Inviting nature into the room: a conversation with clinical psychology

Abstract

The evidence-base documents the wide array of benefits that being in nature has for human health and wellbeing. This thesis aimed to explore the role that nature could play in the field of clinical psychology. Firstly, through furthering an academic understanding of how and why nature is beneficial for psychological wellbeing, and secondly through exploring clinical psychologists’ current practice of working with nature. This thesis firstly presents a chapter outlining the creation of this project and its importance and relevance for the field of clinical psychology, in the context of current NHS and health narratives in the UK. The thesis continued with a systematic review of 10 articles aiming to understand if nature connectedness influenced the relationship between nature exposure and psychological wellbeing. The results offer a complex and nuanced picture, whereby nature connectedness does appear to play a role in this relationship, however various factors limit the ability to draw robust conclusions. This has implications for how clinical psychologists can incorporate elements of nature into their work and whether to prioritise patient’s emotional and cognitive relationship with nature. To further understand clinical psychologist’s current experiences, the empirical study interviewed 16 clinical psychologists, focusing on participants perceived benefits and barriers of working with nature, and why this is important to their overall practice. A thematic analysis was conducted which generated four themes. The themes summarised the ways that psychologists defined nature and how they have creatively and curiously incorporated this into their work. Moreover, nature was defined as enabling connection both intra and interpersonally. Psychologists explored the construct of risk and safety, and how nature fits into this continuum. The final theme explored issues of power and permission. This thesis has offered an exploratory yet persuasive argument for why and how clinical psychologists can innovate and improve practices within the profession through exploring ways of working with or in nature