Kia ora and welcome!
My name is Linda Carson and I am a nature therapy guide trained and certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs. Wellington has been my home for more than a decade and I feel privileged to be offering nature therapy walks in some places that are very special to me.
Spending time in nature has always been something I have enjoyed, but not necessarily prioritised. After experiencing burnout, I went back to basics and learned how to care for myself – body, mind and soul. I realised that being outdoors and connecting with nature was not something I could compromise on if I wanted to be healthy and whole.
I discovered nature therapy while looking for ways to spend more time in places that I love. Training to be a guide helped me to remember what it means to be present and to have a genuine, reciprocal relationship with nature. I found serenity and purpose. I also discovered that it is impossible to feel lonely once you realise that everything in nature is interconnected and you are part of nature too.
I established Wellspring Nature Therapy to offer busy people a safe space in which to slow down and explore their relationship with nature. Nature therapy should be an essential part of any wellbeing toolkit. I believe it can also help shift how we think about and relate to nature. If we can build a genuine relationship with nature, rather than seeing nature as a resource, who knows what solutions we could come up with to the challenges facing our planet!
