Therapy in the Great Outdoors

Therapy in the Great Outdoors

Hosted by: Dr. Laura Park Figueroa

This podcast is about the business & practice of nature-based pediatric therapy of all kinds. If you are an outdoors-loving practitioner in the field of occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language...

All Episodes

Episodes

27: Nature-Based Speech Therapy for Children with Carolyn Parker M.A. CCC-SLP

I’m really excited because today’s guest is the first one who isn’t in the field of occupational therapy. Carolyn Parker is a speech therapist from the Mount Pleasant, Michigan area who grew up loving the outdoors,...
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26: Feedback Wanted for My Upcoming Book on Nature-Based Pediatric Therapy!

Today’s episode is a little bit different! I’m writing a book on nature-based pediatric therapy and after reviewing the outline, I realized I’d love to know what YOU would like to see in this book. What are the things...
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25: Taking Action for Accessibility in National Parks with Ashlyn Southard, OTS

Today’s guest is an occupational therapy masters student who has already made waves by applying her OT lens in a unique way. Inspired by a life full of nature and travel with her family as well as her siblings who...
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24: 10-Minute Takeaway: OT & PT Experiences Using Nature-Based Rehabilitation

My 10-Minute Takeaway series is back, and I’m diving into a recently published article on the effect of using nature-based rehabilitation on adults. While my practice is primarily for pediatrics, seeing an article...
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23: Serving & Learning From Homeschoolers in Your Nature-Based Practice with Sarah Collins, OTR/L

Homeschooling, unfortunately, comes with a lot of stigmas from those who aren’t familiar with it. On the flip side, it’s also becoming more and more common as parents want to find more individualized ways of learning...
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22: Partnering with Schools in Your Nature-Based Practice - Live Coaching Call with Erin Wilke

When growing your nature-based therapy practice, it’s important to think of all the ways that you can connect with parents and teachers in your community. Partnering with schools is a great way to connect with...
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21: Nature is for Everyone: Diversifying Nature-Based Practice Through Inclusion, Equity, Accessibility, & Representation with Mya Zavaleta

A nature-based practice that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion, that is accessible, and that is representative of all kinds of people and abilities—this is how to make sure that nature is available to...
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20: How to Hire Great People

When it comes to hiring, you have to make sure that potential employees are the right fit for your business. It takes time to know what you’re looking for and to find them, but it’s worth it in the long run to have...
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19: 2022 Year-in-Review Episode (aka Why a business bank balance of $53415 on Dec 31 may NOT indicate good profit!)

It’s a new year, and you know what that means: it’s time for a year-end review. Each year, I sit down and do my best to be transparent with you about how my business did. From the outside, it might seem like my...
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18: Birding as a Therapeutic Tool for All Children with Freya McGregor

Kids (adults, too) are attracted to the magic of birds—they can be colorful, they make different sounds, they hop, they fly. Birds connect people to nature in fascinating and varying ways. Seeing the same birds in...
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17: Building an Intentional Nature-Based Business with Kim Wilson

Building a nature-based occupational therapy business comes with a whole lot of considerations. How many children do you want to see? Do you want to do group or individual therapy? Will you take insurance or operate...
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16: Why Nature-Based Therapy Is Here to Stay

As humans, we are inextricably linked to the earth. And in a world and society with so much emphasis on technology, it’s more important than ever to stay regularly connected with nature. In this episode, I’m talking...
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