Our Approach

We recognise that conventional cognitive and talk-based therapies have limitations in helping people from many cultural backgrounds, especially those experiencing ongoing effects of trauma.

The Freedom to Flourish team of experienced therapists design programmes integrating the Expressive Arts, Horticulture, Nature, Somatic and sports therapies with other evidence-based psychotherapy approaches for holistic trauma recovery and mental health.

  • The experience of belonging to a group, in which you feel safe, trust one another, and share life’s joys and challenges together, fosters healing and mutual support. Many people are more comfortable gathering in small groups, rather than more Western-based, individual therapy. Participating in groups benefits participants by reducing isolation, building relationships and experiences of mutual support and learning.

  • This therapy integrates art, music, movement, enactment, storytelling, imagination and play in an intentional way, combined with neurological (‘brain-wise’) and embodied awareness concepts to support trauma recovery.

  • This is a therapeutic approach that integrates nature and outdoor activities into the healing process. The calming and restorative effects of nature improve mental health and well-being. It includes gardening/horticulture, walking in nature, and other outdoor activities that help individuals connect people with the natural environment.

  • This is a more specific nature-based therapy utilising nurturing of plants, developing gardening skills and use of horticultural metaphors with wider psychosocial and well-being application and meaning making.

"Creative expression is a remarkable bridge that takes us from a state of stress to state of rest and digest.

It helps us shift from a state of unsafe brain to the safe brain."

Cathy Malchiodi, PhD 2024