Coaching Outdoors

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

en-gbMarch 05, 2024

Coaching Outdoors Episode 60 - Michael Jospe

“Remember your client is nature. Their brain is nature. Their body is nature. Their development is nature” Michael Jospe, Founder Earth-Based Institute

Nature-based coaching trail-blazer Michael Jospe joins us from Boulder, Colorado, a hot-bed of nature coaching. Founder, lead instructor and curriculum writer at the Earth-Based Institute he’s dedicated his life to exploring the connection between nature and coaching for over 25-years. The International Coach Federation (ICF) certified Nature-Connected Coaching programme has supported hundreds of students become Nature-Connected Coaches, Nature-Connected Leaders, and Transformational Wilderness Guides.

Our dialogue traces his roots from childhood memories in Concord, Massachusetts influenced by Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson; then mentorship under Tom Brown Jnr and Jon Young. His career as a Naturalist at an outdoor science school in Central Valley of California to establish the Earth-Based Institute in 2004.

Michael has amassed an astonishing depth of wisdom over the last 25-years which he generously shares in transformative tales of wilderness quests including an encounter on the trails with a black bear in Utah, the importance of entrepreneurial business skills for coaches to secure their initial clients and the importance of personal nature connection as a resource for everyone.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com
Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com
Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbFebruary 14, 2024

Coaching Outdoors Episode 59 - Andrew Wolff

“I am an evangelist for nature connection”

Our last episode of Season 6 of the Coaching Outdoors Podcast takes us to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to meet Andrew Wolff.

Nature has been a steadfast companion throughout Andrew’s life, guiding him on his path toward self-discovery and providing a sanctuary for profound peace.

His deep desire to live, work, and play in nature has materialised into a beautiful mountain property in the heart of the Rocky Mountains which is the home base of Andrew’s coaching business, Wolff Coaching.

Andrew’s episode tells the story of his journey from being an educator and mentor for young people, which has led him through various professional landscapes, cultures, and nature-immersed settings both in the United States and abroad, to becoming a nature-connected life coach.

Specialising in working with men who are at a crossroads in their lives and who are open and curious, Andrew shares his Rocky Mountain home landscape with his clients to explore what more is possible in their lives.

This is a great episode for providing inspiration both for anyone who is thinking of starting their outdoor coaching business and anyone interested in coaching or mentoring young people in the outdoors.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbNovember 21, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 58 - Georgie Dunn

“I see parallels when I coach people who are really at capacity of their Executive Function and how nature really can unlock that just by giving us the space and perspective to do it”

For this podcast we journey to the stunning hilly coast line of East Lothian in Scotland to meet Georgie Dunn in one of her favourite places to coach outdoors.

Georgie shares her journey to becoming an outdoor coach, from her time spent in the Army developing her outdoor skills and pedigree, to her career change after Covid.

Talking about the burn out that lead to her taking a step away and recovering, Georgie talks about the importance of restoring the Executive Function of the brain and how nature can play a critical role in this – providing space, perspective and time to think. Linking this with Attention Restoration Theory.

Georgie also shares some of the challenges she has faced starting her business as an outdoor coach and some of the ways she has met those challenges. Along with describing the blue and green locations she coaches in around Northumberland and Scotland.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbNovember 08, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 57 - Claire Bradshaw

“Being outdoors really connects people with themselves and each other.”

Claire Bradshaw is the founder of Claire Bradshaw Associates, based in near Stockport and the High Peaks of the Peak District. Claire is a professional coach, coach trainer and facilitator plus a Coach Supervisor, working in and around the amazing Peak District.

Claire has a long-held belief that transformation happens when we co-create a space for people to feel heard and where, with the gift of our unwavering attention, they can do their most powerful thinking. This coaching philosophy is at the heart of everything Claire does. Claire is a lover of nature and the outdoors and has integrated her passion into my coaching practice.

Claire is a lover of poetry and likes to introduce or share a piece of writing which helps connect people, her love started in early years and lead to a degree in English at University of Lancashire which led her onto a beautifully connected journey into becoming a librarian and supporting others curiosity for knowledge and learning to supporting others ultimately through becoming a coach.

Claire now works with new or senior leaders who wish to unlock potential and incorporate coaching into their leadership style and people wanting to become a coach or experienced coaches who wish to take their practice outdoors. Claire is an amazing connector and enabler, and this is all achieved through her fantastic work, which Claire takes us through, from coaching outdoors, coaching collectives, training events and retreats to her own creatively designed coaching cards.

