Training

Nature Based Coach training

About ‘The Natural Coaching Course’

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Launching in spring 2025… the first coach training from a Chartered Environmentalist and professional Nature Based Coach!

We are excited to be planning a new course on ‘Nature Based Coaching’. It will be for coaches who want to deepen and extend their practice, and bring new growth and value to the lives of their clients and themselves. The course will be online, with an option to attend a day in person at the famous rewilding project at Knepp Estate, Sussex, UK.

Contact us now to be the first on the list, and benefit from early bird rates.

Why a Natural Coaching course

The interest in coaching with Nature and the outdoors is growing fast. I call working in this way ’Nature Based Coaching’.

Our clients face tumultuous and uncertain times. Leaders are juggling greater demands and complexity than ever before. Workforces are more fluid, and increasingly empowered to ask for more meaning and purpose for their pay packets. The big crises are inescapable: mental ill health, social and economic injustice, climate emergency, ecosystem collapse. To succeed, our clients need adaptable, resilient coaches who can help them as ‘whole people’, connected to strong communities.  Coaches who role-model what it is to be humble, compassionate and rooted. Coaches who make a difference in the world.

This course is designed to help established coaches grow themselves and their practice in tune with Nature and the environment we all depend on. We hope it will contribute to a form of coaching that is more fit for the future, and more grounded and rooted. One that enables course participants to create bigger waves of change for themselves, their clients, their communities and the planet.

What’s different about this course?

There are a small number of quality coaching outdoors and climate coaching programmes already available. Honestly, they’re great, and we recommend them.

However we do think there is room for a different offer. One which benefits from a background in environmental leadership, nature conservation and psychology, as well as professional coaching. Learning that is underpinned by evidence from science and psychology, as well as the art and craft of Nature based practice. 

We will be distilling years of learning and practice into the course, together with a deep study of the evidence base. The result is offering you something akin to whisky, rather than water! Material and knowledge for you to sip, savour and enjoy. A superb base for you to customise and adapt in your own learning journey, in the confidence you understand the key frameworks, models and evidence behind the work.

And a course that is fun, interesting and enjoyable, as well as practical and useful!! 

What is Nature Based Coaching?

Nature Based Coaching is more than simply coaching ‘outside’. It is a philosophy and practice that starts with deepening our own relationship with Nature. It involves facilitating the client’s relationships beyond the binary: not just client-coach. Not just human-nature. And it can take place within and between whatever space coaching occupies in your life.

In short, Nature Based Coaching offers a new way of seeing the world. A rewarding, fulfilling way of coaching – and living – in closer alignment with planetary needs.

What will I get from the course?

The course will cover the major frameworks, theories and models that a Nature Based Coach needs to understand. It will equip you to understand the imperatives behind working with Nature, and the opportunities from a more nature-connected life and practice. Key elements include:

☆ Understanding ethics and safety when working outdoors.
☆ Nature Based Coaching practice, reflective learning, action learning sets, group discussions and plenaries.
☆ The use of scales to measure benefit and impact.
☆ Working with the ‘five pathways to nature connectedness’ in our coaching (senses, emotion, beauty, meaning  and compassion) and how these map onto coaching competencies.
☆ Working with metaphor, seasons and systems.
☆ A copy of the book ‘Being in Nature’.
☆ Practices to deepen our personal connection with Nature.
☆ Optional face to face workshop at the inspiring and world famous rewildling project, The Knepp Estate.

What longer term benefits can I expect?

Longer term, and through increasing practice maturity, we aim for the following benefits:

☆ Deepen and strengthen our coaching mindset.
Learn to embody a more nature-connected mindset and way of being that benefits us personally, and as coaches. Enhance what is unique about our own coaching philosophies and practices in a way which is authentic to each of us. Work ethically and responsibly in partnership with Nature.

☆ Enhance our coaching practice.
Apply relevant theories and frameworks more effectively in terms of client outcomes. Open up our clients to a richer palette of awareness and possibilities. Boost happiness, wellbeing and life satisfaction.

☆ Become more ‘eco’ and ‘we-go’.
Strengthen our bonds with our communities. Reduce our impact on the planet. Ignite action that is good for the environment and good for Nature.

Who is it for?

The Natural Coaching Course is for established coaches who wish to develop or extend their practice into working with Nature. 

This is not a ‘how to start coaching’ course. It is aimed at coaches at or equivalent to ICF ACC or above (e.g. Association for Coaching Coach or above, or EMCC Associate or above). If you’re not sure, or if you have other experience, please check.

There is absolutely no requirement to have any special access to, or familiarity with, wild or green spaces. Nature-connected practice can take place anywhere. 

However, there will be a commitment to invest in your personal development and Nature connection time every week, as well as to participate fully in reflective practice, and co-coaching with Nature. Places will be strictly limited, to maximise contact time and depth of conversations.

There will be a certificate of completion, but no accredited qualification. There may be CCEUs for ICF members. And we hope the course will strengthen and develop a rich and fulfilling community of likeminded coaches!

Who will lead it?

The Natural Coaching Course will be led by James Farrell, Chartered Environmentalist and Professional Certified Coach.

James developed the first professional training on nature and health for the Chartered Institute of Ecology & Environmental Management, and has led workshops, webinars and conferences on Nature Based Coaching for the International Coaching Federation, Climate Change Alliance and The Natural Coaching Company.

James is also an experienced leader, and brings over 30 years of learning from creating change in the environment and sustainability sectors. He has lived a life full of Nature – from managing remote Scottish islands, to busy inner city wildlife sites – and is passionate about the relationship between human and planetary health and wellbeing. His company The Human Nature Partnership is the only consultancy listed in the groundbreaking new publication from The University of Derby – ‘Nature Connected Organisations Handbook‘.

He is author of ‘Being in Nature – 20 Practices to Help you Flourish in a Busy World‘, TEDx speaker ‘Let Nature be your coach’, and creator of the film ‘The Great Green Wall of Brighton.’

Where will the training take place?

Online, via Zoom. Sessions will be recorded. We are aiming to hold the optional face to face workshop at the Knepp wildling project in Sussex, UK. The co-coaching practice will take place either face to face if participants can arrange it, or remotely by phone.

When it will be?

We hope to go live in early Spring 2025 (target is March), with sign ups from January 2025. Expect 6 x fortnightly evening sessions of 2 hours each. Day TBC. The face to face workshop  is expected to take place summer 2025.

How much it will cost?

To be confirmed, but in the ballpark of £1000. As with all our work, 2% of profits will go towards certified global sustainable development and climate mitigation projects.

What action do I need to take now?

Places will be limited, so get in touch to express interest in a place, and ask any questions you have.

And please tell your friends and colleagues!