This episode of Soundbites, hosted by Head of Personal Injury Leeds Ben Townsend, covered the benefits of forest therapy and how it can benefit people living with neurological conditions. Our guest wass Claire McDonald, clinical neuropsychologist and founder of Neuro in Nature.
Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing, is a popular and proven wellbeing tool with a long history. Its benefits are especially well known in Japan and Korea, where forest bathing is a far more common pastime and it has been prescribed by medial experts to improve mental and physical wellbeing.
In this session Claire explained what forest therapy involves and why getting out in nature and learning to appreciate your surroundings can be so therapeutic. She focused particular on how forest therapy can help people with neurological conditions, who are in many cases the least likely to be able to access green spaces.
Claire also explored the evidence for the benefits of forest therapy and how people (including those with accessibility issues) can engage with it, including through organisations that Neuro in Nature partners with such as Headway and the Neurological Alliance.
Watch the episode here:
Our speaker – Claire McDonald
Since qualifying as a clinical psychologist in 2012, Claire McDonald has worked in the NHS, charity sector and more recently within independent practice; mostly with people who are living with a neurological condition or other physical health conditions, such as cancer or persistent pain. 
Claire has trained as an accredited Forest Therapy Practitioner and is a founder of Neuro in Nature CIC. The mission of Neuro in Nature CIC is to support the well-being of individuals and families living with long-term neurological conditions across the Greater Manchester area. Her interest in this field was prompted during the Covid-19 lockdowns, when she noticed how at ease her clients with having sessions outdoors.
Previous Stewarts Soundbites episodes
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