Nature-Based Allied Health Practice
Nature-Based Allied Health Practice

Author: Amy Wagenfeld

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published: 2023-10-19

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1805010093

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The benefits of interacting with nature for our social, cognitive, and physical wellbeing are well documented. But how practical is it to take therapy into nature, or bring nature into therapy? This evidence-based and accessible guide demonstrates easily workable, creative, tried-and-tested strategies for bringing nature into therapy. It includes simple and fun ready-to-go activity ideas. Using the life-course as a framework, the authors highlight the impact of nature at every stage of human development. From younger children to older adults, anyone can benefit from outdoor therapy, and different therapeutic offerings can be adapted to suit most individuals and groups. Resources are included to help assess a program's readiness to incorporate nature, create plans to take therapy outdoors (or bring the outside in), and evaluate the impact it could have for patients or clients. With testimonials from service users who have felt the benefits of nature-based practices, and case studies highlighting excellence in practice from health and social care professionals across various fields, this book will inspire and empower allied health and mental health practitioners to take their therapy practice outdoors.

Therapy in the Great Outdoors
Therapy in the Great Outdoors

Author: Laura Park Figueroa

Publisher:

Published: 2019-11-06

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781733136761

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In this modern age of technology, children need nature play more than ever before in human history. Pediatric therapy practitioners around the world are reading current research and realizing the benefits of nature for children with developmental challenges. Evidence suggests nature-based therapy is a powerful way to help children make rapid gains in sensory processing, mental health, motor coordination, and social play skills.Just like any real adventure, nature-based therapy is exciting and fun...but getting started as a nature-based therapist can feel overwhelming and scary due to all the logistics and unknowns. Most of us are used to working indoors and nature-based therapy is an emerging practice area with not much out there to guide us.Therapy in the Great Outdoors will help you start providing nature-based therapy immediately with confidence and ease! In this book, occupational therapist Laura Park Figueroa shares lessons learned during the start-up and growth of Outdoor Kids Occupational Therapy, a nature-based pediatric practice. In this book, you will learn:¿ Expert tips for managing logistics and planning nature-based therapy sessions.¿ Specific supplies you need to get started without spending a ton of money.¿ Must-have outdoor skills: hanging swings, building fires, tying the one knot you must know, and more!¿ And best of all: 44 easy-to-do kid-tested therapy activities requiring minimal supplies that you can carry in a large backpack for mobile therapy sessions in nature! With proven ideas for Crafts & Building, Group Movement Games, Social Skills & Self-Regulation, Snack Time, & Swings, you'll have an entire school year's worth of activities to help you effortlessly plan your nature-based therapy sessions. You will be inspired and equipped to adventure into nature-based therapy and transform children's lives!

The Nature of Inclusive Play
The Nature of Inclusive Play

Author: Amy Wagenfeld

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-12-20

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1003805752

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book provides designers, planners, educators, and therapists with the practical information required to remove inequity in outdoor spaces, by creating inviting and inclusive solutions so that all children and their families, regardless of situation or circumstance, can experience the joys and benefits of outdoor play without stigma. It is the first of its kind, co-written by an occupational therapist and landscape architect both with proven expertise in inclusive play space design. The Nature of Inclusive Play fills an untapped niche in promoting the value of outdoor play. It focuses on what embodies play and shows how, through inclusive outdoor play design, developmental skills can be enriched. The topics covered in the book include: • a discussion of the health benefits associated with being outdoors • the history of and value of play • an overview of typical child development • the importance of sensory regulation • an inclusive design review process • design guidelines. All topics are supplemented with nine applicable case studies of inclusive outdoor play spaces with features that reflect inclusive+ principles, including examples from North America and Africa. It is a much-needed guide for landscape architects, urban planners, allied health care professionals, early childhood educators, academics, and students.

Wild Life
Wild Life

Author: Stefan Batorijs

Publisher: Singing Dragon

Published: 2024-07-18

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1787758028

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In an increasingly urbanised world, the need to reconnect with nature is more important than ever. Originating from Japan, Shinrin-Yoku (translated to 'Forest Bathing') is a therapeutic invitation to immerse oneself in the embrace of the woods and wild places. Covering both the philosophy and the practicalities, this is an evidence-based guide for practitioners seeking to increase their ecological awareness, explore the mental, emotional, and immunological healing capabilities of Shinrin-Yoku, and learn how to incorporate it into their practice. Building on the necessary in-person training, this book will help practitioners feel confident in guiding others in the woods as they discover their own connection to nature and is underpinned by a thorough understanding of the science behind the healing. Practical in its approach but spiritual and poetic in its nature, this timely book provides the knowledge and skills required to adopt Shinrin-Yoku into any therapist's toolbox.

The Lifestyle Medicine Toolbox
The Lifestyle Medicine Toolbox

Author: Ziya Altug

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published: 2024-02-21

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 1839979097

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This holistic guide provides an integrative toolbox on how healthcare and fitness professionals can promote lifestyle medicine with their clients. Its clinical and evidence-informed approach focuses on the six primary lifestyle medicine factors: nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene, stress management, risky substance use, and social connectedness. Each factor is enriched with a variety of strategies and advice including anti-inflammatory recipes, self-guided visualisation, tips on how to break bad habits, sustainable fitness, and mind-body exercises. Based on the author's 30+ years of experience as a trained physical therapist treating musculoskeletal conditions, this book's nonpharmacological and nonsurgical focus allows clients to feel empowered in taking charge of their health through a plethora of resources and techniques. It provides clear, actionable steps and real-world examples in order to nurture sustainable changes that promote long-term health and healing.

