[Kim Gilchrist]

Nadine – First off, miss you too! All of you! And, what a great summary of the learnings!

I know I’ve been quiet lately. I was pushing myself too hard to get back on it. And a very wise person helped me see what was in front of me that I needed to not push how I was feeling but let it be (thanks, Mandy). I’m starting to get my perspective together so I can stay true to my path/trail/journey.

Matt – thank you for your interesting perspective as always. I really like you saying that ‘it will all land where it is meant to…’ I keep reminding myself of that too. I get so focused on the finish line sometimes that I have to remind myself that the finish line isn’t really there! And, this is/will be a learning and changing process as we develop and even as we become coaches and beyond!

[Kim Gilchrist]

I haven’t had too many experiences yet as a client in the ‘threshold’ but there have been a few that have really hit home for me. Thinking what stood out in these is that nature helped me to ‘see’ the answer that I knew inside but couldn’t truly ‘see’ until it was illustrated through the world around me. What I realize was happening for me as a client is that I was so wrapped up in the what I was dealing with, the discomfort of being in this place of dealing with it, fighting the fire(s) that was in front of me, and telling my same story over and over that I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. Yes, pun intended. So, when I took a breath, and another and another…quieted my mind, took a 360 view of that moment then guided by my coach, nature was able to show me the underlying heart of the issue. Things became incredibly clear and I could face the real issue and being to change my attitude and my behavior toward it. What was really interesting to me is that in one case I was physically out in nature. In the other, I was at the computer but able to visualize being where I’m at peace in the outdoors.

As I am writing this, the section in the Coaching Skills Handbook on breaking through the feedback-exclusion zone comes to mind through autobiography (Chapter 5). Through talking about not only the person’s immediate needs but really understanding their life story can help us to guide the client to have nature help them ‘break through’ in the way that works best for them. I know in those moments where I felt like I hit the threshold, I had filled in with my coach the back-story. The questions outlined on page 108/109 create a good starting point to get a focused autobiography vs. a general dump. I definitely want to incorporate these into coaching or versions of these – like pinpointing a outstanding experience that had a major impact (not just as child as it states, but in general) and the other that stood out to me is asking the client if they see themes and patterns in the story that they are telling.

So how will this influence me as a coach? I see that listening to our clients immediate story is part of it, deeply listening to the parts that make up the client is just as important – listening to the soul, the spirit, the make-up of who they are. This skill of recognizing the clients’s internal feeling of truth from their life experiences can then help me to help support them in their journey. And to pull insights of how nature informs us throughout this process. For me it has been a visualization of the issue – as simple as when I really looked around me, the trees illustrated the truth for me. Or the telling the story of what I see in the desert showed me what I was refusing to ‘see.’ For each client it will be unique but we, as coaches, should seek places that reflect and support that which will most help them through learning their stories first!

I have to say I’m also excited about the idea of Natural Cycle of the Eight Directions from the Coyote reading. The moods of nature and the natural cycle of things appeals to my spiritual and intuitive side. I want to do more readings into this so if anyone has found good information on this, please pass along! I’m mulling on how the feelings/energies of the directions can influence us as coaches and we can use this to help our clients. I’m looking out at a Palo Verde tree in the darkening sky in the northwest right now seeing how the energy of letting go, reflecting and releasing is there. Just as I could see in the Threshold, guess the answers are in front of me. Thanks, nature.

[Kim Gilchrist]

Gotta be honest here, I’m in a place right now where I’m not feeling really connected. And have hit a bit of a stall on my coaching vision. And, I didn’t connect as much with the ecopsychology readings that most of you did. I struggled with it and may be just where my head is at!

But I do agree with Melody’s statement that we all connect with nature in our own way. And our client will too. We have to respect that and work with it from an impartial standpoint.

I did relate to some of the practical advice given in the Coaching Skills Handbook about not rescuing our clients, knowing there are times (rarely) to give advice and the levels of listening. All good tools! And, like Sheri mentioned I too want to incorporate the idea of Storytelling more (and how to do this) that Coyote’s Guide talked about.

I know I will go back and read through these again!

