Nevin Harper
Nevin Harper, PhD, is a Professor in the Faculty of Health at the University of Victoria and a Registered Clinical Counsellor with over 30 years of experience leading groups and individuals through transformative outdoor experiences. He is co-author of Nature-Based Therapy and Outdoor Therapies. Nevin lives on Vancouver Island, Canada.
Nevin's Story
Nevin is an outdoor education and therapy trainer, researcher, consultant and author. He lives on Vancouver Island and is a professor at University of Victoria.
Outside of teaching, Nevin's research and service focus on helping practitioners and organizations improve their service and outcomes to those in need. As a practicing nature-based therapist, he offers clients outdoor counselling sessions in their favourite parks, beaches and trails. with guidance, insight and support.
Internationally, Nevin is a sought out speaker and trainer in outdoor therapies and his consulting services also include strategic planning, staff training, program design and evaluation, and more.
Dr. Harper's primary work is as a research professor in the School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education at the University of Victoria, BC, Canada. His research centers on active engagement of people-in-environments: specifically outdoor, experiential and nature-based activities which may have elements of risk & challenge or may equally be reflective and solitary.
Other Reads
Nature-Based Therapy: A Practitioner's Guide to Working Outdoors with Children, Youth, and Families
Take your therapeutic practice with children, youth, and families out into natureThe number of children, youth, and families seeking help for a wide range of mental health concerns is growing at an alarming rate, and many struggle to thrive despite well-intentioned interventions from skilled helpers. Unplugging from technology and reconnecting with the web of life is a powerful antidote to the highly technological and fast-paced realities of so many. Nature-Based Therapy addresses this underlying disconnection between humans and their ecological home, exploring theories and therapeutic practices undertaken with children, youth, and families, including: Developing sensory awareness of outer and inner landscapes Navigating risk in play Case examples with a diverse range of settings, intentions, and interventions. Nature-Based Therapy is for counselors, therapists, youth and social workers, educators, and parents working in educational and therapeutic settings who want to take their practice beyond the office walls and into the powerful terrain of the wild, partnering with nature as a co-facilitator to create lasting change.
Outdoor Therapies: An Introduction to Practices, Possibilities, and Critical Perspectives
Drawing on the leading voices of international researchers and practitioners, Outdoor Therapies provides readers with an overview of practices for the helping professions.
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Sharing outdoor approaches ranging from garden therapy to wilderness therapy and from equine-assisted therapy to surf therapy, Harper and Dobud have drawn common threads from therapeutic practices that integrate connection with nature and experiential activity to redefine the "person-in-environment" approach to human health and well-being. Readers will learn about the benefits and advantages of helping clients get the treatment, service, and care they need outside of conventional, office-based therapies.
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Providing readers with a range of approaches that can be utilized across a variety of practice settings and populations, this book is essential reading for students, practitioners, theorists, and researchers in counseling, social work, youth work, occupational therapy, and psychology.