Sensory Healing after Developmental Trauma
Sensory Healing after Developmental Trauma

Author: Marti Smith

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Published: 2024-03-21

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1839975016

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In using this resourceful guide, therapists can develop a comprehensive understanding of how trauma impacts their young clients' brains and sensory systems. Filled with therapeutic strategies and activities tailored to specific regions of the brain, professionals will be able to optimise brain rehabilitation and improve sensory processing abilities. The book includes a wide range of low-cost, budgeted activities that can be applied in a variety of settings, including juvenile justice, rehab, schools, homes, residential care, and foster homes, all of which include guidance on how to engage the wider community in order to maximise the potential for healing. Complete with the latest research on trauma and real-life case studies, this book provides an excellent foundation on understanding the science and applying it in practice. It is an indispensable resource for paediatric caregivers looking to support the children they're working with in healing the impact of trauma.

Green Exercise
Green Exercise

Author: Jo Barton

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-07-07

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 1317613678

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The concept of Green Exercise has now been widely adopted and implies a synergistic health benefit of being active in the presence of nature. This book provides a balanced overview and synthesis text on all aspects of Green Exercise and integrates evidence from many different disciplines including physiology, ecology, psychology, sociology and the environmental sciences, and across a wide range of countries. It describes the impact of Green Exercise on human health and well-being through all stages of the lifecourse and covers a wide spectrum from cellular processes such as immune function through to facilitating human behavioural change. It demonstrates the value of Green Exercise for activity and education purposes in both schools and the workplace, as well as its therapeutic properties. Green Exercise is an effective intervention for vulnerable groups and promoting healthy ageing, with activities including wilderness therapy, therapeutic horticulture and the use of forests and water. Chapters also integrate cross-cutting key themes which are relevant to all stages of the lifecourse and have significantly contributed to the Green Exercise research base, such as forest bathing and blue exercise. The book also explores the future of Green Exercise, the way in which research can be used to influence green design and planning and how health, social care and environmental agendas can be integrated to enable Green Exercise to be more widely used as a mechanism for improving health.

Nature-Based Therapy
Nature-Based Therapy

Author: Nevin Harper

Publisher: New Society Publishers

Published: 2019-07-02

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1771423021

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Take advantage of nature’s therapeutic benefits with this guide for counselors, therapists, and educators who work with children, youth, and families. The number of people seeking help for a wide range of mental health concerns is growing at an alarming rate. Unplugging from technology and reconnecting with the web of life is a powerful antidote to the anxiety and stress that tend to exacerbate so many of our mental health struggles. Nature-Based Therapy addresses the underlying disconnection between humans and their ecological home, exploring theories and therapeutic practices designed for children, youth, and families, including:Developing sensory awareness of outer and inner landscapesNavigating risk in playCase examples with a diverse range of settings, intentions, and interventions

Oxford Textbook of Nature and Public Health
Oxford Textbook of Nature and Public Health

Author: Matilda van den Bosch

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018-01-05

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 019103875X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Human beings have always been affected by their surroundings. There are various health benefits linked to being able to access to nature; including increased physical activity, stress recovery, and the stimulation of child cognitive development. The Oxford Textbook of Nature and Public Health provides a broad and inclusive picture of the relationship between our own health and the natural environment. All aspects of this unique relationship are covered, ranging from disease prevention through physical activity in green spaces to innovative ecosystem services, such as climate change adaptation by urban trees. Potential hazardous consequences are also discussed including natural disasters, vector-borne pathogens, and allergies. This book analyses the complexity of our human interaction with nature and includes sections for example epigenetics, stress physiology, and impact assessments. These topics are all interconnected and fundamental for reaching a full understanding of the role of nature in public health and wellbeing. Much of the recent literature on environmental health has primarily described potential threats from our natural surroundings. The Oxford Textbook of Nature and Public Health instead focuses on how nature can positively impact our health and wellbeing, and how much we risk losing by destroying it. The all-inclusive approach provides a comprehensive and complete coverage of the role of nature in public health, making this textbook invaluable reading for health professionals, students, and researchers within public health, environmental health, and complementary medicine.

Qualitative Research for Allied Health Professionals
Qualitative Research for Allied Health Professionals

Author: Linda Finlay

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2006-06-14

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 0470033762

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This practical text addresses a gap in the literature by mapping the links between philosophy, research method and practice in an accessible, readable way. It offers guidance to allied health professionals – increasingly involved in research as the emphasis grows on evidence-based practice – on how to engage in meaningful, good quality qualitative research. To help researchers take on this challenge, the book: highlights some of the choices involved in carrying out qualitative research offers a wide range of practical examples to show how different ways of doing qualitative research can be managed critically examines a variety of qualitative research methodologies of particular interest to allied health professionals clarifies the links between epistemology, methodology and method. The book is structured in three parts. Part I sensitises readers to the complex issues which challenge qualitative researchers at the planning stage of their projects. In Part II, the challenge of using different methodologies is critically explored by fifteen authors, who describe their individual research experiences. Part III examines the choices researchers make when they evaluate and present research.