our hearts, instincts, and passions correspond to an inner fire; and our breath and thoughts are like air, consistently coming in and going out. Supporting clients to be aware of and balance these elements within and without means coming into the wholeness that Gestalt aims for. Yet solely ‘supporting’ is limiting. In Gestalt therapy we also disturb our clients’ homeostasis. Fritz Perls articulates this as “frustrating the client”. One reason we disturb them is to interrupt and bring awareness to a pattern. Another reason is to re-create opportunities for clients to gain trust in themselves or another by ‘going through a hard time and coming out ok’ (Duey Freeman). This process is core to attachment and trust. Gestalt therapy is rich with direct experience, relational dynamics, and expression.Gestalt therapy, one of the oldest, modern therapies is rich with direct experience, relational dynamics, and expression. It is the first ‘parts work’ therapy (not IFS) and is the first therapy to engage the social nervous system. The therapeutic milieu at the time was dominated by psychoanalysis where clients laid on a couch and free-associated while the clinician interpreted. Gestalt initiated speaking face-to-face with clients, and purposefully refrained from interpreting their content.
Being a Gestalt therapist is both challenging and rewarding. The challenge for me personally arises in trusting myself to take risks and be creative with what I’ve learned and experienced. The reward comes from the aliveness this therapy can evoke – especially when collaborating with the aliveness of nature. And isn’t aliveness and vitality the point of living?
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In my herbalism school almost 15 years ago, Vitalism was our approach. Vitalism holds at its heart that there is an intelligent, organizing life force that is vital and healing. It is embedded in our tissues, cells, organs, psyches, spirits, and all of life. It is not disembodied and just ‘out there’; it is within us all. We rely on this life force that is greater than us; we are not masters of it. Vitalism is not a philosophy; it is a strategy. The strategy is to support physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health by tending to our own Vitality through life-affirming food, nutrition, hydration, sleep, movement, sociality, nature time, and living in integrity with our hearts and souls. It is also about exploring what inhibits our life force/vitality. Maintaining true health is not about quelling symptoms through allopathic and suppressive medical, pharmaceutical, psychological, and even herbal approaches (Yes, even herbalism falls into a ‘take this for that’/allopathic mentality). It's about supporting what wants to happen from within… life and healing. This week, I had the privilege of guiding and co-teaching (with herbalist and author Blake Burger) a beautiful group of aspiring herbalists in the James Peak Wilderness. I introduced them to Vitalism as a powerful approach to their own lives and future herbal work. Though the class description was about botany, plant identification, and the uses of edible and medicinal plants (we did all these), it was our slow time spent in nature, our connections with each other and the plants from an I/Thou perspective, and the reflective ceremony that truly deepened our understanding of our Vital selves. This approach reminds us to trust the nature of our bodies, and for some, may inspire a unique way of working in the world of herbalism.  Yet I realized this is also part of my approach to ecotherapy…Any therapy modality alone or even in conjunction with others will be limited unless we support the natural Vitalism within ourselves and our clients. There is no true psychological remedy for depression and anxiety if life force is suppressed in our unfinished business or if metabolic dysfunction underlies it. Emotional and psychological impasses are not due to a deficiency of a drug. For example, depression is not a deficiency of Wellbutrin, and low energy is not a deficiency of Ginseng. They are deficiencies in Vitality, life force. We need to get to the root of this. If you are a clinician, how do you support your vital energy? What in your life inhibits your vital energy? These are great questions for our clients as well. Integrating Vitalism into therapy does not mean practicing out of the scope of your training.We do not indicate that we are nutritionists or herbalists (unless you are one, of course). We can, though, plant seeds of holism by inquiring about nutrition, movement, hydration, and nature time with some specificity. Many therapists do peripherally assess these life ways once but rarely follow through beyond first sessions.
