The benefits of spending time outside are numerous.  

On Friday June 13, counsellors and faculty affiliated with the Red Spruce Mental Health Centre, along with current students and graduates of Acadia’s M.Ed. in Counselling program, learned more about outdoor-based therapy methods. This training session was offered at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens by registered counselling therapist Nick Cardone of Free Range Therapy.  

During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to learn about the core principles and practices of outdoor therapy and exploring how nature, movement, and adventure can deepen therapeutic connection, nervous system regulation, and healing. 

Counsellors and counsellors-in-training enjoyed the experience and gained valuable skills in their field of study. One of the participants reflects “This setting absolutely sets the stage for the topic of working with clients in the outdoors. I find so much encouragement and meaning in nature and my belief is that nearly anyone can. A place like the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens makes it much easier to get into a more receptive state of mind.” 

Nick Cardone, Owner of Free Range Therapy, shared “Out-of-office therapy approaches are not just about providing clients with other ways of ‘doing’ therapy, it is also an opportunity for clinicians to explore ways to practice that resonate with them as well.” 

Dr. Tanya Surette, Acadia University Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counselling Program Coordinator says “every year, we have increasingly more students requesting opportunities to explore therapeutic spaces beyond the four walls of a counselling office. However, as with any aspect of counselling, ethical considerations must be at the centre to promote safety in our work. This workshop offered the opportunity for students and graduates to learn about engaging nature as a co-therapist along with the ethical and legal considerations of expanding the work outdoors”.  

Located just across the road for the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens, the Red Spruce is ideally located to build outdoor therapy as an offering for clients who will be better served with this approach. Red Spruce Mental Health Centre Coordinator, Dr. Janis Dawson, shared “the intent is to offer outdoor individual and group counselling sessions to clients of the Red Spruce in the Fall, with additional protocols and supervision in place, which will continue to expand how our centre services our community”.  

About Red Spruce

The Red Spruce Mental Health Clinic has been created to fill the gap in unmet community health needs and to provide a place for the counsellors of tomorrow to gain experience. Offering free individual and group counselling services, the Red Spruce team consists of graduate Acadia counselling students, the Mental Health Centre’s coordinator, and counsellor educators.  Red Spruce allows counselling students to complete their practicum in the Annapolis Valley and is an integral component of Acadia University’s Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counselling Program (https://med.acadiau.ca/programs/counselling.html).