Can a Good Old Stomp Be Good for You? Wellbeing in Nature.

When running events in Radipole gardens, we invite along people that complement our ethos, such was the case when we organised our Wildlife & Wellbeing event back in in May. One of the ladies who attended that day, Emma Pritchard, led people on a ‘stomp’ through the gardens.

Being a great believer in the power of nature to help heal mind and body, what she spoke about really resonated with me. We often see groups walking through our gardens, enjoying the sounds, smells, sights of nature and of course the company of others.

A study undertaken by researchers at Michigan University, found that joining in group nature walks has many mental health benefits. These include decreased depression, they can boost well-being and mental health, and can even lower stress levels. These positive effects were especially noticeable amongst those who had recently undergone life-changing events such as serious illness, death of a loved one or relationship problems.

Never having coming across the term ‘stomp’ before in the wellbeing sense (as opposed to toddler tantrums) I was somewhat intrigued and decided to do a bit of digging and then asked Emma to tell us a little about what she does.

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My name is Emma Pritchard and I am an Integrative counsellor working around Dorchester and Weymouth areas.

As well as my one to one therapy, I run Self-Care Stomps outdoors, which involve a combination of therapeutic creative mindful and relaxation interventions, which aim to increase self-awareness and self-confidence.

With the support of Stepping into Nature

it is with great pleasure that I am now able to offer Self-Care Stomps in Radipole Gardens starting in September 2019, which will follow the seasonal changes of the gardens between September 2019 and July 2020.

Please sign up for these as of June 2019.

My Self-Care Stomps would suit anyone affected by a bereavement, anyone who is a carer for a family member, professionals working in a caring role, and anyone who would like some “me time” from a busy life.

Please contact me via my website and facebook pages if you would like to know more about joining me and the other stompers.

Please find more about me via my counselling website www.dorchestercounsellingandwellbeing.co.uk

and/or my facebook pages

https://www.facebook.com/Emma-Pritchard-Dorchester-Counselling-and-Wellbeing

and

https://www.facebook.com/selfcaresparkle.

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You can watch this BBC clip to listen to Emma and one of her groups describing how this interaction with nature outdoors helps them;

https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AP32hL04bUML7d0&cid=EA38FCBD377D6C14&id=EA38FCBD377D6C14%2110476&parId=EA38FCBD377D6C14%213892&o=OneUp

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Emma will be at our Big Fun Day on Saturday August 24th between 12 noon and 4pm so if you’d like to find out what it’s all about come and have a chat.