Psychotherapy at Schools

Nes offers school counselling sessions as One-to-One sessions and as Group Nature Therapy. Sessions can be indoors and outdoors on school grounds.

Nes also offers CPD training and workshops for school staff in psychoeducation, staff wellbeing, and Nature-connection.

Services for Pupils

Individual One-to-One

One-to-One psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling sessions can be indoors or outdoors, or blended, on school grounds. Research shows that being in other than human environments can offer vast benefits and can offer a life-long supportive relationship.

Nes has worked as a psychotherapeutic counsellor at CAMHS, the NHS and in primary and secondary schools. She has experience of working with children and adolescents that are experiencing PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, selective mutism, separation anxiety, developmental trauma, sexual and physical violence, grooming and ADHD. She has worked with young people that want to feel more in control of overwhelming emotions, more able to make decisions and hold boundaries, feel more grounded and centred, feel stable and safe, feel certain about being valuable, capable, lovable, powerful, and equal.

Sessions are usually weekly and 50 minutes. A minimum of ten sessions is recommended, with a review session every 6-8 weeks.

One to One sessions are usually weekly and 50 minutes. A minimum of ten sessions per client is recommended, with a review session every 6 weeks.

Included: Insurance, travel, supervision costs, most resources/ equipment and professional body membership 

School to provide: a private room/ secluded outdoor space (i.e. not sharing the space with another class); refer clients to me to have an initial assessment to see whether they are suitable for therapy- caregivers and teacher welcome to attend the initial assessment session. 

I also offer parent consultations, parent and teacher workshops to learn strategies to help children regulate and for adults to learn self-regulation skills.

Group Nature Therapy

Nes brings together her training in psychotherapy, forest school, eco-psychotherapy, mountain leading, and woodland management.

The Nurture and Nature therapeutic program offers groups of up to 8 people to develop resiliency, self-regulation, relationship, and self-esteem.

Each program is adapted to best suit the group and the setting. Typical programs are for two-hour weekly group sessions over eight weeks, with a maximum of 8 in the group.

Sessions include opportunities to develop:

  • relational skills

  • body awareness and connection

  • a life-long supportive relationship with nature

  • strategies to self-regulate

  • a sense of connection and belonging

  • problem-solving whilst managing overwhelm

  • resilience

  • boundary setting and consent

  • assessing risk

  • accessing feelings of joy, happiness, play

  • safe ways of expressing anger, frustration, disappointment, and sadness

  • autonomy, mastery, self-esteem

     

Group Nature therapy sessions for up to 8 children (with a TA present) 

School to provide: a private room/ secluded outdoor space (i.e. not sharing the space with another class); refer clients to me to have an initial assessment to see whether they are suitable for therapy- caregivers and teacher welcome to attend the initial assessment session.

Included: Insurance, travel, supervision costs, most resources/ equipment, outdoor first aid and professional body membership 

I also offer parent consultations, and parent and teacher workshops to learn strategies to help children regulate and for adults to learn self-regulation skills.

Services for School Staff

CPD Training

Nes offers interactive CPD training for school staff including:

  • Psychoeducation and Regulation: explore the current neuroscience theories around trauma; ways to help students and staff regulate and become calm; trauma-informed practice.

  • Staff Self Care

Sessions can be in the evening or as part of an INSET day.

Wellbeing for Staff

A great way to spend a few hours or a day of your INSET particularly at the end or start of a term or half term. Sessions can be tailored to your needs and all promote self care, relaxation, curiosity and fun.
Sessions can include and individualised combination of woodland skills, yoga and mindfulness such as:

  • Ancient firelighting

  • Natural dyeing

  • Campfire baking and cooking

  • Yoga

  • Forest Bathing

  • Mindfulness

  • Nature-connection activites

  • Mountain or hill walk

  • Weaving birdfeeders

Nes

Nes is a qualified Primary School Teacher, Level 3 Forest Schools Practitioner, and a qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor and member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy). Nes is trained in eco-psychotherapy

Nes is insured and has current outdoor first aid training and is qualified in woodland management. Nes carries out site and activity based risk-benefit assessments ahead of and during sessions.

Nes has experience of facilitating therapeutic outdoor sessions with groups and individuals as well as workshops for teaching staff.

Why outdoors?

  • Activities in Nature can help to increase a feeling of connection and belonging and reclamation of natural spaces and practical skills.

  • Spending time in Nature has been shown to relieve stress and reduce cortisol. 

  • Exposure to green space significantly correlates to a positive effect on well-being[1]

  • Spending time in Nature improves working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attentional control[2]

  • Contact with Nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress[3]

  • These sessions will provide the time and opportunity to connect with Nature, to play and to interact with other children, which can otherwise be limited. Connecting with Nature will allow our future generations understand and value the natural world

[1] White, M. P., Alcock, I., Wheeler, B. W., & Depledge, M. H. (2013). Would You Be Happier Living in a Greener Urban Area? A Fixed-Effects Analysis of Panel Data. Psychological Science, 24(6), 920–928. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612464659

[2] Schertz, K. E., & Berman, M. G. (2019). Understanding Nature and Its Cognitive Benefits. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(5), 496–502. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721419854100

[3] Bratman GN, Anderson CB, Berman MG, Cochran B, de Vries S, Flanders J, Folke C, Frumkin H, Gross JJ, Hartig T, Kahn PH Jr, Kuo M, Lawler JJ, Levin PS, Lindahl T, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Mitchell R, Ouyang Z, Roe J, Scarlett L, Smith JR, van den Bosch M, Wheeler BW, White MP, Zheng H, Daily GC. Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Sci Adv. 2019 Jul 24;5(7):eaax0903. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0903. PMID: 31355340; PMCID: PMC6656547.