The Power of Nature

Written by: Cintra Harbold

I met with nine-year-old “Tim” once in person with his father before COVID 19 shut things down in March 2020. Tim presented in my office as shy, but also talkative with quite a vocabulary. For two-plus years I saw him only through telehealth, once-a-week... Not the optimal scenario for a creative boy with ADHD! Dad informed me that he and mom’s main objective for Tim’s therapy was to provide him the opportunity to “talk to someone.” Tim had experienced some “tough things” in his life already and really needed a patient and understanding set of ears to listen to whatever he had to say. I knew I would face some challenges in engaging this energetic child on screen, but I was open to it.

In the Fall of 2022, I attended a training sponsored by the Center for Nature Informed Therapy to become certified as a Nature-Informed Therapist. The training empowers mental health professionals to integrate the healing aspects of nature into clinical practice using research-based knowledge and practice. Being a nature-lover myself, I knew I wanted to incorporate this into my practice.

Tim turned 11 and not being able to see him in person, I was stumped as to how I could incorporate nature-informed content into the session. I decided to share my screen with him and showed a video of a “virtual walk” in a wooded area along a stream. There are several on YouTube, including a series called “4K HD” filmed in various settings. I had created a “scavenger list” of things for him to look for in the video including things like “something that is blue” “Something that looks warm” “something that looks dead” etc. I also included a question about what sounds he was hearing. During the session, Tim was interested initially and curious about the novelty of it. He did identify a few items on the list and then eventually became distracted. I was hoping to introduce the concept of mindfulness and increase his curiosity about nature. He was extremely computer-focused, often posting on his YouTube channel and playing video games. It seems he did not spend a lot of time outside.

Another activity I implemented with Tim was identifying two things from nature that represented what he was feeling that day. He was given permission by his parents to go outside for this. He chose a pinecone and a twig, stating that he had been “bored” at school (twig). He stated that the pinecone represented feeling annoyed at a classmate who mocked him. This was a great lead-in to discussion about bullying and standing up for himself in helpful ways.

Nature comes in many forms. During the pandemic, many of us found solace and renewal in being outside by ourselves or with others, some of us retreated inside to escape and avoid what was happening around us. We can find nature inside and outside, and it is important to do so. As human beings we are preciously connected and part of the natural world. Without that connection, we are not whole.

“We forget that nature itself is one vast miracle transcending the reality of night and nothingness. We forget that each one of us in his personal life repeats that miracle.”

Loren Eisley, American anthropologist, educator, philosopher, and natural science writer

Spring Cleaning

Written by: Nina Davey, LCPC, ATR-BC, PMH-C

Reawakening

To emerge again. 

The season of Spring draws attention to the natural shift in energy and produces momentum in our day-to-day life. Emerging from the winter hibernation, our bodies are eager to stretch and move and breathe in the fresh air. The days are longer, the weather gets warmer - The potential for change expands. 

Taking care of our mental health as the spring equinox approaches is a key element to embracing all this season has to offer and aligning with the momentum of springing forward. 

Here are a few considerations for this year's spring cleaning.

1. Connect with friends and loved ones - After being pent up through the winter months, the change in the weather warming up encourages more opportunity and desire to connect and socialize. 

2. Be mindful of the time change - When the days get longer, our boundaries with time can often expand. This is a reminder to set limits with your available time and protect your sleep hygiene with consistent routine. 

3. Start slow - Moving our bodies out of winter hibernation, it is important to listen to your body and fight the urge to sprint out of the gate. Gentle stretching and walking is a great place to start.

4. Have a plan - Spring cleaning is a great way to shed the external baggage collected over the colder months, however, without a plan, this task can often feel overwhelming. Create a plan of action and take it bit by bit. 

5. Reassess personal goals - At the start of the new year, we often set personal goals. Now is a good time to reassess those goals and make any adjustments or simply just establish new ones. 

