Nature-Based Counseling and Coaching

"I would never have been able to do this in an office." Combat Veteran

If you're looking for more peace, more clarity, more love . . .

then look no further. You have only to look inside yourself. Sounds corny, but it's true. We've become so disconnected from ourselves - always looking outside of ourselves for someone or something to make us feel better. Let nature help you come back to your body, your breath, and yourself. Come back to the peace and clarity and love that you've been seeking. It's been here all along.

LOST

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

David Wagoner (1976). More poetry.

Sessions conducted at:

Heaven On Earth Farm, in Pickens County, SC. It is a

natural
peaceful
private

property, just minutes from downtown Pickens, only thirty minutes from downtown Greenville, SC, and a little over thirty minutes from Clemson, SC.

heaven on earth farm

When I first heard that you worked outside, I couldn't figure out how that would work. Now, I can't imagine ever going back to an office. Being outside makes getting in touch with my body and what's going on with me so much easier and so much faster. Deborah M., client.

Counseling In Nature: How It Began and Why It's Powerful (Interview Part 1)

A Client Says . . .

I've seen traditional counselors, but it hasn't really helped my chronic anxiety. Shelly and her mountain helped me to break the vicious anxiety cycle. Her techniques equipped me to ease these overwhelming emotions. I am very grateful for her unique approach and knowledge to improve my life. Now, when I get upset, I breathe and think of the mountain. SR, age 58

Learn more about Body-Centered Counseling and Coaching.

Nature Heals: What Science Says. What Clients Know.

Research Shows That Being In Nature . . .

lowers your heart rate
reduces stress levels
releases feel-good chemicals like oxytocin

Also . . .

The results of a 2009 Japaneese study suggests that time in nature helps to prevent cancer cell generation. The same study found that breathing in antimicrobial compounds found in the essential oils of trees increases relaxation and improves stress management resulting in increased vitality and less anxiety, depression, and anger.

The Stats Are In! Grounding Heals!

Studies on the Benefits
of Grounding

Taking the time to quiet your mind and consciously feel your feet on the ground (especially barefoot) - has proven beyond any doubt that becoming grounded has significant positive effects on our physiology and heart health.

Grounding’s many physical benefits—particularly those that lead to a healthy heart—include:

A decrease in inflammation and an improvement or elimination of the symptoms associated with many inflammation-related disorders, including heart disease
Lowered stress and increased calmness in the body by moderating nervous system activity and stress hormone secretion
Thinner blood and improved blood pressure and circulation
Improved efficiency of the cardiovascular, respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems
A reduction in chronic pain*

*(Excerpted from www.heartmdinstitute.com Dr. Stephen Sinatra, MD, Board Certified Cardiologist).

How To Do It

Take a moment to sit - outside in nature if possible.
See if you can feel your feet - the soles of your feet - on the ground or in your shoes.
Scan the bottoms of your feet and see how many foot parts you can feel on the ground.
Breathe.
Simply notice your breathing. You don't have to fix it or change it or "effort" at it at all.

Related Tip

Whenever you feel frantic or stressed, see if you can take a moment, wherever you are, and feel your feet. Don't try to force yourself to calm down. Don't try to change how you're feeling. Simply place your awareness on your feet. And breathe.

As an extra step, you might try placing your attention first on your sense of anxiety, wherever it is, and then on your feet. Go back and forth between noticing your anxiety and then noticing your feet. Go back and forth as many times as you need.

Approach this exercise with curiosity versus trying to make your anxiety go away.

It's In Our DNA.

In Part 7 of a 7-part interview, Shelly Smith continues an explanation of the power and healing benefits of reconnecting with the body, in nature, and the research behind it.

See other pages on this site for more videos or full interview on Nature's Way Home's YouTube Channel. Subscribe here.

(Meg Olmert Human-Animal Bond, TedTalk here).

"Research is great. But that's not why I work outside.
This client's poem says it all."

Why I am thankful for the place on the creek . . .

- feelings that haunt the edge of life come into thoughts and expressions . . . finally escaping into reality
- wooden slats in a simple bridge catch tears and laughter, spilling them into the disappearing waters of the creek
- words that have never felt safe tumble into the peace of the mountain woods
- a soul, new and unknown, offers a way to touch Grace
- time belongs to the moment, not the future
- butterflies roam and flitter, feeling safe enough to land on those gathered to talk
- spirit and grace encompass all that is said or thought or felt
- a lightweight plastic lawn chair becomes the safest place on earth
- the creek moves and trickles, steady and unaware, accepting all that it passes by
- in fear, in the pain of life, in the words that never come and the feelings beyond touch,

there is always at the creek ....... the presence of God.

MORE TESTIMONIALS

And More Poetry!

Read selected poems from Shelly's book:

"A touching and deeply evocative book! Lovely tapestry of words to touch your spirit - one powerful little book! Share it with someone you love."