Psychological safety was originally coined by Schein and Bennis (1965). It refers to being able to be yourself, take risks and be vulnerable without any negative consequences. It’s about feeling safe.

So what does that mean for us as coaches, and in this context, coaches that work outdoors? In this article I look at when not to go outdoors, how our past experiences can influence our time outside, choosing the optimum location and working with groups.

When Not To Go Outdoors

You may hear the following words of caution, as I did in 2014 when I was discussing my action research dissertation on coaching outdoors:-

“It’s not always safe.”

“Have you considered the ethics of being outdoors?”

“Are you sure all your clients are comfortable outside?”

“People may not feel safe.”

When I asked my peers if they’d coached outdoors, most said no. However, there is value in examining their words of caution because sometimes it is inappropriate to be outside as this case study highlights.

I was with some Ashridge peers involved in a group coaching exercise. The sun was shining and we were next to a beautiful outdoor space. My suggestion of going outside was met with a definite “No” from one of the group. Rather than extol the benefits of going out, I kept quiet (not a natural strength!), and we held our session inside. When the session closed, I enquired of the participant: “What was it about going outdoors that meant you wanted to stay in?” She replied; “I wanted a safe container for the conversation, somewhere for us to be held”. She went on to explain that being in a room felt more secure for her than being outdoors. That the conversation would be contained. Others in the group contributed that a room provided intimacy and boundaries. I was curious to know if it was important all the time for her to be indoors. “Do you like all your coaching sessions to be inside? Or are you happy to be outside on occasion?” “Outside is lovely sometimes, it just depends on how I am feeling and on the topic.”

My learning from this was, if appropriate, offer an outdoor coaching session, however, accept a ‘no’ from the client and be aware of the balance of power in the coaching relationship that generally lies with the coach! This experience lead to further research both from my own practice and through others. I hope it is useful for you in your practice.

Tuning in to your intuition - I’d like to share another case study with you, this time with a corporate team where my ‘felt sense’ was a guide in my bid for psychological safety.

A month, and a number of sessions outdoors after the Ashridge vignette above, I was working with a leadership at a venue that I had specifically chosen for its outside space. I was running a coaching session about identity and we were exploring what things in life have shaped who you are today. I’d considered that being in nature would help people to relax and feel less corporate. While I was setting up for the day I kept checking the outside space. There was something not quite right about it; too open, too noisy (road traffic), not private enough. I felt uncomfortable about using it with the group as I couldn’t relax whilst I was out there. I felt unsafe and exposed, I couldn’t conceive how this space would provide the safe and inspirational environment I hoped for. Each time I came back into the room I felt a sense of relief. The room felt cosy, contained and safe. I decided to listen to my instinct. I held the session inside and used outdoors for breaks and lunch.

Our somatic awareness is invaluable in coaching, I don’t always hear mine but it seems to shout louder to me when I work with nature and provides me with a great source of insight.

There is one other time when, as a rule, I don’t go outdoors, and that’s for chemistry sessions. There are too many unknowns. An indoor venue or a virtual connection allows us to begin our client relationship in a very safe space. For a start, being face-to-face allows us to have eye contact which is important for building rapport and provides us with a lot of visual cues. Those visuals are useful for both parties, especially when you’ve never met and are, in essence, trying to decide if the relationship is going to be beneficial. The side-by-side nature of being together outdoors (which of course does have many benefits) does not allow for this foundation to be established. And that’s just eye contact, the chemistry session also provides the opportunity for an inquiry about the possibility of working outdoors, you’ll have the chance to discuss with the client how they feel about being outside and whether or not it is appealing to them. Lastly, being inside/virtual for a chemistry session also ensures there is one less unknown for the client in your initial meeting. You are on more even ground (pardon the pun) if you are both in an environment you are familiar with.

Our Past Experiences

Ronen Berger, nature therapist, describes his surprise at discovering that his clients had different attitudes and relationships with a variety of landscapes. “I learned that I cannot predict what reaction, memory, or image a person will bring up in any given landscape.” Totton highlights the same learning in his book Wild Therapy; “it became clear that people are influenced by different [location] characteristics, including not only their feelings and sensations but also the memories they evoke, their way of thinking, and the metaphors they encounter.” (Totton, 2007).