“Does it really matter what the question is, so long as its well-intended and helps people explore further.”

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbOctober 24, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 56 - Sam Isaacson

“To be able to put on a headset and effectively go somewhere that is a lot more natural I think could bring a lot of the same benefits that being outdoors does, just through a different lens”

Sam Isaacson, aka global digital and coaching thought-leader, enabler, coach, coach supervisor and author of “How to thrive as a coach in a digital world” and “Superhuman Coaching - Ten technologies that expand coaching beyond what’s humanly possible”, joins us from a park in South Ealing, London to dispel the myths around AI, virtual reality and brain implants in coaching.

It’s a roller coaster ride from monsters hidden in redwood forests, tranquil Japanese gardens and travel high into orbit beyond the earth. We step back in time to meet Eliza the first chatterbot psychotherapist, dig deep into the science of awe and wonder at the magic of the real world.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbOctober 10, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 55 - Sarah Lawfull

“Nature can talk to us & teach us”.

Sarah Lawfull is the founder of Where the Fruit is, based in Oxfordshire. Sarah is a professional coach, and Chair of the Forest School Association and Co-Chair of the Nature premium campaign as well as an endorsed trainer and education consultant.

Sarah is a passionate advocate of spending time in nature and learning to listen, with clear influences from Nancy Kline’s work. From a lifetime of engaging children, teenagers and families with nature Sarah has learnt the value of play, and observation, alongside the empowerment of trust and creating space to think.

Through coaching and training, Sarah inspires adults to bring the best of themselves to their work with children; using nature as our guide we discover that healthy people, connected to self, others and the planet, are truly connected and able to grow self and explore.

Forest School is the pedagogical approach, that has clearly captured Sarah’s heart. It is the place where this deep connection happens, where responsibility and risk collide to create a richly challenging, creative learning environment. Out in the woods, real life happens, hurts heal, and great fun is had through playful learning.

“Being out in nature is therapeutic”.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbSeptember 25, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 54 - Jim Hughes

“I help people get outside, reconnect with themselves and others and the work they do”.

Jim Hughes is a coach and founder of Untamed Coaching based in Bradford-on-Avon, UK. Untamed was founded in 2017 and Jim works with teams and individuals outdoors using adventure to allow reconnection with themselves, others, and their work on a deeper level, through walking, cold water immersion and campfires. Through the outdoors, Jim offers a creative space, open and flowing which gives rise to conversation and reflection, which helps clients to face their fear and find a way of being which is more contented and authentic.

Jim believes in finding your true self and when we do we find contentment, and peace, regain energy and inspire others. Jim understands this from personal experience having felt misaligned, stressed and burnt out. It was this turning point, a catalyst which led to a nomadic journey also resulting in the creation of Untamed Coaching.

Jim explains his methodology for change and how he helps people move through this by understanding the cost of the status quo and then falling in love with a new alternative to overcoming the blockers or resistance to that alternative. He also talks about micro-adventures, silent walks and some great advice for coaches starting out, “Be authentic, get out there, meet people, connect with people” and be persistent!

The seeds you plant today will grow it may take a year or so.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbSeptember 12, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 53 - Jenn Bauer

“We imprint on water, our thoughts, our words, our energy, images are all imprinted on water. We dive into what it means to imprint on water and therefore how we engage with water, being that we’re mostly water ourselves”

Certified in a number of modalities for both coaching and energy healing, Jennifer Bauer has integrated them to develop the PECSS Framework (Physical, Emotional, Conscious, Subconscious and Spiritual levels) and create the International Nature Coaching Center.

Jenn started out in corporate Marketing, but following her search for own healing following trauma she realized the tools she was developing in energy healing and coaching would be amazing for everyone.

The 11 month training programme she has created starts by tapping into what makes each person a coach, what is their original medicine, what makes them unique.

The programme then uses techniques from all over the world, such as making nature mandalas and a Hawaiian practice called Ho’ola Loa (energy balancing and realignment), as well as animals and plants as messengers, to further explore and develop her student’s connection to nature.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbAugust 29, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 52 - Eleanor Ratcliffe

“I’m particularly interested in what we call restorative environments; places and spaces that help people to recover the psychological resources they need to go about their everyday lives” Dr Eleanor Ratcliffe

Bringing sound into wider awareness Eleanor Ratcliffe has spent over a decade conducting research and teaching on the human-environment connection, where nature impacts psychological wellbeing. In her roles as environmental psychologist and lecturer at the University of Surrey, she specialises in understanding the ‘how’ and ‘why’ in the human connection between soundscapes, creativity, place attachment and memory.

