Tag Archives: Mental health

Pollinators and mental health: join us for a free webinar!

In recent months, Karin and I have worked with the charity MONASIA and their Bee Camino project to develop a joint webinar. Here are the details, taken directly from MONASIA’s publicity:

In the intricate choreography of nature, the honey bee’s life mirrors the enchantment of a mystical well: ‘The more you draw from it, the more it fills with water.’ Karl Von Frisch’s profound words beautifully capture the essence of the honey bee’s existence. Honey bees are only one type of bee, however, and there are many other pollinators, whose tireless efforts sustain the delicate balance of ecosystems. Much like a well that replenishes when quenched, the pollinator’s purpose appears boundless, offering a timeless wellspring of inspiration for those attuned to the marvels of the natural world.

Inspired by the Bee Camino project, MONASIA brings you a transformative experience connecting nature and mindfulness.

Join us on this transformative journey named ‘Nurturing Mental Health in Nature’s Embrace,’ as we draw from the enchanting well of the bee’s life—a source of wisdom, sustainability, and a profound connection to the intricate rhythms of our planet.

The event takes place on Thursday 25th January, 10:00 to 13:30 CET, and you can book a free place by following this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bee-camino-mastering-mindfulness-via-pollinators-tickets-796075783097

Positive Effects of Gardening and Experiencing Nature – clinical trials underway!

Can gardening bring couples together? Listen to this podcast and find out!

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Over the years, gardening has featured heavily on this blog and some of the observations that I made in the garden that Karin and I developed in Northampton appeared in my book Pollinators & Pollination: Nature and Society. At the same time that I was writing this, Karin was writing her first book – The Essential Companion to Talking Therapy – and we often discussed the links between nature, gardening, mental health and relationships between couples.

Fast forward a couple of years to last August. While we were in Kenya teaching on the Tropical Biology Association Field Course, Karin was interviewed by BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost for his podcast series about gardening and health. In the interview Karin and Adam chat about how gardens and gardening together can positively affect relationships in couples. The interview has just been released and despite the fact that at the time Karin was recovering from COVID I think that she did very well! Here’s the link to the podcast: https://www.gardenersworld.com/podcast/adam-frosts-gardening-for-health-building-relationships/

Karin has also posted some thoughts about this, in her own inimitable way, on her blog at Medium.

The significance of the photo that accompanies this post is that it’s Karin sitting in front of the tent that we shared in Kenya, enjoying some watermelon, which was just about all she could manage to eat when she had COVID!

Nature can’t solve all of our issues – sometimes we need therapy! Check out this new book: The Essential Companion to Talking Therapy

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About 20 years ago I went through a very difficult relationship break up. At the time I had a young family and found the whole thing too overwhelming to deal with. No amount of talking with friends and family helped. The current fashionable advice – “getting out into nature” – also did not help. Interacting with nature by walking, gardening or getting involved in active conservation, is a wonderful panacea for some mental health conditions. But it cannot solve all of our problems, especially those that come out of the blue. So I turned to therapy and had a series of weekly sessions with a therapist who provided a safe, neutral space for me to explore my emotions, anxieties about the future, and concerns for my own mental health. It was an amazingly useful experience.

Fast forward two decades and, lo and behold, I am married to a therapist! Not the same therapist I hasten to add, it’s purely coincidental!! Having a relationship with one of your clients would be hugely unethical on the therapist’s part, and ethical behaviour is just one of the themes that is in my wife’s new book.

So this is the reason for today’s blog post: it’s publication day for The Essential Companion to Talking Therapy by Karin Blak.

It’s the first volume of its kind that explains what you can expect to experience before, during and after therapy takes places. The book also deals with the many questions that you may have, or didn’t know to ask, about the therapeutic journey. It’s an invaluable read for anyone considering or going through therapy or counselling for issues around mental health, relationships, family problems, and so forth. It’s also got a useful section for families and friends on how to support a loved one who is in therapy.

Most importantly it provides a clear and rational argument for why therapy works, something that I only discovered for myself by going through the process. I wish I’d had this book 20 years ago.

The Essential Companion to Talking Therapy is available from all online booksellers around the globe, as a paperback or e-book. There’s also an audiobook version in the works.

OK, I’m clearly biased, but it is great book: well done darling, I’m so proud of you!