Why nature? 

1. For the kids! A ton of research has shown the many benefits of regular time outdoors, and we love that our sessions can be a part of that for the families we see!

2. For the therapists! We’ve found that bringing our work outdoors has had an immense benefit for us as therapists - our work time feels refreshing instead of draining, we feel more connected to the world around us, and of course we gain those same mental health and physical benefits that the kids do!

3. For the therapy! Indoors, OTs work hard to create the “just right” environment to encourage therapeutic progress. Outdoors, the kids tend to find the “just right” challenges already awaiting them! Since the therapist did not set up these challenges, they are able to partner together with the child in taking them on.

4. For the nervous systems! For sensory over-responders, being outdoors provides a relief from bright lights, loud noises, and intense smells. For sensory seekers, the big wide world gives them plenty of space and variety to get the input they need! For all humans, time in nature has the potential to give their vigilant nervous systems a break.

Who’s mentoring? 

The owner of Nurture in Nature, Caitlin Lamping, OTR/L, MOT. She has been a pediatric OT since 2013 and running NIN and nature-based OT groups since 2021. Find out more about our team!

What would I be doing during the mentoring session? 

You would tag along with a nature-based therapy group of 2-6 children, run by an OT and a group assistant. You would be interacting with the kids, participating in the activities and play, and seeing nature-based OT in action! After the group, you would have 30 minutes with the OT to debrief the session, get questions answered, and find out more about using a nature-based approach.

Do you accept fieldwork students? 

We welcome students, but do not have a full-time treatment schedule to support level 2 fieldwork. We are happy to have Level 1 students or share a Level 2 student with another practitioner!  

I would love to get better at my craft! How much mentorship can you give? 
We can provide direct mentoring to employees, along with an orientation process that includes shadowing and nature-based therapy education. There are also some great online resources about nature-based OT, including a free virtual community. Start here for a variety of options to learn more about this area of practice: lauraparkfig.mykajabi.com 

I’m interested! What do I do next? 
Click the button and send us a message. We look forward to connecting with you!