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.
We’ll discuss:
- How natural environments can improve parent-child communication
- Why assessment is so vital to the therapeutic process
- Understanding the purpose of and process for assessment in your specialty
- Adapting the assessments you already use in your practice to outdoor therapy
- How to supplement standardized assessment with clinical observations and nonstandardized assessments
- Measuring nature connection in children
- Three nature connection assessments to try in your practice
Resources from this episode:
Cameron-Faulkner, Thea & Melville, Joanna & Gattis, Merideth. (2018). Responding to Nature: Natural Environments Improve Parent-Child Communication. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 59. 10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.08.008.
Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? The ConTiGO Approach Online Course will open for registration soon: visit www.ConTiGOapproach.com to join the waitlist.
