Thomas Rowland Counselling Services
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outside therapy | online therapy.
info@thomasrowlandcounsellingservices.com 07422 651829
FAQ'S
What is Outside Therapy?
Outside therapy is counselling outside: walking or sitting. The usual counselling practices apply (see Counselling).
Why outside therapy?
There are many reasons why people enjoy having therapy outside:
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some find it therapeutic or that they just feel more "alive" when outside: walking or close to nature. This may be particularly valuable for those who don't get to do this in their everyday life.
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some find it far easier to talk with somebody side-by-side rather than face-to-face. They then find the counselling process much easier when walking or sitting next to someone.
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some find walking helpful; the act of moving can help us to feel calmer, freer and less “stuck”.
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some find that the ever-changing environment offers many opportunities to explore their relationship with their bodies, with seasons, with nature and with what is out of their control or beyond them.
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some find that the environment and the journey offers them meaningful metaphors to communicate and explore their lives.
Where will we be?
I offer outside therapy at RHS Wisley. This provides a beautiful, natural and therapeutic environment in which to talk. It also has many paths, benches and covered areas and good transport links (find out more about getting toe RHS Wisley here).
You can find an interactive map of RHS Wisley Gardens here.
How is it different to being inside?
The main difference is to do with confidentiality. We will discuss in our first session how we can make every effort to preserve confidentiality and privacy whilst during our session, recognising that we have less control over this outside. This will include:
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what to do if we encounter someone I or you know.
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being mindful of who might be able to overhear our conversations.
The other important difference is to do with safety. I have done a risk assessment of the gardens which I will share with you. However, we each retain responsibility for our own safety whilst outside. This includes bringing appropriate footwear, clothing and a drink.
What should I expect from a session?
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We meet outside the Garden Entrance and enter together using my membership card (you do not have to pay anything extra). If you arrive early, there is outside seating and a café by the Garden Entrance which you can use.
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After entering, we will begin our session. There are a variety of paths, benches and covered areas that we can choose from. Some are more accessible than others. I am happy for you to choose which way you would like to go or to lead us on a set path. We can also, from the start, discuss a path that would work for you and go from there. We will go at your pace and we can find a bench to sit on at any time. I will be mindful of time and prompt us when we need to start heading back.
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During the session, we will be talking in similar ways to any counselling session.
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We will return to the entrance after 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes. The sessions are a little longer to give some lee-way so that we do not feel rushed to get back. Here, you may want to exit (via the Shop) or continue to enjoy the gardens by yourself.
What about bad weather?
If RHS Wisley is open, we will either:
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enjoy the gardens anyhow, either outside or making use of the covered areas or coffee shops.
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switch to talking by phone.
Occasionally, RHS Wisley is closed due to high winds. If this is the case, I will get in touch and the session can be conducted by phone or online.
Accessibility
Detailed information about accessibility at RHS Wisley Gardens can be found here.
Please do talk to me about any concerns you have about accessibility before the session. This lets me investigate anything that I need to beforehand. We will discuss together the routes that will work for you.
Do I need to be fit?