Calling all educators and childcare professionals
Join us to learn important tools to respond confidently and compassionately to the growing epidemic of eco-anxiety in our young people. Help the children you work with reconnect to Nature through a wholesome and integrative approach to learning and a hopeful, empowered outlook on the future.
Recent statistics show that globally up to 80% of the population suffers from mental health symptoms related to the climate crisis.
A 2021 study by The Lancet on the effects of eco-anxiety and climate fear on children and young adults (aged 16-25) found that 59% were extremely worried and 84% were at least moderately worried.
In this 4-week program, I will help you to learn effective tools and strategies to reduce symptoms of eco-anxiety, reconnect to the natural environment and help the children you work with become empowered, hopeful and proactive.
A new WHO policy brief states that Climate Change poses a serious risk to mental health and is urging for climate considerations to be included into mental health programs.
The new WHO document recommends 5 important approaches for governments to address the mental health impacts of climate change:
- integrate climate considerations with mental health programs;
- integrate mental health support with climate action;
- build upon global commitments;
- develop community-based approaches to reduce vulnerabilities; and
- and close the large funding gap that exists for mental health and psychosocial support.
Are you ready to take action in response to this urgent need for change?
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Are you seeing an increase in symptoms relating to environmental challenges and a disconnect to Nature in the children you work with?
2
Are you sometimes feeling ill-equipped to respond to these symptoms of eco-anxiety and would like to learn new methods to help the children you work with?
3
Have you always felt that nature connection is a crucial element for learning and mental health but you are unsure how to integrate it into your teaching?
4
Do you feel there is something fundamentally missing in the way we approach mental health challenges in our education system?
5
Are you working with children and young people who feel disillusioned, worried and hopeless about their future?
6
Are you struggling with overwhelm yourself in these times and you’re looking for practices to become more grounded, empowered and hopeful as a human being as well as an educator?
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Have you wondered about the connection between human and planetary health and suspected that they must be intricately related?
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Are you concerned about the current challenges we are experiencing globally and would like to be part of a proactive and hopeful movement that addresses both human and planetary health through your work as an educator?
If you have answered “YES” to some of these questions and you are an educator who wants to take action in a world that is in desperate need of change and hope, then this training is what you have been looking for.
I educate and support education professionals who are passionate about their work with children, and who put in relentless effort to find solutions for the new and emerging challenges of our times.
Hi, I am Alex.
I am a professional training provider with a background in Education and Nature Connecting Approaches (read more here) and I am passionate about human and planetary health!!
For over 20 years I have researched and studied the relationship between Nature Connection and mental and physical health, both for personal and professional reasons as I have my own bundle of health challenges. In my studies and observations, I could see a widening gap between the growing mental health crisis and an expanding disconnect to Nature in our society. This development really grabbed my attention as it was clear to me that mental and physical health, the climate crisis and a general isolation from Nature must be inseparably connected. In my further studies in Eco Psychology and Ecotherapy the interrelatedness became much clearer, and I knew that there was a missing piece in the way we approach both human and planetary health.
Initially, I concentrated my work on education and parenting and I published my international multi-award-winning book “Roots and Wings – Childhood needs a Revolution” in 2018 followed by a collection of Mindful Games in 2019.
Since then, I have been a speaker on multiple global conferences and summits in the areas of mindfulness and nature/climate education and I was published on various platforms such as A Lust for Life, Project Happiness, The Irish Independent or The Natural Parent Magazine.
I am also a climate ambassador with the Climate Ambassador Programme as I can only be authentic if I “put my money where my mouth is”! I truly believe that taking climate action is a powerful antidote to eco-anxiety.
I knew though that education is just one side of the coin and that it’s crucial to review our approach to mental health in clinical settings also. We need to realise that eco-related mental health issues need new strategies and tools in order to meet them effectively and help people move forward with hope and optimism.
I have applied my experience of 20+ years in Education and Nature Connecting Approaches to create this 4-week program in which I want to teach you how to apply these tools in your work.
Welcome...
Welcome to a transformational 4-week program where you will learn creative, flexible and innovative tools that will help you and the young people you work with navigate these challenging times with more ease, hope and action.
I am so excited to share this training with you and I can’t wait to introduce you to a wide range of strategies and skills to draw from in your teaching practice.