[Kim Gilchrist]

Nadine – You bring up some very interesting points. The idea of environmental reciprocity really hit home when you pointed out that this has been practiced for ages. Under different names and different guises over the years but the basic idea of every action causing a reaction in the natural world rings true. The shamans understand that nothing can be separate from this world, the aboriginal people know that the land is a living world that sustains and is sustained, and so on. Even Roszak says that ” all psychology was once considered ecopsychology. No special term needed” (paraphrased passage from ‘Learning from Stone Age Psychiatry’).
The other point that really hit home is “Suggesting that people are bonded emotionally to Earth could read a powerful new meaning into our understanding of sanity.” I think that just like above, this has always been the case. If it is now gaining ground in the scientific community as well as the average person, it could truly change the way we face the world. And, deal with issues by understand what we, as humans, do is much bigger than just ‘me.’

[Kim Gilchrist]

Sheri – Thank you for adding to your post. I so appreciated the honesty of having a hard time wrapping around these concepts. I did as well. It is why I went outside of what we read to find more information to understand the ‘ology’ of it. I agree with you on the simplicity and “the heart” of what we do as coaches is why it appeals so much. And I believe it is what will bring the right clients to us for each of our own practices.

Mandy – Your insight really helped. Putting it simply that ecopsychology helps to explain what we do and provide that scientific backing helped to drive home the whys of this.

[Kim Gilchrist]

Ecopsychology and coaching come together in that the focus for both a person’s mental health and well-being is greatly affected and nurtured by interactions in the natural world. The ecopsychology viewpoint comes from more of a clinical/scientific aspect vs. us as nature based coaches. The traditional role of a psychologist is to assess and diagnose individuals as well as come up with treatment plans (thanks Google!). While our role is to assist our clients to understand what their issues area and guide them through the process, basically helping them to help themselves.

So, I needed all of that defined to really look at the question posed to us on how ecopsychology and coaching come together and what the differences are.

From everything I’ve been understanding, ecopsychology comes from a more pessimistic approach. Maybe that is a strong word for it but “As an Ecopsychologist, you believe that the built environment, more than genetics and socialization, negatively shapes the human mind.” (https://www.careermatch.com/job-prep/career-insights/profiles/ecopsychologist/) summed it up for me. Conversely, I believe that we, as nature based coaches, are coming from more of an aspect that nature is inherently within all of us and can be our teacher and our healer if we let it in. Using this a base, coaching looks to nature as a helping guide in our role of moving clients through their healing.

Where I think these come together is the “realization of the connection between humans and nature is healing for both…bonding with the world as a source of environmental action and sustainable lifestyles” (http://www.soulcraft.co/essays/ecopsychology.html). In this way, we can borrow from the thinking to help our clients to not only use nature for healing but to give back to nature as a society. The example that comes to mind is teaching the importance of giving back to nature, like when we picked buds for the spruce tea with Mandy at the Intensive by not taking the last one and showing the tree our appreciation through thanking it, singing to it, whatever was natural for the individual!

FYI – I did find this article on Ecopsychotherapy, https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/econature-therapy, that showcases several studies on the connection of people to the natural environment in the Nature and Mental Health section that are interesting. I found this helpful, especially the part about not even needing to be in nature to have nature impact a person as I’ve been thinking about when we do online/phone sessions or weather doesn’t permit us to be outside. Also thought the section on Ecotherapy Activities and Techniques was informative.

[Kim Gilchrist]

Reflecting back on the learnings here, I see nature as healing even stronger than when I started. From the facts/science in the readings to the interpretations and discussion between all of us. But also when talking with different folks (friends as well as people I’ve met briefly in passing), I hear this as well. And, I’m definitely more attuned to it right now! Like Michael said in our intensive, if we mention red, you see red everywhere. Well, I’ve been listening for nature connection. Talking about nature connection. Feeling nature connection. It comes up throughout everyday life if we really see/hear/feel in a 360 degree way.

This tells me that there is a strong draw for people to connect. They want to and some find it in their own ways, like us. And there are many folks out there that we can help to do this. They will be better for it and nature will be better for it as well.

[Kim Gilchrist]

When I think of being connected to nature, I think of what it means to have ‘nature to nurture’. This is reciprocal relationship where we, as humans, need to nurture the earth – the environment, the natural habitats, the wildlife. And, in turn, the earth provides us with nurturing in so many ways – from meeting our basic needs to sharing beauty to creating a wholeness within all of us. This was really illustrated to me as I was on the lake early this morning. While I was paddling into various coves I began to use a wide angle view to see, hear and feel around me. Soon I began to notice the fish swimming under my board, the dragonflies buzzing across the water, the bees along the shore and the birds – herons, hawks, doves and buzzards – in the air. The quieter I became the more I could smell the creosote bushes and desert sage along water’s edge, feel the sun on my back and the coolness of the water around me. I began to feel completely and wholly connected with that moment and that place. That feeling held me in both an awe of what is around us and filled me up with a peace & serenity.

