When I first started out as a doctor of clinical psychology in 1997, work focussed on trying to fit people into nice, neat boxes as suggested by the medical model – ‘patients’ were given the labels depressed, anxious, phobic, personality disordered amongst others and treatment involved trying to limit the impact of these symptoms. As time moved on, there was an increasing emphasis in moving ‘patients’ through the system as fast as possible.

I still carry my training and early professional experiences with me, but experience has shown me that what matters is the relationship between client (not patient!) and practitioner; working in partnership, rather than assuming that someone else has all the answers; and working alongside clients to assist them to recover their trust in themselves. If someone can only be ‘well’ when an expert tells them how to do it, then there is a risk of dependence on that professional. I walk alongside my clients for as long as they need me and when clients leave me, it’s because they’ve found what they needed within themselves.

There, personal and the professional often cross over; I became a serious hiker around 14 years ago when recovering from a broken heart and a ruptured cruciate ligament! Spending time in the great outdoors was wonderful rehabilitation for both; 1-mile walks became 5-mile walks became 15-mile hikes and both my knee and my spirit got progressively stronger.

The further I hiked, the more I got lost and so it was time to start taking navigation a bit more seriously, which led to bronze, Silver and Gold National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) awards and eventually qualification with the Mountain Training Association (MTA) as a Hill and Moorland leader.

Psychologically, what I began to notice when out hiking was a change in the perspective that I had on the problems I had taken walking with me. I would notice a change in my emotional state without having to do anything other than keep putting one foot in front of the other. As I started taking on bigger walks, such as hiking Kilamanjaro and a number of other 4000 metre plus mountains, I began to experience what Carl Jung described as numinous experiences – a sense of connection to things bigger than myself.

Natural environments became places of sanctuary and respite for me; they became places where myself and my partner could have conversations that felt far too hard to have at home; they became places where myself and work colleagues could laugh and be creative about the work problems that had had us stuck for months. Being outside in environments that were in flux, changing and evolving – that could be warm, still, clear and blue one minute, to cold, raging, foggy and silver grey in minutes – is a great reminder that change is constant if we’re in places that allow us to really experience that.

Allying these experiences with powerful techniques and ideas from the worlds of behaviour change, coaching and psychology provides a unique package that can help you grow into the changes you want to make.

Contact me if you’d like to learn more about outdoor therapy or a walk and talk session in the Peak District.