Mindful Nature Pedagogy (MNP)
A 4-week CPD accredited online training preparing you to respond effectively and confidently to our children’s needs in these challenging times:
- eco anxiety
- nature education
- empowered and hopeful mindset
4 week training
The weekly modules are covering a wide range of topics introducing you to a flexible, creative and powerful approach. It also highlights the background, why nature connection should be seen as a crucial part of education through a research-based approach and a wide range of resources.
Support and Community
Self-paced and fully online to suit your lifestyle Interactive and community building format Interaction on both the training platform and the Facebook Student Group Individual support is always available to answer questions or offer advice.
Extensive ready-to-use resources
Part of the training content is a large library of ready-to-use resources including nature scavenger hunts, journals, activity sheets, writing prompts, colouring sheets, nature connection impulse cards and posters, mindfulness activities and recommendations for further reading.
Imagine feeling confident and empowered in responding to symptoms of eco-anxiety, climate fear or other challenges created by a disconnect to Nature. In this training you will learn creative, flexible and empowering strategies to help clients relate to these modern-day challenges and find the way back to their roots, both in Nature and within themselves.
Are you ready to play your part in a movement towards better human and planetary health?
Here's what we will cover
Week one
Mindfulness: Some Basics
Week two
Mindfulness: Digging a little deeper into the Neurobiology of Mindfulness
Week three
Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Week four
Nature Connection: The missing puzzle piece in mental health approaches
Week five
Ecotherapy
Week six
Modern Day Challenges Part 1: Eco Anxiety and how we can heal from environmental traumaEcotherapy
Week seven
Modern Day Challenges Part 2: The importance of taking care of ourselves.
Week eight
The importance of our senses in MRE
Week nine
Mindful Nature Connection and the Spiritual Aspect
Week ten
Experiential Assignment
Week eleven
Nature Connection through Food and Nutrition
Week twelve
Working with Children
Weeks thirteen & fourteen
Final Assignment: Planning and Facilitating two MRE sessions
“We can’t have healthy humans on a sick planet!”
Who is this Programme for?
The Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy Training (MRE) is a valuable addition to the skillset of…
Mental Health professionals passionate about making a difference and wanting to learn effective and empowering methods to respond to symptoms of eco anxiety and climate depression/fear in their clinical practice.
School guidance counsellors, play therapists and other professionals in the field working with children and young adults and are looking for approaches and methods to help them thrive despite our challenging times.
Mental Health professionals who want to become proactive in changing existing stagnant systems and be part of an empowering movement for necessary change.
Mindfulness teachers who want to learn more specific tools and skills when addressing climate change, eco anxiety and universal interconnection.
Bonuses included as part of the training worth over €500…
Nature Connection Journal
4 x 1 hr Nature Soundtracks
18 x 5 mins Nature Soundtracks
Client forms
Photo Impulse Cards
5 x Mindful Games
Various MRE colouring books
MRE Impulse Cards
MRE Impulse Posters
Full resources pack from the Mindful Nature Pedagogy (MNP) Training
Downloadable PDFs for every module
Extensive list of resources and recommendations
Full training fees including certification €1250 (one-off payment) or three instalments of €450
Come and join us in upgrading the approach to mental health and adding this effective, flexible and hopeful methodology to your skill set.
Your questions answered
A: The training is designed in a way that gives great flexibility. There are some core materials but also an offer of a wide variety of articles from which you can pick and choose. This means hours can vary between 5-10 hours weekly depending on your own preferences and time limitations.
A: Yes, as a Mindfulness Rooted Ecotherapy (MRE) practitioner you can offer individual, group and remote MRE sessions for adults and children.
A: No, all content is released on a Monday and can be worked through self-paced to suit your personal schedule. Modules are a combination of downloadable PDF’s, pre-recorded videos and external links.
A: There are various forms of assignments and course interaction:
- Interactive engagement with the reading materials through comments on the course platform
- Meeting and exchange with like-minded course participants in a Facebook study group
- Practice assignments at the end of each module. These are mostly experiential with some feedback given on the platform.
- Final assignment of planning, facilitating and reviewing of two MRE sessions.
A: Yes, an additional 4 weeks can be taken to finalise the assignment.
A: Yes, we offer a limited number of 50% scholarships for students experiencing financial hardship, to apply please email alex@ardelsites7.sg-host.com
A: MRE is an approach that works symbiotically, prioritising both human and planetary health.
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