As I am now writing this, the above feels like it illustrates the benefits of wilderness that is discussed on pages 44-46 in Wilderness as a Healing Place from our readings: an increased awareness of the relationship with the physical environment/one’s surroundings; increase in self-confidence and feeling of tranquility; and contemplation. In those morning moments I experienced the increased awareness, tranquility and contemplation. And, I reflected back on the exercises we did over our intensive week through the wide angle vision and moments of surrender to open up to what nature had to offer today.

On page 196 of the The Way of Wilderness, Harper talks about “… the awareness of our expanded self is the experience of wholeness…the experience of wholeness, however brief, is perhaps the most healing experience available to us.” By nurturing these moments of wholeness through experiences in nature is how I intend to approach coaching. From my personal perspective the words joy, curiosity, wonderment come to mind when I think about being out in the natural world. From a professional perspective, my goal is to bring coaching clients to an awareness so their own words come forth that create that wholeness for them. And, along the way my hope is that there is a growth in understanding that the nurture nature gives us, we need to give back in turn.

One final thought on this post – the core routines that are discussed in Chapter 3 of the Coyote’s guide – really illustrated ways to bring this to life experientially. Obviously, we used some of these tools in our own intensive. But this really got me thinking of more ways to do this. I really was drawn to the Animal Forms, the Storytelling of the Day and Mind’s Eye Imagining. Curious to explore these more personally as well.

[Kim Gilchrist]

Hi Shari – Reading through your post, really illustrates how the Threshold can truly change the thinking someone has during a coaching session(s). And the awareness that once the thinking changes, the behaviors can start to follow. Not that it is necessarily instant but there is that moment comes when the needed changes can start happening. And the commitment comes. That is really powerful. And thank you for being so open on this!
And you are so right in that we need to listen, be there and hold the space for the client in what they need to have this same type of experience. And if they don’t move in this way to give them the space for that as well. This awareness that you noted in which everyone moves in the way that is appropriate to them is where we, as coaches, need to respect that and not push our feelings/actions/emotions on anyone.
Change, committing to change, really committing to change – during and after – yes, so bumpy! Been having some struggles lately with staying true to my path and just reading this and knowing am not alone helps. You & the whole group!

[Kim Gilchrist]

Sheri – Reading your edits in your response to Amber really resonated with me as well. Thank you for sharing your inspiration from the sun and how it speaks to you as you are walking down this path! Having some difficulty in seeing my own vision (vs. the dream) for coaching yet, to read how nature is guiding you to understand what’s in your soul is really meaningful. It’s so much what NCC is about!

On another note – I couldn’t be there for the real time call the other day but just seeing you all on the recording was just heartwarming! 🙂

[Kim Gilchrist]

Nadine – interesting that we both brought up the three benefits from the Kaplan and Talbot study. Obviously it hit home! And so true about the stress of getting it all in the ‘real’ world when the real world is truly being outdoors and in a natural environment. It was amazing to see how much you loved being there during our intensive. And it was so clear to see how much you lit up when you were with the trees which illustrates what the study concluded. Now it is about bringing that into everyday life and weaving it into coaching as well.

[Kim Gilchrist]

Hi Matt – This sense of Awe is something all of us have/will keep having in nature. I can think of countless times I personally feel Awe from little things to big things. So, really interesting to read a bit about the science behind it in the Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine you referenced. I could easily see how that plays into the Core Routines that are brought up in the Coyote’s Guide, especially the Story of the Day and the Questioning and Tracking.

It’s ironic too since in the Way of the Wilderness reading we had, Harper talks about Wilderness throughout history being the object of dark shadow and has been looked at in a negative light (makes me think of the woods in Snow White). But as you noted above looking at nature from an Awe perspective, and a coaching perspective, nature is a healer and puts us all in a place that feels, is, real. Thank you for bringing this up!

Interesting note – last week I was telling a friend about the program. He was asking all sorts of questions about how it would help with PTSD. I’m going to talk to him more about the study the article mentioned.