Integrating Vitalism is also about not getting tunnel visioned into symptom reduction, a fixing mindset, or too quickly shuffling clients to psychiatry. I am not anti-pharmaceutical, and I support their use after healthy nutrition, therapy, movement and nature have been prescribed. Yet 1 in 5 Americans are now prescribed mental health medication annually, and the statistics continue to increase. Many of these people are not even in therapy or are exploring lifestyle changes. This is mind-blowing to me. 93% of Americans suffer from some degree of metabolic dysfunction. Metabolism is the process of converting food energy into the structure of our bodies and brains and into the energy that fuels our precious lives. Dysfunction in this process (processed food, sedentary lifestyle, 95% of our day spent indoors, etc.) absolutely affects our mental health, our moods, our brain fog or clarity, our ability to regulate, our perceptions of the world and relationships, and our nervous system. Since the therapy world is advancing through research in neuroscience and body/mind connection, it seems neglectful to tend to mood disorders, impulse control and attention deficits, and dysregulation patterns without addressing this metabolic epidemic. Vitalism is a strategy here. When I think of Vitalism, I imagine a mountain river flowing wild and free within its banks. When storms come, branches, logs, and rocks fall into the river and block the flow. This may result in flooding and drought throughout different stretches of river. Vitalism is about acknowledging what is impeding a natural, healthy flow within us and tending to those obstacles. A new river doesn’t need to be made, and we don’t need to push the river or drug the river. One of my supervisees recently asked how we bring Vitalism into therapy since most clients expect therapists to solely address mental health and to problem solve. I first suggested that we have a brief conversation with clients about what therapy is. Frequently, clients and therapists have different ideas and expectations of therapy so getting on the same page can be crucial to developing trust in the therapeutic relationship as well as greater effectiveness. When my clients know that the whole of their being and lives are important to me, and learn that we are ONE SYSTEM in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, discussions and accountability for physical health become normal. When clients disclose their depressive symptoms, I immediately ask about their day-in-the-life lifestyle, diet, screen time, nature time, social time, hydration, how long has it been since they have had blood tests and bio-markers taken, and the quality of their relationships. Yes, we get to attachment disruptions, traumas, origin wounds, etc… but we do not neglect one for the other. What is at the root of their symptoms? Then additionally on a soul level, what is being asked of them at this time? To learn more about the links between mental and physical health and metabolic dysfunction, please visit these two brilliant women physicians dedicated to wholistic healing: Dr. Georgia Ede: About Dr. Ede - Diagnosis Diet Dr. Casey Means: Casey Means MD To learn more about Vitalism, read master herbalist Matthew Woods book: Vitalism: The History of Herbalism, Homeopathy, and Flower Essences: Wood, Matthew: 9781556433405: Amazon.com: Books May the river of your health flow vital and free. The field of Ecotherapy (AKA: Nature-based therapy, Walk-N-Talk therapy, Green therapy) is growing significantly across the country. This confirms the spirit of reconnection to nature that both clinicians and clients alike are craving. With ‘permission’ being granted to ourselves for stepping outside the clinical box, and new research validating how our physiologies, minds, and spirits are designed for ongoing nature exposure and connection, there is a dramatic increase in ecotherapy offerings and trainings nationwide.
