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2023 Was a Busy Year!

Ali Chown

In June

After several years of planning and an interruption by Covid, we finally held our first Camp-over Conference at Path Hill outdoors, Oxfordshire in June. It was a blisteringly hot weekend and we were glad of the shade offered by the woods so we could sit round the campfire and cook lunch together.


We made natural cords from dandelions and nettles, cooked campfire pizzas with wraps, looked at the Celtic Wheel of the year, made crowns from what we could find, walked in the woods and swam together in the Thames.


In the evenings we sat around the campfire, just ‘being’ together and sharing stories. A great way to relax, unwind and rejuvenate.


July

July saw us in Bristol with the guru of nature connection, storytelling and digeridoo playing that is Chris Holland!


We invited Chris to run a day for play therapists about his natural music making and storytelling. It was a great fun day of playful exploration. We made songs and dances inspired by natural items, created story strings of our own lives or play therapy journeys using found items in the garden of the lovely Bedminster Quaker Meeting House.


Chris told us a story and encouraged us to think about the different therapeutic messages that different stories can offer - maybe even different ones for different people in the same story. It felt really empowering to create our own stories as well, exploring a sense of identity through the objects that resonated in the moment. It was also lovely to think about how rhythm and movement can be playfully brought into outdoor spaces, and again, the many therapeutic benefits these kinds of activities can have. Thanks Chris!


September

Saw us back at the Bedminster Meeting House for the first run of a face-to-face Best Practice Certificate in Outdoor Play Therapy course.


Facilitated by Ali, Leone and former COOPT team member Katie Hannington we built shelters in the grounds, found our own quiet sit spots and managed to cover all our usual content.


Feedback from the group was really helpful and with our own reflections, we have now reviewed the structure of the days so that there are more practical elements on day 2.


We really appreciated the affirmations and the constructive comments and look forward to our next face to face course in Exeter this Autumn.


To close our busy year

December saw us holding an online networking event with professional input from COOPT member Loz Fosket.


Loz told us about her practice with traumatised and often aggressive teenagers and the importance of meeting them where they are at. She helped us fully appreciate how the outdoors or even the possibility of going out can mediate aggression in a way that a traditional ‘meet in a room’ set up cannot even begin to do.


She shared some enlightening case studies about children who just needed to feel unconstrained, or who’s nervous systems responded in a totally different way outside of the buildings. It was inspiring hearing someone talk with confidence about trusting their gut and therapeutic instincts, to really listen and observe what a young person might be needing, and help to facilitate this for them.


We look forward to meeting old friends and new in 2024!

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