23/03/2025
Connecting with nature has immediate beneficial effects on the nervous system and mood.
Not only that, it can remind us of positive childhood memories of the natural world, where we were free, explored and played.
EMDR can help enhance these memories, clearing out negative or traumatic experiences that have been unprocessed, and leaving space for pleasant memories to come to the fore.
I'm talking from experience - it's a difficult present when memories of the past are distressing and sadly it us often the difficult experiences that our memory fixates upon.
My own therapy journey included EMDR, which has allowed pleasant memories to surface, ones that were forgotten or shrouded in darker associations.These memories often come by surprise, yet often when I'm connected to nature.
At these times, I connect more positively with my younger self, remembering long walks through cornfields, collecting tadpoles and climbing trees.
I recently found myself wanting to create, using natural resources and it was only when I came to do this that I recalled making fairy gardens, decorating Easter bonnets and making 'perfume' from flower petals as a child.
Positive associations are now making their way to my conscious mind and it feels good.