Lauren MacLean is a teacher, podcaster, author, and owner of Teach Outdoors in Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada. She has years of experience teaching children outdoors and is joining me today to talk about how we can integrate sit spot practices into our work as nature-based pediatric therapists. Lauren shares her valuable insights from 17 years of teaching, her work with nature schools, and authorship of children's books. We dive into practical strategies for therapists and educators to help children connect with nature, including tips on balancing structure and freedom, managing boundaries, and adapting practices for children with different needs such as ADHD and autism. You'll learn how to model positive behavior, use language effectively, and integrate play and learning in the great outdoors.

Here's my annual last-year-in-review episode where YOU get to peek inside my businesses' metrics from 2024 and learn from my mistakes (as usual!) You'll learn what I'm NOT doing anymore this year, why reviewing your profit-loss statement is critical, how $60,000+ in your business bank account may NOT mean you were highly profitable, and so much more!

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To celebrate our 100th episode of Therapy in the Great Outodors, this week I answer YOUR questions about: How to start and run a nature-based camp (3:20) Evaluation methods for both group and individual therapy (13:40) Choosing the right website hosting platform (26:30) Balancing business growth with family life (31:10) Handling extreme weather conditions in your nature-based practice (41:40) Navigating permits and waivers for public parks (46:00)

In this episode, we dive into the 'Tool for Observing Play Outdoors' (TOPO), a new typology for capturing children's play behaviors in outdoor settings by Lobach and Cox. (If you missed part one, be sure to catch up with episode 98 first!) You'll learn the non-hierarchical framework of TOPO, ways to capture the complexity of play when making observations, and how the TOPO can help you plan nature-based treatment sessions for children.

In this episode, I discuss the article The Tool for Observing Play Outdoors (TOPO): A New Typology for Capturing Children's Play Behaviors in Outdoor Environments by Loebach & Cox. You'll learn how this tool was developed and tested, and hear about the 9 categories of outdoor play and their subtypes included on this tool. This episode will help you hone your observation skills of children's play and consider ways to inspire different kinds of play in your outdoor therapy sessions.

How are you feeling in your nature-based practice or business right now? In this episode, you'll hear about my current feelings about both of my nature-based businesses, my therapy practice (Outdoor Kids OT) and my online business (Therapy in the Great Outdoors - which produces this podcast for you!).

In this episode, I share my recent travel experiences in Nepal and Indonesia and reflections I had along the way. This trip was MUCH more challenging than I anticipated it would be! In many ways, it was just like being an entrepreneur: super rewarding and ALSO very hard. You'll hear what I observed about children in these different cultures and how that impacted my own thinking about nature-based therapy service provision and life here in the US.

In this episode, I share my top 12 favorite gift ideas for outdoorsy kids. Plus a few embarrassing/funny stories from my own childhood and young parenting days.

We're diving back into research after a long break! In this episode, we explore the article titled Theory of Affordances to Understand Environment Play Transactions: Environmental Taxonomy of Outdoor Play Space Features- A Scoping Review by Morgenthaler, Lynch, Loebach, Pentland, and Schultz, published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy in 2024.

Today on the podcast, I interviewed John Arbuckle, a passionate regenerative agriculture farmer and owner of Singing Pastures. He shared his inspiring journey from conventional to regenerative farming, how regenerative animal farming can offer significant environmental benefits, and the crucial role of grazing animals in nurturing healthy ecosystems. Our conversation also dove into the impact of our food choices on ecological health.

Hello, friends! Welcome to the final episode of our series on money and pricing. Today, I’m sharing three easy strategies to help you raise your prices so you can make more with the same amount of effort and work!

Today, we’ll dive into the psychology of pricing—a topic that fascinates me! Key Takeaways from this episode include understanding pricing psychology, payment timing, and combatting buyer’s remorse.

Check out Kolenda.io for more on marketing and pricing psychology, consider structuring your payment processes to ease the psychological burden on clients, and always aim to reassure and provide value immediately after clients pay for services.

In this week's podcast, I'm sharing the mindset shift you need to confidently raise your prices by focusing on the true value you're providing to your clients and the expertise you bring to the table and communicating that value clearly and get comfortable discussing money with potential clients.

Whether you're just starting out or have been in business for a while, this episode provides valuable tips to help you embrace your worth and take those necessary steps toward raising your rates.

In this episode, we kick off a mini-series on pricing your nature-based therapy services. Key takeaways include using average local rates to set your prices, charging new clients more, and offering valuable add-ons to explain higher family service fees.

In this episode, we dive into how to make your first $1,000 as a nature-based pediatric therapist. I share actionable strategies and business insights to help you hit this milestone, from focusing on one key service to pricing your offerings effectively. Whether you’re offering outdoor enrichment groups, creating multi-month therapy packages, or thinking outside the box with retainer fees, there’s a method that fits your style and your market.

This week I'm sharing some of my favorite fall activities for outdoor therapy sessions with kids. Try rainbow leaf hunt, leaf sewing with yarn and needles, and find the color for your therapy sessions in the fall season.

In this episode we discuss the often chaotic and challenging first day of a new nature-based therapy group for kids. Everything from clear drop-off procedures and engaging children with meaningful tasks to preparing for social anxiety and ensuring smooth transitions. I also talk about my Nature-Based Therapy Certification and Mentoring Program, designed to support practitioners in building successful, nature-based practices. Join me as I provide actionable tips to make your first day and beyond a success.

In this episode, you'll hear about the journey of launching and evolving the ConTiGO Approach™ and how you can become a Certified Nature-Based Pediatric Therapist™ or Therapist Assistant. You'll hear why we're making some changes to the certification process to build a stronger ConTiGO community and support practitioners' developing true expertise in nature-based therapy. Enrollment is now open for you to Become a Certified Nature-Based Pediatric Therapist or Therapist Assistant in the ConTiGO Approach!

Should you offer groups or individual services in your nature-based therapy practice? It depends! In this episode, you'll learn how to make this decision wisely. I discuss the goals, logistics, and challenges of both service models. You'll learn the importance of clear policies, the role of parents in therapy, and when to choose one model over the other.

Enrollment will open on September 23 for you to Become a Certified Nature-Based Pediatric Therapist or Therapist Assistant in the ConTiGO Approach. Join the waitlist here.