As an outdoor coach am I curious about what relationship my clients have with nature and where that has come from. For example, has it been a soothing partner medicating some kind of human relational gap? Has it been a place of excitement and adventure for someone’s ‘free child’ (Berne, 1964)? Or has it been a place of danger and loss? With this type of inquiry, we can also begin to build a picture of where nature sits in someone’s psychic structure i.e. where it sits as part of their protective defence system. For example:

“I thought back to where I felt most comfortable during difficult periods in my own life…. Outdoors among trees and in parks. Nature became what I thought of as a ‘universal parent’ in the way it guided, carried and nurtured me with its presence…. Walking in nature gave me clarity, and the space to listen to myself. It didn’t judge or distract, and it connected me with my environment and my feelings” (Hoban, 2019)

You can begin to see how our client’s past experiences of being outdoors can affect how they feel and behave in nature and that in our coaching role it is important for us to pay attention to this. Then there’s your experience of being in nature. What is your history with being outdoors and with various different types of landscape? And how much of that do you bring with you into your coaching work outdoors?

Lastly, for some clients one of main elements of psychological safety that nature offers is the ability to be beside their coach and not to have the discomfort of constant eye contact or even the need to make any eye contact therefore they feel less ‘exposed’. Then there is the safety that comes from not having any pressure to say anything at all, the feeling that silence is acceptable. “I use this venue now for conversations. I find it freer, less intense, no need to make conversation, the landscape fills the gaps, I feel more comfortable.” (coaching client).

Location

The physical locations in which we meet our clients can greatly affect our chances of engaging in a person-to-person encounter. Physical spaces tend to ‘set the scene’ quite literally, with their symbols of power, hierarchy, detachment or, conversely of closeness, informality, openness. (King, 2012, p.65)

Here’s Berger (2007), bringing what King says above, to life for us: “working in a shaded forest will create a different atmosphere than working in a hot dessert, and working on a windy morning on the beach will foster different progress than working on the same beach under the moonlight.”

The qualities of the natural setting can determine it’s holding impact for the client. For example; an enclosed woodland area can feel private, intimate and containing. Whereas open downs with their vast expanse of space and long views can feel the opposite but yet still positive for many – unconstrained freedom perhaps. What might be overwhelming for one client may be just what another needs both in terms of the ‘feeling’ the environment creates and the metaphors available. Just imagine the inquiry potential for someone who is wanting to get unstuck and become future focused, to have expansive space that invites movement and a view that encourages thoughts on journeying. Yet the same space could be overwhelming for a client who is already feeling fragile, they may require an enclosed space, to feel held more tightly. A walled garden for example provides a safe environment free of surprises and with a good line of sight to the one entrance/exit and the opportunity to sit on a bench with your back to a solid brick wall.

“The impact of the choice of space on the process made me understand… how considered choice of setting is a crucial part of the planning work.” Berger (2007) describing location both in what it offers to the client and in what it may trigger - back to the, previous experiences dynamic. For example:

“I walk through forests and woods in trepidation as it’s often here that I fear that I will lose my way. I also find when looking upwards close to the huge trunks of conifer trees that my stomach quivers. I’ve almost not got the ‘bottle’ for forests.” (author unknown)

And then there is your experience of the location, what does it evoke for you? There is an opportunity in location choice to choose a setting that you can really connect with, “as in many ways the therapist’s relationship with the place is as significant as the client’s.” (Marshall, 2016). Allowing the landscape to ‘hold’ the client and to ‘hold’ you offers a sense of freedom to you both. What do the outdoor locations you coach in offer you? Here’s an excerpt from my dissertation that highlights how I experience one of the locations I work with; “in this tiny village, surrounded by water, fields and trees, I felt safe and protected from the pressures of life, held by this place of sanctuary. I was present and focused, in the moment.” And interestingly here are my clients reflections from the same location; “I feel so lucky to be in such a beautiful place. I ought to get out here more often just to ‘be’.”

If you use a location regularly with a variety of clients you begin to notice patterns that can be a rich source of insight; the bench that people are drawn to, the tree they comment on, the moments when the conversation takes a turn from head to heart or their walking relaxes. A regular location also enables you to consider how different clients respond to the variety of stimulus that nature offers. I am a big fan of knowing your location and what it can offer both the client and yourself. For example, on my usual coaching route at Rutland Water, we turn along a quiet country road bordered by fields on our way back to the car. This is my ‘Columbo Moment’; I signal that we are almost back and ask my clients “is there anything else you wanted to talk about today?” on many occasions this has added real value to the session as it has brought up the ‘thing’ they’ve been hanging onto!

