“It’s in a small woodland, that used to be a quarry nicknamed NLP – Nature’s Loving Palm – because you’re in a bowl of space with our fire within it… for me it’s magical, because I get to see it in a snap shot every two weeks, through the years, through the seasons, through different climate… it’s gorgeous, a real special place because of the location and the work we do”
Mental health awareness and promoting positive mental health are two of the biggest challenges facing us today.
Our special guest on this episode is Joe Thomas, arborist, nature lover and owner of “Joe Thomas Tree Care”. We have invited Joe to join the Coaching Outdoors Podcast to share his experiences of “The ManKind Project (MKP)” which has helped him, and his fellow group members, to become aware of, deal with and overcome mental health challenges.
Meeting every other week, surrounding a campfire, in a copse of trees, in woodland just outside bath, Joe and his fellow members use the MKP structured approach to open themselves up to talking about and sharing their mental health challenges. Through support from other group members and the natural world around them, they experience a safe place to explore their feelings and emotions.
Having the meetings outdoors allows nature to play a critical part, providing metaphor, mimicry, safety, sensory security and emotional support. Joe shares with us how nature plays such an important part in the MKP process and why they choose to hold their sessions outdoors.
There are many lessons that can be transferred from the world of MKP into outdoor coaching, such as inviting nature play, nature connections and nature themes into the language of our conversations, to help bridge challenging emotional situations and providing a way for our clients to express themselves.
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Our guest
Joe Thomas is an arborist and an active member of The ManKind Project (MKP) a global organisation whose tagline is “Recapturing the sacred masculine”. Joe’s local group meet each fortnight on a Thursday evening all through the year by a fire, in a wood near the city of Bath.
Joe is an arborist and owner of Joe Thomas Tree Care. Joe thrives outdoors, especially when climbing trees, running, or just having sky above & earth below.
Joe values nature in all its chaos, and would love other humans to stop now and then to recognise the beauty that plays out all around us.
Joe used to struggle with depression and sometimes still does.
