Whether you're in the therapy office, a classroom, in the city, or the countryside, using nature-based activities with children is always possible, and incredibly therapeutic

Whether you're in the therapy office, a classroom, in the city, or the countryside, using nature-based activities with children is always possible, and incredibly therapeutic. By integrating these activities with mindfulness, therapists and educators can harness the power of both treatments, and help children become calm, alert and happier human beings. Mindfulness and Nature-Based Therapeutic Techniques for Children provides evidence-based, practical, accessible and FUN activities to promote: Self-regulation Cognitive and emotional development Physical development Sensory regulation Play and creativity Empathy Resilience to cope with trauma and grief Dozens of activities for children of all ages!

Take advantage of nature’s therapeutic benefits with this guide for counselors, therapists, and educators who work with children, youth, and families. The number of people seeking help for a wide range of mental health concerns is growing at an alarming rate. Unplugging from technology and reconnecting with the web of life is a powerful antidote to the anxiety and stress that tend to exacerbate so many of our mental health struggles. Nature-Based Therapy addresses the underlying disconnection between humans and their ecological home, exploring theories and therapeutic practices designed for children, youth, and families, including:Developing sensory awareness of outer and inner landscapesNavigating risk in playCase examples with a diverse range of settings, intentions, and interventions

Nature-Based Play and Expressive Therapies addresses a wide range of healing modalities and case studies that can be used in both indoor and outdoor environments. Each chapter includes vignettes to support the interventions and approaches presented. Readers will find a diverse array of helpful handouts and topics explored, including tips for creating outdoor healing gardens and labyrinths, guidelines for using nature to address trauma, working with sandplay and storytelling in nature, adapting nature-based interventions via telehealth, and much more. Chapters focus on work with young children and teens in individual settings as well as work with families and groups, making this book an important read for a wide range of mental health professionals.

Applied Mindfulness: Approaches in Mental Health for Children and Adolescents starts from the premise that mental health clinicians must have their own mindfulness practice before teaching the tenets and techniques of mindfulness to others, including young people. To that end, the book offers readers clear instructions on how to first practice mindfulness in their own lives and then extend their personal practice outward to others. Once this knowledge is internalized, the clinician can focus on mindfulness in terms of its application to specific clinical diagnoses, such as anxiety and depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and substance abuse. Because many mental health professionals work in multiple settings, such as in schools, in clinics, and online, the contributors, representing a wide range of creative and authoritative voices, explain how to skillfully tailor mindfulness interventions for effective application across diverse contexts. Drs. Carrion and Rettger, as Director of the Stanford Early Life Stress and Pediatric Anxiety Program (SELSPAP) and Director of SELSPAP's Mindfulness Program, respectively, have been engaged in ongoing community-based work delivering mindfulness and yoga programming to underserved youth and their helpers. This expertise is evident in their eloquent yet down-to-earth editing. The volume offers clinicians everything they need to begin their mindfulness journey, including the following: - Introductory knowledge on how to get started with a meditation practice. Specific mindfulness scripts are provided throughout the book to foster development of the reader's own practice. In addition, there are audio practices and clear written descriptions of practices to offer support for those learning to meditate, internalize mindfulness practices, and then adapt these skills for clinical practice. - A developmental and ecological approach to implementing mindfulness. The book offers insight into integrating mindfulness across many settings, platforms, and applications, and includes chapters on mindfulness online, at home, and in school, as well as chapters on incorporating nature into mindfulness practice and the relationship between mindfulness and creativity. - Material on specific clinical populations, including immigrant youth and incarcerated youth. A special chapter is devoted to trauma-informed yoga, which has been shown to be an effective therapeutic intervention for youth who have been incarcerated. - Comprehensive information on the current state of youth mindfulness research, which prepares readers to discuss these topics knowledgeably with colleagues and patients. Like ripples in water, the benefits of mindfulness spread outward, from clinicians to patients, families, schools, and communities. Applied Mindfulness: Approaches in Mental Health for Children and Adolescents is the first step toward stress reduction, peace, and compassion for a new generation.

