Nature Awareness represents...

a sense of personal-internal accomplishment that is real, from which strength can be drawn from in the future thus creating a sense of well-being which can lead to increased self-esteem, bringing participants a step closer to personal growth and perhaps active recovery.

It seems to give participants a deeper understanding of self and how important our natural surroundings can be and that humans are not separate, but in fact are an integral part of the whole. Nature-Awareness as an intervention appears to help addicts to get in touch with their raw emotions enhancing their self-concept and a sense of empowerment they leave Nature-Awareness knowing that their personal healing and perhaps spiritual-journey has just begun.

Nature-Awareness as with Wilderness-therapy removes the potential for an individual to place barriers in the way of their journey into active recovery that may not be possible in the traditional residential setting for example if someone repeatedly enters rehab, they know the format of what is expected and required of them। Some will have also learnt how to play the system, so they can come out the other end having not truly moved on. Nature-Awareness takes the individual out of their comfort zone in effect the opportunity to play the system has been removed as new rules now apply - ‘Natures Rules’. No one situation can be manipulated or controlled by the individual because nature is her own master and in my own experience I have to let go, because I am powerless over her.

Therefore each experience is unique, creating unique circumstances and a unique relationship of understanding oneself, through each individual’s grounded-experiences of Nature-Awareness, be they professionals or not, indicating that they have benefited from their participation in Nature-Awareness. The main themes of Awareness, Trust, Nature and Spiritually, I believe demonstrates that Nature-Awareness synergistically compliments mainstream models as a therapeutic-intervention. Schorr-kon (2008) “At Home in Nature - Alive in Spirit” uses this phrase in his teachings. I truly believe this sums up the experiences of those involved in this study and with Nature-Awareness over the years and that it may well be considered as the ‘Emerging Theory’ into Nature-Awareness.

Photo: Rhiannon Williams