2.3 Lorraine Tindale: Nature-based EMDR and taking your Therapy Outside

Welcome to series 2 episode 3 of Prompted by Nature!  In this episode I speak with Lorraine Tindale, a nature-based EMDR therapist.

Lorraine is a warm, approachable, caring and supportive trauma-focused BACP, EMDR & UKCP Accredited Psychotherapist with over 16 years of counselling and psychotherapy experience specialising in trauma and PTSD symptoms that are co-morbid with anxiety, abuse, anger management, depression, dissociation, intimacy. Lorraine offers her clients a safe and confidential, often outdoor, counselling space in which they can explore their feelings of pain and distress freely without being judged.   Lorraine believes that you know what you want from therapy and "what hurts and where your difficulties lie,” so together with her clients, Lorraine works at their pace and helping to resolve problems and trauma.  Much of Lorraine’s work takes place outside through walking therapy as she believes strongly in the therapeutic benefits and liberating effects of nature, walking and the outdoors.

In this conversation, we discuss:

Her experience of walking the Camino de Santiago The first time she unwittingly came across nature-based EMDR and how it changed her life and work What being a therapist means to her Her experience of PTSD and what it gave her How nature-based EMDR differs from ‘traditional’ EMDR and the benefits of taking therapeutic practices outside The therapeutic, liberating and empowering effect of nature What EMDR is and how it works The importance of honouring your own needs as well as the needs of others in order to avoid ‘martyrdom’ Her perspective on the psychological impact of lockdown What her journey has taught her Appreciating and taking advantage of the nature around us

Lorraine also tried out the technique on me (and I’m sure I did it wrong!) and, actually, wasn’t sure if I should leave this in but I decided I would as it demonstrates how Lorraine works and her nurturing, highly knowledgable way. Lorraine really is the epitome of practising what she preaches and I can only imagine how wonderful she is as a therapist. This was our second attempt at recording as we had connection issues the day before so I’m very grateful to Lorraine for taking the time to record a second attempt. I also learnt that she’s an absolute hoot and such great company on a personal level!

You can find Lorraine over on her website www.lorrainetindale.com where you can also read about her practice and research on nature-based EMDR, her upcoming camino retreats for EMDR therapists and practitioners and therapeutic clients with PTSD comorbid syptoms such as anxiety panics disorders, intimacy and self-esteem. I loved reading about these retreats on her website as, as she discusses in the conversation, this was something she was hoping to create and it’s wonderful to see it coming to fruition!

As always, you can find me at www.promptedbynature.co.uk or over on Instagram @prompted.by.nature If you’re local to Brighton and Hove, my small group outdoor meditation and writing sessions are now under way in the gorgeous Stanmer Park Woods and at my beloved Benfield Valley. Pop over to the events page on my website to find out more about those.

And if you’ve enjoyed this or any other episode please do subscribe and review the podcast as it really does help push these voices and stories out to a wider audience.

Remember to stay around until the end of the conversation to hear about the meditation and writing prompt that follows this.

Enjoy the conversation and I’ll speak to you after!

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In this meditation and writing prompt you are invited to engage with your imagination through the senses and the visualisation of a path.  You are invited to create a description of the path and the creatures, nature, life that you encounter as you walk along it, tell the stories of this creatures or something completely different.

As always, place no judgements or expectations on your creativity and the way in which it comes through.  Enjoy the process!  Enjoy the path!

And if you'd like to share any of your writing with me, you can contact me via the website www.promptedbynature.co.uk or find me on Instagram @prompted.by.nature

Happy writing!

Helen x