A Practical Guide to Play Therapy in the Outdoors responds to the significant and growing interest in the play therapy community of working in nature. Alison Chown provides practical ideas about why we might decide to take play therapy practice into outdoor settings and how we might do this safely and ethically. This book discusses how nature provides a second intermediate playground and can be seen as a co-therapist in play therapy. It explores the relevance of different environments to the play therapy process by considering the elements of earth, air, fire, water and wood. It looks at the way we can connect with nature to find a sense of place and details some activities to do with children in play therapy to get started. The book provides an important guide for the practitioner and talks them through the crucial guidelines that are necessary for outdoor play therapy and gives a philosophical perspective to working in nature. It will be engaging and essential reading for play therapists in training and practice.

This acclaimed work, now in a new edition, has introduced tens of thousands of clinicians to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for depression, an 8-week program with proven effectiveness. Step by step, the authors explain the "whys" and "how-tos" of conducting mindfulness practices and cognitive interventions that have been shown to bolster recovery from depression and prevent relapse. Clinicians are also guided to practice mindfulness themselves, an essential prerequisite to teaching others. Forty-five reproducible handouts are included. Purchasers get access to a companion website featuring downloadable audio recordings of the guided mindfulness practices (meditations and mindful movement), plus all of the reproducibles, ready to download and print in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. A separate website for use by clients features the audio recordings only. New to This Edition *Incorporates a decade's worth of developments in MBCT clinical practice and training. *Chapters on additional treatment components: the pre-course interview and optional full-day retreat. *Chapters on self-compassion, the inquiry process, and the three-minute breathing space. *Findings from multiple studies of MBCT's effectiveness and underlying mechanisms. Includes studies of adaptations for treating psychological and physical health problems other than depression. *Audio files of the guided mindfulness practices, narrated by the authors, on two separate Web pages--one for professionals, together with the reproducibles, and one just for clients. See also the authors' related titles for clients: The Mindful Way through Depression demonstrates these proven strategies in a self-help format, with in-depth stories and examples. The Mindful Way Workbook gives clients additional, explicit support for building their mindfulness practice, following the sequence of the MBCT program. Plus, for professionals: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with People at Risk of Suicide extends and refines MBCT for clients with suicidal depression.

Grounded in research and accumulated clinical wisdom, this book describes a range of ways to integrate mindfulness and other contemplative practices into clinical work with trauma survivors. The volume showcases treatment approaches that can be tailored to this population's needs, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and mindful self-compassion (MSC), among others. Featuring vivid case material, the book explores which elements of contemplative traditions support recovery and how to apply them safely. Neurobiological foundations of mindfulness-oriented work are examined. Treatment applications are illustrated for specific trauma populations, such as clients with chronic pain, military veterans, and children and adolescents.

Learning mindfulness strategies can be difficult for children and adolescents, let alone when kids have autism, anxiety, ADHD or other emotional regulation issues. That's why play therapist and counselor, Tracy Turner-Bumberry has created 75 simple, playful and on-point interventions that combines mindfulness, expressive arts and play to help kids achieve greater self-regulation, focus more and stress less.

In this modern age of technology, children need nature play more than ever before in human history. Pediatric therapy practitioners around the world are reading current research and realizing the benefits of nature for children with developmental challenges. Evidence suggests nature-based therapy is a powerful way to help children make rapid gains in sensory processing, mental health, motor coordination, and social play skills.Just like any real adventure, nature-based therapy is exciting and fun...but getting started as a nature-based therapist can feel overwhelming and scary due to all the logistics and unknowns. Most of us are used to working indoors and nature-based therapy is an emerging practice area with not much out there to guide us.Therapy in the Great Outdoors will help you start providing nature-based therapy immediately with confidence and ease! In this book, occupational therapist Laura Park Figueroa shares lessons learned during the start-up and growth of Outdoor Kids Occupational Therapy, a nature-based pediatric practice. In this book, you will learn:¿ Expert tips for managing logistics and planning nature-based therapy sessions.¿ Specific supplies you need to get started without spending a ton of money.¿ Must-have outdoor skills: hanging swings, building fires, tying the one knot you must know, and more!¿ And best of all: 44 easy-to-do kid-tested therapy activities requiring minimal supplies that you can carry in a large backpack for mobile therapy sessions in nature! With proven ideas for Crafts & Building, Group Movement Games, Social Skills & Self-Regulation, Snack Time, & Swings, you'll have an entire school year's worth of activities to help you effortlessly plan your nature-based therapy sessions. You will be inspired and equipped to adventure into nature-based therapy and transform children's lives!