Grateful to anyone who has followed along or checked out the site and received any sense of nature connection that moves me so deeply. Grateful to all who have resonated with some piece of the vision: Caregiver support and nature connection for the disconnected. I hope and trust anyone who is attracted to this kind of inspiration continues to seek it for themselves. To make a difference in your own stress reduction and gain perspective from reminding yourself of your place in the scheme of the natural world.
When my daughter was very ill for several years, time in nature was my solace and life raft. Healing Outdoors was my vision to share this with others facing a similar journey. The further along my journey of recovery from posttraumatic stress (or posttraumatic growth), I have come to understand certain aspects of my personality, my strengths, and my less-than strengths.
I would like to wish that I am meant for a leadership role, or that I have the understanding of a psychologist or a nature-based healer to act as a bridge between nature and people and help others in some way. I simply don't know yet whether any of this is true. Certainly I have helped myself by doing the activities I do.
I have studied and/or observed models of nature-mind "bridges" and have read widely in the field of ecopsychology. A frustration in my ecopsychology courses was being the only student without an active counseling practice to gather people to try activities with and hence gain experience doing what I'd like to do. I have no psychology degree and am certified only by life experience. I have come to realize:
- My connection to the natural world is deeply personal and may not apply to everyone.
- I would love to practice facilitating people experiencing space/time in nature for themselves but I am not an "expert."
- I have no desire to charge large sums of money to lead groups of people to their birthright.
- I would thrive in a job that takes me outdoors.
- I am a greater support person and/or independent worker than a leader.