Using contact with nature, creativity and rituals as a therapeutic medium with children with learning difficulties : a case study

In most cases therapy is addressed as an indoor verbal activity in which the relationship between therapist and client stands at its centre. This article proposes a different approach to therapy : conducting it creatively in nature, with the environment being used not only as a therapeutic setting but also as a medium and a partner in the process. The article is based on a case study carried out with a group of children with special needs within a school setting. It explores the therapeutic and educational impact that this approach had on the participants and on nature’s role in it. The article also aims to initiate a dialogue around the option of working with this population in non-verbal and experiential ways, illustrating the potential that the use of group work, creativity and contact with nature may offer.

[In: Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 11 (2), 135–146. – Publié en ligne : 17 fév 2007]