COUNSELLING charity We Hear You (WHY) are now providing ‘WHYoutdoors’ nature connection courses for people who have been bereaved by cancer or a life-threatening condition.
The new bereavement-focused course starts on Wednesday 14th September in Wanstrow and runs one day a week until 19th October. A further course is running in Bath in September, as usual supporting those living with and beyond a diagnosis of cancer.
The courses follow a 2019 collaboration with Bristol-based nature therapy specialists The Natural Academy, who have trained four of WHY’s counselling team to deliver the course. Groups meet once a week in a beautiful natural setting and take part in guided individual and group activities, all aimed at increasing a connection with nature to improve wellbeing.
WHY counsellor and WHYoutdoors facilitator Barbara Gonzalez says: “WHYoutdoors aims to resource participants with the skills, knowledge and experiential awareness of how their relationship to nature can be a supportive resource and, importantly, how this relationship can be reciprocal. The courses help participants to develop a closer relationship to nature, deepen their own self-awareness and share their experiences with peers making meaningful and supportive connections.”
To be eligible for the bereavement group, participants should be over 18 and have experienced bereavement a year or more ago. If the bereavement was more recent, there are more bereavement courses planned and We Hear You hold a waiting list for these courses. The course in Bath is open to any individual over 18 who is living with and beyond cancer.
Feedback for previous WHYoutdoors courses includes:
“A truly wonderful, enlightening and beautiful experience…it has changed my life.”
“The facilitators took us on an exploration of ourselves using nature as a tool which was so simple yet life changing for me.”
“I’ve been totally inspired by it. Simple things like listening to the rain, two years ago I would have been sat at the laptop and I wouldn’t have even noticed it, I wouldn’t have taken the time to go out and stand in it, which I would now because it’s priceless. It was a gift to have the time to be outside, be peaceful, be alone in good company, I couldn’t wait to get there every week.”
To find out more and refer yourself for the next WHYoutdoors courses call 01373 455255, email info@wehearyou.org.uk or visit Wehearyou.org.uk/ whyoutdoors