Our conversations weave from unintended career choices into the academic world, the psychological importance of rituals to support change, personal differences in nature-connectedness and how to DJ with a songbird at a house party.

Listen in to discover how the sounds form an integral part of restorative environments and how to interweave soundscapes into your coaching practice to encourage relaxation, creativity and problem-solving. This conversation is a real gem to deepen your coaching practice from cutting-edge evidence-based science.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbAugust 12, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 51 - Joao Perre Viana

“Nothing beats the last eight years of my life when I have had the chance to walk side by side with hundreds of people from all backgrounds and nationalities”

Citizen of the world, lawyer turned manager turned mentor; Joao Perre Viana is the founder of “Walking Mentorship”.

Developed over twenty years, his methodology weaves together different mentoring formats, walking and nature. At its heart lies Joao’s life philosophy; Don’t count the kilometres; make the kilometres count.

Learn about Joao’s insatiable curiosity which propelled him across the Atlantic from his home in Lisbon, Portugal, and how his career path which spanned Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa set the foundations for his innovative project.

He describes valuable lessons from the trails, which stem from each mentee’s initial focus question; then moves through four integrated elements; slowing down, reconnecting, gaining perspective and taking action.

In addition, Joao shares his perspectives on mentoring, coaching, business, collaboration and more…with a radiant lightness and twinkle in his eye.

“Let’s keep walking”

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbAugust 01, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 50 - Nicki Bass

“Approaching life with an adventurous mindset.”

Nicki Bass - Founder and Director of Resilience at work a consultancy delivering experiential leadership, resilience and wellbeing solutions for individuals and organisations. Nicki is a business psychologist, facilitator and executive coach who uses outdoor adventure activities to enable resilience and leadership development. Nicki’s innovative approach uses adventure sports, surfing and coasteering to enable clients to access their potential and increase performance and resilience.

Having spent over 18 years as a Learning and Development officer in the British Army, Nicki has first-hand experience of working and performing in high stress environments. As a result, Nicki knows that by facing situations outside of our comfort zone, we can grow our internal resources and improve our ability to face uncertainty and challenge.

Nicki’s facilitated experiential programmes are designed to supercharge performance of people. These can be adapted to be delivered in numerous ways and Nicki even brings them down to the everyday adventure by encouraging others to do something different for five minutes each day, you get that wow! feeling, making life feel a little bit more exciting”.

With a master’s degree in occupational psychology Nicki has in depth understanding of the research and science that supports her work; Nicki is also currently studying for a Professional Doctorate in this subject. Nicki is also the founder and host of The Everyday Adventure Podcast and a TEDx speaker who is on a mission to help everyone live more adventurously in their daily lives.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbJuly 18, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 49 - Jared Hanley

“Time in nature is a free accessible tool, with no side effects. We give nature a number”.

Jared Hanley is a co-founder and CEO of NatureQuant, a research and technology firm building tools to assess and promote nature exposure. Prior to founding NatureQuant, Jared used data science and statistical modelling techniques and provided advisory services in finance, energy, and real estate applications. He is a published author and speaker on ERISA laws and plans. He has a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Cognitive Science, both from Yale University. He is a FINRA-registered securities principal and a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Jared takes us back to early years of playing in the wilderness near a creek to living in a city and feeling disconnected to nature and having to reset for his own wellbeing, which lead to him conceive how to quantify nature. We talk about Naturequant which delivers technology to assess and promote nature exposure. NatureScore measures the amount of natural elements that optimize your health within one km radius of your location. NatureDose is a personalized nature prescription mobile app which monitors your time, inside and outside and exposure to nature. Jared says, “We give nature a number”.

We explore rich nature and deficient nature, Jared makes the point that you may live near a forest but if you don’t go outdoors into that forest, you won’t feel the benefits of nature. We discuss the fact that we spend 95% of our time indoors or in a vehicle vs our ancestors who spent 99.9% of their time in nature, it feels like a big social experiment which we are only now beginning to see the effects of this on ourselves both physically, psychologically, and chemically.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbMay 29, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 48 - Garry Pratt

“Being outside in nature, and especially moving in nature, are backed up by science as the major ways to fire up creativity”

Garry is the author of “The Creativity Factor”, which uncovers the importance of creativity in business success and clarifies how you can use time spent outdoors to fully harness your creative potential. From being the co-founder of multiple tech start-ups, and entrepreneur-in-residence at the University of Bath, to leading walking events in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and beyond, Garry found his thinking ‘space’ and inspiration outside, with the absolute conviction a desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.