As an ecotherapy practitioner for 15 years, I receive many questions from new and established therapists from all over the country. Below are a few of the most common questions I receive with some of my brief responses. My hope in sharing this is so you can make informed decisions about your learning and professional path. What is ecotherapy to me? (Meaning what is my own definition of this practice) Do I need ecotherapy training? Do I need an ecotherapy certification to integrate this into my service options? What could I learn from ecotherapy training, and what are the benefits or drawbacks? How much does it generally cost to get certified in ecotherapy? What is Ecotherapy (AKA: Nature-based therapy)? While there are some variations on ecotherapy definitions, here is my definition of ecotherapy/nature-based therapy: Ecotherapy/Nature-based therapy situates the therapeutic process and therapeutic relationship in and into* natural settings that more accurately reflect the dynamic, interdependent, and complex nature of both. Ecotherapy/Nature-based therapy is an experiential, collaborative, and relational therapy that draws on the presence, wisdom, and spirit of nature as well as the clinician’s theoretical orientation and creativity to support client’s presenting concerns and therapeutic goals. (K.Rose, 2017) *Situating ‘in’ signifies location; situating ‘into’ denotes relationship. Do I need Ecotherapy training? Do I need an Ecotherapy Certificate? The quick answer is ‘no’. There is no national, or to my understanding, state-based requirement for practicing psychotherapy in outdoor spaces. (Please check with your own professional governing board for your state and/or license.) You are not required to be certified in Ecotherapy to integrate this into your services. However, there are ethical guidelines within all professions, regulatory bodies, and professional organizations to practice within the scope of your expertise and training. Therapists love, find solace, and find restoration in nature. Of course, and thank goodness. Yet sometimes our love of something or someone is not enough. In this case, love is not enough to move client sessions outdoors. To be ethical, safe, creative and thoughtful in nature-based therapy, it is our responsibility to receive some additional training in this modality if we are going to do this long term and/or consistently. Naturally there are circumstances where a training is not necessary. I am speaking to clinicians that want ecotherapy to be a regular part of their operation structure and do not have a background in nature awareness, eco-literacy, ecopsychology theory, and interventions in nature. What could I learn from an Ecotherapy training? While I could spend pages answering this question, I will answer from a general perspective (for further questions, please contact me). One response is… it depends on who you are training with and how you are training. There are a variety of ecotherapy training programs or ecotherapy certifications across the country and they offer a diversity of content. Most trainings usually include:
What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of an ecotherapy certificate training? It is important to me to be competent in my work and to encourage competency in my students. While no practitioner is perfect and we’re all on an ongoing learning journey, I feel more confident and rooted in my ventral state while doing therapy or teaching when I have trained and practiced in a new modality. My client’s neuroception will be able to sense my comfort level when outdoors, and it is important they feel safe with me, consciously and unconsciously. What are your clients picking up from your nervous system when you are guiding them in nature? Knowing your Place, your bioregion, the specific spaces you take clients to, the hazards of each place and their micro-climates… support both clinician and client to feel safe or safer in a location. Benefits of Ecotherapy Certification Training:
Any drawbacks experienced from ecotherapy training may be directly related to the specific person or organization you train with. It is possible to there is a gap between what you expected and what you experienced, or that the facilitator is not rooted enough in the content and spirit of the work to seem credible. Also, a clinician may desire to do Eco-therapeutic work in a quality way but they choose an on-line, no interaction training. These do not offer substantial knowledge and experience in guiding someone in an outdoor space. They can be a good start for some of the theory and logistics, but the lived, raw work outdoors should be experienced outdoors – and get in your bones. One real risk though, is that after an ecotherpy certification training, you may not want to go back into the office again. 😉 What is the cost of an Ecotherapy Certification Training? The answer to this question varies greatly depending on the format of the training (on-line, in-person…) and the length/depth of the training. It can be 10-40 hours on-line, a year-long training on-line, a week-long training in person, or a hybrid of sorts. So much variety and options it is difficult to state the range. In general, trainings run from $200 - $3000. What we provide: At Colorado Ecotherapy Institute, we pride ourselves on the blend of on-line and in-person, making this accessible to in and out-of-towners. We bring 15-50 years (Kimberly and Duey together) of nature-based, wilderness-based therapy, equine therapy infused with a high-quality attachment, human development, nervous system, and contemplative focus. Our ecotherapy certification training consists of:
In Conclusion: The world needs more competent therapists and more quality, soul-based, contemplative Eco-therapists. Being a therapist willing to step into this path supports people in our communities struggling with attachment and trauma wounds as well as the effects of a culture separating us from our bodies, intuitions, souls, and the earth. If you feel called within your heart to address these wounds and to contribute to healing of people and the planet, listen to your heart. Do some research for the best training path for you, and step into your destiny. |
