Recognising Barriers to Spending Time in Nature
While nature can offer powerful benefits, not everyone finds it easy to spend time outdoors. Barriers can show up in many ways, like limited access to transport, time, money, or safe local spaces.
Research has shown that people from different communities, whether due to race, gender, disability, health, or socioeconomic background, often face more challenges when it comes to accessing nature.
These barriers don’t reflect a lack of interest. They reflect systems and spaces that haven’t always been inclusive. By recognising this, we can start to make outdoor experiences more welcoming, accessible, and meaningful for everyone.
As an outdoor coach, I’m committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone I work with. I recognise that people come with different needs, backgrounds, and experiences, and if there are any barriers - whether physical, emotional, or practical - I’ll work with you to find ways forward.
Everyone deserves to feel safe, supported, and at ease in nature.
Adapting Coaching for Accessibility
There are many ways we can adapt our work with nature to promote accessibility and reduce barriers, so outdoor coaching feels supportive, flexible, and achievable for everyone.
We can use online nature-based resources such as images, sounds, and short videos during sessions, allowing us to explore what they evoke for you and how those reflections connect to your current goals or challenges.
You’re also welcome to bring along a nature object that holds personal meaning. Together, we can explore its texture, shape, and symbolism, and notice the insights it offers about where you are right now.
Nature is rich with metaphor, and slowing down to listen to those messages can be a powerful ally in coaching, whether we’re outdoors or online together.
When meeting outdoors, we can choose locations in advance with accessibility in mind, including considerations such as parking, toilets, pathway surfaces, and the level of activity you feel comfortable with.
This isn’t an exhaustive list - we’ll work together to find a way of coaching with nature, whether online or outdoors, that feels genuinely tailored and aligned to your individual circumstances.