Discover how the numbers 23-3-3 are fundamental to spending time immersed in nature, how the what3words app can actively fire the imagination and the innate power of natural story telling. Garry highlights the need to shift our deeply embedded business culture perceptions, where activities indoors are classified as ‘work’ as opposed to outdoors ‘leisure’.

This episode is packed full of the latest science and recommended resources which signpost a whole new level of creativity to enhance your imagination and deepened your coaching conversations.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbMay 16, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 47 - Marie Dove

“I realised I’d lost a part of me; it was so amazing for me to come back to nature”.

Marie Dove is a nature-based women’s life coach and founder of The Campfire Community, a monthly circle for women who crave real, meaningful connection to themselves, each other, and the natural world.

Join us as we explore her backstory. As a child, Marie had a profound connection to nature, however, as a teenager and young adult, she became disconnected from it and in turn herself. Marie was lucky enough to find her way back to the connection she experienced as a child and describes this as like coming home to herself and her own true nature.

This experience led Marie to train in coaching and combine her passion for supporting people with her love of and connection to the natural world. Marie feels a deep knowing that the way for us to heal, thrive and live the life we want, is to come back to our roots, to cultivate a deep connection to the natural world, to nature’s seasonal cycles, bringing us back to ourselves, our own true nature and each other.

Marie runs women’s circles, she is passionate about creating deeper connections between people, being able to see and support each other beneath the layers, opinions and divisions that are created in the world. She also works one to one, in partnership with nature, supporting women to live a more connected and meaningful life.

Coaching and circles usually happen seated around a fire in beautiful woodland, but Marie also coaches online and runs online circles and workshops.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbMay 02, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 46 - Chris Spray and Alex Staniforth, Mind Over Mountain

“I’ve always used the outdoors as my toolkit. It’s what I call my Natural Health Service and I believe everyone should have access to it.” – Alex Staniforth

Alex Staniforth and Chris Spray are the masterminds behind Mind Over Mountains, a charity whose tagline “Restoring mental health, naturally” conveys their collective passion and vision. The stark realisation by Alex that it took longer to access NHS mental health services than it did to cycle and run 5,000 miles (8000km) around the highest county tops of the United Kingdom (72 days) fuelled his desire to help others access the outdoors to manage their mental health.

The charity offers open public one day hill walks and retreats for those in need, supported by a phenomenal team of coaches and psychotherapists across Snowdonia, Peak District, Dartmoor, Chilterns and the Lake District. These events are simply life-changing as individuals have the space and time to walk alongside others in a different environment.

Discover how the collaborative partnership of Alex and Chris resulted in the co-creation of Mind Over Mountains, the Benedictine philosophy of ‘perfect hospitality’ that lies at the heart of each event and details of their vital work in of support front-line emergency service members post-COVID amongst others.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbApril 17, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 45 - Pam Cho

“Connecting with nature, it’s like giving your brain a mini vacation.” Pam Cho

Pam Cho is an Executive Coach and certified Forest Therapy Guide from Cincinnati, Ohio, no stranger to the coaching world, Pam has over seventeen years of coaching experience. However, it’s only in the last two years Pam discovered the power of outdoor coaching. She shares insights and anecdotes on the incredible client transformations she has personally observed from taking this path into nature.

Join us as we explore Pam’s backstory from the ocean, to hitting a wall of online coaching at the beginning of the pandemic, to taking her practice outdoors and witnessing the power of nature on her clients. Pam shares some great techniques which she uses in collaboration with nature.

Pam steps into the client’s world to understand first what being outdoors means to them, and what works for them however small that time may be. Pam talks about the presence of nature, closing your eyes and grounding, “feeling bad energy come out and good energy going in”, and the positive effects of fractals on your brain, all of which result in a more creative, productive coaching session.

Lastly, learn how Pam gifts her clients “nature in a bag” to sustain their connection with nature.

View podcasts and get in touch.

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

en-gbApril 04, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 44 - Clive Leach and Miss May

“Dogs have a real potential impact on our capacity to flourish and sustain our capacity to flourish. It’s hard out there in the world and we need all the help we can get.”

