Restoring Connectedness in and to Nature: Three Nordic Examples of Recontextualizing Family Therapy to the Outdoors
Mentalization-based family therapy and family rehabilitation represent a rich variety of approaches for assisting families with difficult interaction patterns. On the other hand, adventure therapy methods have been successfully used with families to offer them empowering experiences of succeeding to...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.768614/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1839652281864159232 |
|---|---|
| author | Markus Mattsson Carina Ribe Fernee Carina Ribe Fernee Kanerva Lehmuslaakso Kanerva Lehmuslaakso Pekka Lyytinen |
| author_facet | Markus Mattsson Carina Ribe Fernee Carina Ribe Fernee Kanerva Lehmuslaakso Kanerva Lehmuslaakso Pekka Lyytinen |
| author_sort | Markus Mattsson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mentalization-based family therapy and family rehabilitation represent a rich variety of approaches for assisting families with difficult interaction patterns. On the other hand, adventure therapy methods have been successfully used with families to offer them empowering experiences of succeeding together against difficult odds and to improve communication between family members. Further, the health promoting qualities of spending time outdoors are now well established and recognized. The Nordic approach to mentalization-based family rehabilitation combines adventure, outdoor, and systemic therapy. We provide three examples of nature-based family rehabilitation practices that are delivered as brief, multi-family psychological interventions taking place in nearby nature and aiming to support sustainable, systemic change. The current contribution is a description of clinical practice, not a systematic review or a formal evaluation. We propose that recontextualizing mentalization-based family rehabilitation to the outdoors can not only provide added health benefits, but also strengthen intra-familial attuned interaction and emotional connectedness. The outdoor adventure provides the families with embodied, multisensory experiences of verbal and, especially, non-verbal interaction that can be usefully examined through the lens of theory of mentalization. The concreteness of adventure experiences is particularly beneficial for families that have difficulties in verbal communication and/or utilizing executive functions, perhaps due to neuropsychiatric traits, intellectual disabilities, or learning difficulties. Furthermore, outdoor adventure can support the participants’ connectedness to nature. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c4e556e9c2d34aa3a722a7dd1b662e01 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c4e556e9c2d34aa3a722a7dd1b662e012025-06-25T15:02:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-03-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.768614768614Restoring Connectedness in and to Nature: Three Nordic Examples of Recontextualizing Family Therapy to the OutdoorsMarkus Mattsson0Carina Ribe Fernee1Carina Ribe Fernee2Kanerva Lehmuslaakso3Kanerva Lehmuslaakso4Pekka Lyytinen5The Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Children and Young People, The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Sørlandet Hospital HE, Kristiansand, NorwayFaculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, NorwayThe Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Children and Young People, The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Education, Faculty of Education, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandThe Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Children and Young People, The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, Turku, FinlandMentalization-based family therapy and family rehabilitation represent a rich variety of approaches for assisting families with difficult interaction patterns. On the other hand, adventure therapy methods have been successfully used with families to offer them empowering experiences of succeeding together against difficult odds and to improve communication between family members. Further, the health promoting qualities of spending time outdoors are now well established and recognized. The Nordic approach to mentalization-based family rehabilitation combines adventure, outdoor, and systemic therapy. We provide three examples of nature-based family rehabilitation practices that are delivered as brief, multi-family psychological interventions taking place in nearby nature and aiming to support sustainable, systemic change. The current contribution is a description of clinical practice, not a systematic review or a formal evaluation. We propose that recontextualizing mentalization-based family rehabilitation to the outdoors can not only provide added health benefits, but also strengthen intra-familial attuned interaction and emotional connectedness. The outdoor adventure provides the families with embodied, multisensory experiences of verbal and, especially, non-verbal interaction that can be usefully examined through the lens of theory of mentalization. The concreteness of adventure experiences is particularly beneficial for families that have difficulties in verbal communication and/or utilizing executive functions, perhaps due to neuropsychiatric traits, intellectual disabilities, or learning difficulties. Furthermore, outdoor adventure can support the participants’ connectedness to nature.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.768614/fulloutdoor therapynature connectednessadventure therapyfamily rehabilitationnature-based family therapymentalization |
| spellingShingle | Markus Mattsson Carina Ribe Fernee Carina Ribe Fernee Kanerva Lehmuslaakso Kanerva Lehmuslaakso Pekka Lyytinen Restoring Connectedness in and to Nature: Three Nordic Examples of Recontextualizing Family Therapy to the Outdoors Frontiers in Psychology outdoor therapy nature connectedness adventure therapy family rehabilitation nature-based family therapy mentalization |
| title | Restoring Connectedness in and to Nature: Three Nordic Examples of Recontextualizing Family Therapy to the Outdoors |
| title_full | Restoring Connectedness in and to Nature: Three Nordic Examples of Recontextualizing Family Therapy to the Outdoors |
| title_fullStr | Restoring Connectedness in and to Nature: Three Nordic Examples of Recontextualizing Family Therapy to the Outdoors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Restoring Connectedness in and to Nature: Three Nordic Examples of Recontextualizing Family Therapy to the Outdoors |
| title_short | Restoring Connectedness in and to Nature: Three Nordic Examples of Recontextualizing Family Therapy to the Outdoors |
| title_sort | restoring connectedness in and to nature three nordic examples of recontextualizing family therapy to the outdoors |
| topic | outdoor therapy nature connectedness adventure therapy family rehabilitation nature-based family therapy mentalization |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.768614/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT markusmattsson restoringconnectednessinandtonaturethreenordicexamplesofrecontextualizingfamilytherapytotheoutdoors AT carinaribefernee restoringconnectednessinandtonaturethreenordicexamplesofrecontextualizingfamilytherapytotheoutdoors AT carinaribefernee restoringconnectednessinandtonaturethreenordicexamplesofrecontextualizingfamilytherapytotheoutdoors AT kanervalehmuslaakso restoringconnectednessinandtonaturethreenordicexamplesofrecontextualizingfamilytherapytotheoutdoors AT kanervalehmuslaakso restoringconnectednessinandtonaturethreenordicexamplesofrecontextualizingfamilytherapytotheoutdoors AT pekkalyytinen restoringconnectednessinandtonaturethreenordicexamplesofrecontextualizingfamilytherapytotheoutdoors |