Mandalas

Written by Becky Riley Olin, LCPC, MT-BC

I have been drawn towards mandalas lately, seeking them out in nature and in my everyday environments alongside creating them as time and space allows. Mandala is the Sanskrit word for circle; it encompasses circumference, perimeter, and center. Mandala has become a word that is synonymous with sacred space. Their very presence in the world reminds me of the sacred and divine in the universe and in oneself. The circle with no beginning and no end is a symbol for the eternal whole which contains time and space. Jung stated that the mandala is the archetype of wholeness, relating it to the Self. The mandala is one of the image archetypes that often emerges spontaneously when people are in the healing process, either in artwork or in dreams. Jung used mandalas as a tool to explore the unconscious. Jung would present his patients with a white sheet of paper with a pencil-drawn circle on it and a box of oil pastels. The directions were, “Surprise yourself.” Creating mandalas promotes the use of intuition and sensing. We can see our strengths and challenges/difficulties within the context of life’s cyclical nature. We know or sense things at a deeper level than before. I like to use Jung’s original directions when I work with mandalas. If you prefer a bit more structure to this process, here are a few step-by-step directions to get started on creating your own mandala:

It is recommended to quiet the mind and focus on your breath for a few minutes before getting started.

 Take a piece of paper or whatever size feels right to you.

 Draw a circle in the middle of it – you can use a large dinner plate as a template if you don’t have a compass.

 Take a set of colors, sit in front of the circle, and relax.

 Let yourself be drawn to a color and start with that.

 Follow whatever imagery comes up, in color, line, form, or image.

 Trust your intuition to tell you when you are finished.

"Do Less" and Other Helpful Reminders

By: Denise Migliorini, LCSW-C

 ‘Tis the season to get busy buying gifts, making family plans, or managing increased symptoms as the days shorten and the weather chills. If your responsibilities are increasing in any area of your life, it may be time to decrease pressure in other areas.

If your calendar is full of parties and obligations, let go of the house being spotless or the laundry being put away. If you can afford to outsource chores, now is the time to use your resources. If resources are scarce, forgive yourself for what isn’t happening. Eat off paper plates, let the kids wear pajamas all day or have a movie night to rest and recharge.

If your depressive or anxiety symptoms are increasing because you thrive in sunlight and warmth, give yourself space to enjoy something new inside. Find a new book at the library, some fresh markers and a coloring book, or a good show to watch. Clear out or fill up your calendar-whatever your body needs for this season. Do less of what’s “expected” and more of what fuels your soul.

Taking care of yourself during busy or challenging seasons gets to look like whatever works for you.

Why I Wake Early

By Becky Riley Olin, LCPC, MT-BC

Throughout these winter months I continued with my early morning runs each day, noticing and naming the moon phases, connecting with the fox and deer that always seem to pop up out of nowhere, and remaining in awe of the sunrise and the beautiful colors it brings to the morning sky. As I transition into March early morning running, I am especially grateful for the opportunities to witness and notice the emergence of spring alongside the completion of winter. The daffodils are blooming and the magnolia buds are swelling – I experience wonder at the risk they take in blooming despite the frost that awaits. I hear the sounds of the geese coming home, and it reminds me that we are all on our way home to a beautiful somewhere, on our way home to our beautiful selves. David Whyte writes, “If you only suddenly notice that everything has bloomed around you, you have already missed the essence of spring.” Spring is the emergence of what has been growing inside us alongside what has been growing in the outer world. We get to see this in full effect, all around us in the blooming and light of spring. Let us slow down to be present with the sensory experience and energy of spring alongside the completion of winter. Let us slow down to be present with what has been growing inside us this winter, ready to emerge and be born this spring. I leave you with Mary Oliver’s poem, Why I Wake Early, a reminder of the joy that can arise from noticing, witnessing, and taking in the beauty of spring.

Why I Wake Early
by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and crotchety–

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light–
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.