Welcome to the

Therapy in the Great Outdoors Podcast

The Therapy in the Great Outdoors Podcast is about the business & practice of nature-based pediatric therapy for outdoor-loving practitioners in the field of occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, social work, behavioral health, mental health counseling, or outdoor education.

Available on

Welcome to the

Therapy in the Great Outdoors Podcast

The Therapy in the Great Outdoors Podcast is about the business & practice of nature-based pediatric therapy for outdoor-loving practitioners in the field of occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, social work, behavioral health, mental health counseling, or outdoor education.

Available on

Take your work with children outdoors into nature as we cover exactly what it takes to run a successful and profitable nature-based practice that changes children's lives (and yours!) forever.

On this show, you'll get answers to questions like:

  • What does nature-based therapy look like?

  • What types of activities work well in outdoor therapy sessions?

  • How can nature-based therapy be a profitable business

  • What evidence is there for nature-based pediatric therapy?

  • What does research say about getting children out into nature?

  • What kinds of different business models exist for offering nature-based services for children?

  • How can I ensure the success of my nature-based outdoor business?

  • What systems do I need to grow a nature-based practice?

What they say about

The TGO Podcast

Listen to our Binge-Worthy

Episodes

99: The Tool for Observing Play Outdoors (TOPO) - Part 2

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.

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98: The Tool for Observing Play Outdoors (TOPO) - Part 1

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.

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Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy, Assessments Laura Park Figueroa Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy, Assessments Laura Park Figueroa

4: Assessment & Observation in Nature-Based Therapy

As therapists, what we assess is what we address. But when you take your practice outdoors, you might find that your assessments change a bit. For nature-based therapists, it’s important to find a balance between the tried-and-true standardized assessments you’re used to and new, nature-specific ones.

In this episode, I’m talking about the importance of assessments and how to use them in your nature-based therapeutic practice. I’m sharing ways you can adapt your current assessments to a nature-based practice and a few new assessments to try. Plus, I’m explaining how you can supplement your standardized assessments with more organic observation.

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