In this episode of the Coaching Outdoors Podcast we are joined by another duo, but this time one of them has 4 paws and a shiny nose.

Meet Clive Leach, outdoor coach, positive psychologist and wellbeing hospital volunteer, and Miss May, his beautiful 3 year old Golden Doodle “Pets As Therapy” pup.

Clive shares with us the serendipitous events that lead to him welcoming May into their family and work, and how, in the last year, they have become “Pets as Therapy” hospital volunteers.

Clive shares some really heartfelt and truly inspiring stories about how he brings Miss May into his work outdoor coaching in organisations, and volunteering in hospitals and education settings.

Clive’s background and qualifications in Positive Psychology and Miss May’s amazing skills at bringing positivity and happiness to people’s lives, puts her in a perfect position to be called a #permapup (Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishments).

Spending time with dogs has the ability to help us become more present, to calm our mind, to boost our mood and to just… be.

“Dogs have a real potential impact on our capacity to flourish and sustain our capacity to flourish. It’s hard out there in the world and we need all the help we can get.”

In this episode of the Coaching Outdoors Podcast we are joined by another duo, but this time one of them has 4 paws and a shiny nose.

Meet Clive Leach, outdoor coach, positive psychologist and wellbeing hospital volunteer, and Miss May, his beautiful 3 year old Golden Doodle “Pets As Therapy” pup.

Clive shares with us the serendipitous events that lead to him welcoming May into their family and work, and how, in the last year, they have become “Pets as Therapy” hospital volunteers.

Clive shares some really heartfelt and truly inspiring stories about how he brings Miss May into his work outdoor coaching in organisations, and volunteering in hospitals and education settings.

Spending time with dogs has the ability to help us become more present, to calm our mind, to boost our mood and to just… be.

View podcasts and get in touch.

en-gbMarch 20, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Podcast - International Women's Day 2023 Special

“Worldwide, everyone everywhere can step forward to truly #EmbraceEquity”

In recognition of International Women’s Day 2023 we would like to honour the amazing female guests we have had on the Coaching Outdoors Podcast.

We have selected a short snippet of each lady’s podcast to highlight the insight and experience they have to share. And maybe to entice you to watch their episode if you haven’t already.

From examples of what brought them to outdoor coaching in the first place and what benefits they and their clients get from the experience, to examples of what methods they use and how they have coped with the unexpected. Along with the importance of coaching with the environment in mind. These clips give you an idea of the wonderful women we have been lucky enough to feature on the podcast so far.

Outdoor coaching is a truly inclusive way of coaching, with something for everyone.

For more information about International Women’s Day 2023 visit https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Speakers, and their episode, in order of appearance:

Penelope Mavor – Episode 31
Jennifer Wills – Episode 24
Gerdi Verwoert – Episode 26
Cat Boersma – Episode 34
Rose Dixey – Episode 39
Catherine Gorham – Episode 18
Jacqueline Harris – Episode 19
Cat Trebilco – Episode 6
Alex Burn – Episode 15
Christiana Frischmuth – Episode 17
Diana Tedoldi – Episode 9
Karen Liebenguth – Episode 3
Claudia Geratz – Episode 36
Rachel Woods – Episode 7
Anna-Marie Watson – Episode 15
Lizzie Larbalestier – Episode 8
Susan Joachim – Episode 38
Ruth Steggles – Episode 39
Elen Sentier – Episode 42
Elle Smith – Episode 21
Gwyneth Jones – Episode 22
Liz Hall – Episode 13
Lesley Roberts – Episode 20
Anna Brown – Episode 40

en-gbMarch 07, 2023

Coaching Outdoors Episode 43 - Peter and Coen

“Allow nature to do the work” Peter Krijger

Peter Krijger and Coen van Broekhoven have amassed a phenomenal forty years plus of outdoor coaching between them. Step back in time to discover when Peter established the Atma Institute in Amersfoort in the Netherlands in the late 1990s and was later joined by ex-student Coen. The Institute offers programmes from one day introductory or two day advanced ‘Wandelcoaching’ translated as ‘Walking coaching’ to use nature’s symbols.

Simplicity lies at the heart of their work where the power of two questions; What do you notice? What does it symbolise? invites their coaching clients to connect with both wider nature and the inner nature within themselves. Peter and Coen bring their knowledge and experience to life with stories of a dead bird, a tree amongst a forest and how to find your inner king or queen.

View podcasts and get in touch.