Ecotherapy in Scotland.
Community groups and nature retreats in Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders
Hello, friends. My name is Stephen McCabe and I am an eco-therapy practitioner based in Midlothian, near Edinburgh, Scotland. I regularly run ecotherapy projects for charities and organisations in Edinburgh and beyond. I currently run ecotherapy groups and 1-2-1 sessions through the wonderful Edinburgh-based charity Health All Round, where I am employed as their resident ecotherapist. I also regularly run one-off sessions for other local organisations and I work further across Scotland on request. Over the years, I have facilitated ecotherapy and nature-connection sessions for many Scotland-based charities and organisations including Health All Round, Bipolar Scotland, LGBT Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow Clyde College, Scottish Disability Sport, Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP), Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust (FCCT) and more.
A photo of an ecotherapy day retreat that I facilitated with the Edinburgh charity Health All Round.
My work connects people with nature through mindfulness, creativity, local folklore and relaxed ecotherapy walks. I am currently working with individuals and groups both online and outdoors. My approach is creative and I enjoy tailoring nature therapy activities to the community/setting that I am working in.
If you would like to hear one of my ecotherapy sessions in action, you can listen to one of my weekly Health All Round sessions on the Keeping Edinburgh podcast.
Above: an ecotherapy weekend in Gorebridge, Scotland, which I ran with the charity Tariki Trust.
If you are a business, charity, project or even an individual who would like to book some nature therapy for yourself or a group, please get in touch to discuss rates. As a guide, a one-off outdoor session is charged at around £50 per hour of delivery. I can work pretty much anywhere in Edinburgh, the Lothians, and in large chunks of the Scottish Borders. I may also consider working further afield. Sessions can happen in city parks, wild spaces (such as woodlands or beaches), small gardens, or even online if that makes it more accessible for your clients.
Above: a silent nature walk; part of a Midlothian ecotherapy event that I facilitated with the charity Tariki Trust.
To find out more about my qualifications and experience, click here.
To find out more about ecotherapy in general, please visit the Tariki Trust website here. Also, feel free to scroll down and watch a presentation of mine from the 2021 online conference, ‘What is Ecotherapy'?’
I look forward to hearing from you!
My closing presentation for the Tariki Trust’s 2021 conference, ‘What is Ecotherapy?’
See photos below from various ecotherapy events that I have facilitated in Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders.
“‘I would like to thank you Stephen for your hard work and understanding. I now have a huge appreciation of my surroundings, ie the wind, water, colour, smell, trees, and this makes my life more interesting and fulfilling. I simply feel more at peace and happier all round.
— Ecotherapy Client