Events

The event

Come join a thriving community of outdoor therapy professionals where we will explore, share, develop, and deepen perspectives across diverse practices of outdoor, nature and adventure-based therapies.

The national conference of the Association for Outdoor Therapy will explore perspectives in the development and application of integrated outdoor therapy practices, that will help to examine different professional landscapes influencing the developments of ethical outdoor therapy practices and the building of a professional outdoor therapy community in the UK.

With a diverse range of presentation topics across a wide range of outdoor workshops in nature, indoor presentations, and main speaker session topics, this is an exciting opportunity to engage, network, reflect and learn with like-minded professionals, in developing understanding and sharing practice, and contributing to the shaping of future developments of outdoor therapy in the UK.

My presentation at the event

I’m delighted to be speaking at this event, where I will invite delegates to widen the lens beyond the individual client to consider the complex systems we are all part of; families, communities, cultures and ecologies. I will provide an overview of systemic ideas and practices, inviting an exploration of how relational patterns, intergenerational dynamics, and broader social contexts shape the therapeutic process.

At a time of profound ecological crisis, systemic thinking becomes not just a therapeutic tool but a vital orientation—one that helps us understand the interdependence between personal wellbeing and planetary health. My presentation will consider how our work can respond to ecological grief, climate anxiety, and the urgent need for reconnection with the more-than-human world. Through reflective dialogue, I will explore how systemic thinking can enrich our understanding, enhance our therapeutic presence, and support more holistic, inclusive approaches to wellbeing, as part of ongoing developments across outdoor therapy.

Multi-family group treatment is a growing evidence-based intervention which is used as an adjunct to single family therapy. The format draws on the experience of a number of families and increases motivation, commitment and a sense of sharing between them. This collective experience is balanced by the presence of staff members who guide families during a range of exercises and most crucially during lunch and snack times. The intensive days are spent in a range of ‘sub-groups’ including young people, siblings, and parents on their own.

Multi-family groups have been adapted for a range of presentations including adult mental health issues, ADHD, and paediatric illnesses.

This experiential training seeks to orientate clinicians into the full workings of a group. A number of the key exercises used in each group will be practiced and each participant will take up a role in a created family. The training will be suitable and beneficial for any clinician working with a diagnosis of eating disorder, whether in CAMHS or adult services. Significant systemic facilitation techniques will be demonstrated and later deconstructed. The Maudsley Manual for MFGT will be followed and adapted.

This training will be delivered by myself and Louise Cooper.

The annual conference for the Association for Family and Systemic Psychotherapy. This year we’ll be celebrating 50 years of systemic practice, research and innovation in the UK family therapy community.

I will be opening, closing and hosting the conference along with my staff team and board of trustees.