Off the Couch and into the Forest
“We have left the bush and the forest and are now so fixated on the highway that we have forgotten how the world works.”
Bayo Akomolafe
The ‘evidence’ is clear if you either dig around yourself in the forest, or dig around for data in certain journals. Time spent in a natural environment offers an array of health benefits, alleviating depression, easing anxiety and mitigating stress related illness (see research links below for some of the most recent evidence if you like data). Shifting us out of our sympathetic nervous system, fight, flight, freeze, fawn mode, and into our parasympathetic nervous system, rest and digest mode, where we can more fully engage with and process our thoughts and feelings.
Walking on soft ground with the smells of earth and the sound of birds always induces in me a more full bodied encounter with my self. The mind is more at ease, able to bring the most salient points of the days, weeks, months or years, often coming into awareness via the most baffling connections, all of which link the past to the future in the present moment. Simply gazing up at the woodland canopy, whether it is in the full green leaf of summer, the stripped back beauty of winter or somewhere in-between, has a hypnotically calming effect and places you in direct contact with the seasonal changes of the land around you. In my humble opinion, we desperately need this type of encounter, now more than ever, if we are going to survive as a species. This is where we come from and so we know it through a deeply felt sense, we feel it in our bones when we’re there. E.O. Wilson called this The Biophilia Hypothesis affirming this feeling as being the result of our evolutionary history being rooted in nature and so we all have an innate affinity with the natural, rather than urban, world. Makes sense from where I stand, in fact it seems obvious and it’s why I spend as much time outside and away from these screens as possible. To me it’s undeniable and so even more mind meltingly confusing to consider how we ended up being born into this machine like environment and culture.
We’re uniquely blessed in this ‘green hollow’ that is Glasgow to have access to some incredible pockets of our natural habitat within the urban bounds of the City. Pollok Country Park, being the most extensive of these, is literally on our collective doorstep. Given the conclusive health benefits that come with simply spending time in nature, it’s a no brainer to me that combining this with a therapeutic task will be an incredibly enriching experience. But this comes with a proviso; undertaking a stint of therapy outdoors will be potentially more challenging, and so make for a more intense experience. This is not for everyone and may well take some will power and resolve to make it through the winter, but I think it’ll be worth the effort.
What will outdoors therapy look like?
I invite you to join me for a weekly one-to-one session under tarp in the woods, or if preferred, a walk, where you can explore your inner world for patterns that may be holding you back whilst subtly connecting with the outer world in a peaceful and personal way.
Our initial session will include a short walk and an introduction to a space where I have seating and a basic shelter from the rain. We would then agree on a time and place within Pollok Country Park where we will meet every week and spend the next hour together. Stepping into the woods is the crossing of a threshold, from an urban to a natural environment. I encourage an acknowledgment of this through a brief but mindful transition, allowing you to gather your thoughts before we meet.
If you are accustomed to being outdoors throughout the year I would still ask you to check one or two weather reports on the day of our session and dress accordingly. If you’re new to regular outdoor excursions I recommend carrying multiple warm layers, some thin and some thick, and always bring a waterproof (check this link for layering advice). I will provide dry seating, shelter if it’s wet, and a fire when it’s cold.
I currently only offer outdoor sessions on a Wednesday between 9am and 3pm, to catch the window of light during the winter months. From March 2026 I will hold later sessions throughout the summer. I recommend committing to this for at least five months so we can develop the trusting relationship required to reach the depth where change is initiated. This duration will also give you the time to connect your inner journey with the outer changing of the seasons. I can offer these sessions at a reduced rate of £45 per session as Pollok Park doesn’t charge me rent. I look forward to seeing you there.
Thanks for your message. I will get back to you soon to arrange a convenient time for a 15 minute phone consultation.
References
The Biophilia Hypothesis. Kellert SR, Wilson EO. 1993
Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health
Effect of nature-based health interventions for individuals diagnosed with anxiety, depression and/or experiencing stress. BMJ Open. 2025 Jul 24;15(7):e098598. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-098598
How Nature Nurtures: Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a one-hour walk in nature. Sudimac, S., Sale, V. & Kühn, S. Mol Psychiatry 27, 4446–4452 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01720-6
Does nature-based social prescription improve mental health outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1228271