In 2016, the research group of the University of Copenhagen worked with a crisis shelter in Denmark to develop and implement an educational program based on the therapeutic use of nature for the recovery of women and children exposed to domestic violence. This initiative was based on research showing that being in nature and doing nature-based activities can reduce stress-related illnesses. The goal of the proposed educational program was to help staff members learn how to use a newly renovated garden at the shelter more purposefully and how to integrate nature-based therapy (NBT) into their work at the shelter.
Six professionals working at the shelter participated in two semi-structured focus-group interviews. The first interview was conducted prior to the planning of the educational program and included an assessment of the staff's need for theoretical/practice knowledge related to NBT. The second interview was conducted after the program ended and included an evaluation of the experiences gained from the educational program. The second interview was also designed to identify weak points to consider when developing future programs.
The educational program developed by the education team over an eight-month period contained four overall elements: (1) a theoretical element focusing on the nature–health relationship; (2) performance and development of practical nature activities in collaboration with staff; (3) case stories about the challenges of implementing nature-based therapy for the residents in the shelter; and (4) the implementation phase of nature-based therapy at the shelter.
Reflections on the process led to the identification of four main points: “(1) The theoretical introduction of NBT was important as a reference point throughout the project period. (2) Experiencing nature-based activities in a therapy garden was experienced as inspiring for the staff when developing their own practice. (3) Using the staff's own cases from their daily work at the shelter to develop nature-based activities made the learning programme transferable. (4) Writing down the nature-based activities, focusing on goals and step-by-step descriptions of the activity became an important tool for all the staff members.”
This study was based on the understanding that learning how to tap into the therapeutic use of nature may strengthen and enhance the competencies of professionals working with women and children exposed to domestic violence. “This paper argues that a systematic learning program planned and conducted in cooperation between the staff at a crisis shelter and the researchers within the field of nature and health is a beneficial way of implementing the use of nature-activities as a healing factor for women and children in a crisis shelter.”
Research Partner