One final area for consideration; perhaps your coachee has a fear of cows/sheep/dogs etc, it’s useful to inquire about concerns at the contracting stage as once you know of any you can choose locations where the coachee will feel safe, however, if you don’t know, and you come across them, your client will feel unsafe and have their capacity for a good coaching conversation reduced significantly! However, we cannot hope to manage every eventuality and it would not be natural if we did. The invite is for you to become aware how your choice of setting can influence much of what takes place in the process. To recognise that location choice has many more layers than perhaps we first consider; it can provide rich opportunities but can also be a pandoras box! It goes way beyond ensuring there is suitable parking and toilets!

Psychological Safety & Location with Groups/Teams Outdoors

“What are the key differences working with teams in an outdoor space in comparison to individuals, how do you manage the psychological safety etc if you have a challenge with one member of the group but you have multiple people with you?” (coach)

Firstly, the same principles of working with a group indoors applies. The need to build trust with each person as an individual and the team or group as a whole. And then there is the dynamic of how much trust there is between the team members and how you create the frame to engender that. Just as you would with a team indoors there is the need to consider the increased ‘moving parts’ due to the number of participants, nature becomes another of those moving parts.

My experience of working with teams outdoors is that it ‘levels the playing field’. The well-trodden patterns of office politics, hierarchy and power fade away outdoors and the participants become human beings not job titles. The participants of teams I have worked with outdoors say that their feelings of psychological safety go up when they are in nature. When I asked why this is they have replied; “Because we weren’t in the office with all the ‘corporate bull-sh*t’ and because I saw a different side to X” and “Everyone was more relaxed, and our perspective shifted because we were more connected with what really matters.”

I have sat and walked with teams; in fields, in forests, on beaches and up hills. We’ve worked and reflected together, in pairs and individually. Every time, I have felt nature partner with all of us to create a safe space for the work. Her co-facilitation skills come even more to the fore with groups especially when individuals or pairs conversation develops at a different pace from others. Nature holds the space while everyone reaches the same place. There’s always a view to be had, water to reflect beside, a tree or plant to marvel at. She keeps the group together by being an integral part. There’s no email distraction, nipping out the room for a phone conversation or chat about the latest business figures, people stay much more present. I have also found that constructing the coaching space in a partnership that includes group participants and nature “allows me to feel free to change my position within (or outside) the therapeutic space without jeopardizing its maintenance”. (Berger, 2007). This has brought me a lot of freedom to review the groups progress, reflect on my impact and consider what next at various stages within a group session.

In terms of locations, as you would naturally do, begin with the diagnostic of what is the need of the team or group and then go from there. What location is going to best help you to address the need? And, what is everyone comfortable with? Then there’s how long the team have to devote to the intervention and geographically where are they all? Once all that’s been established, I make a few recommendations and we jointly agree, where will be best. I love team coaching and have had the privilege to work with some great teams in a huge variety of locations from cottages in the Cotswolds, The Peaks and the Lakes, to bunk-barns and youth hostels in Devon, Wales and Scotland.

Thoughts to leave you with

“It would seem that many people coming for outdoor therapy experience the natural world as a less pressurized relational space essentially comprised of undemanding others.” (Marshall, 2016).

“It’s lovely to get out here and get away from the office, to look at the view and get perspective. I feel stronger and more alive just by being outside.”

Coaching Client

Lesley

References:

Berger, R. (2007). Choosing the right space to work in: reflections prior to a nature therapy session. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 2001, 11(1), pp. 41-45.

Berne, E. (1964). Games people play: A psychology of human relationships. London: Penguin Books

Marshall, H. (2016). Taking therapy outside – Reaching for a vital connection. Keynote Presentation at CONFER Conference Psychotherapy & the Natural World

Hoban, J. (2019). Walk with your wolf: unlock your intuition, confidence and power. London: Yellow Kite

King, K. (2012). The Challenge of Mutuality, in de Haan, E. & Sills, C. (eds.) Coaching Relationships: The relational coaching field book. (pp.55 – 56). Faringdon: Libri Publishing

Schein, Edgar H. & Bennis, Warren G. (1965). Personal and organizational change through group methods: the laboratory approach. New York: Wiley.

Totton, N. (2011). Wild therapy: undomesticated inner and outer worlds. Monmouth: PCCS Books

If you’d like to experience more insights to support you in your coaching outdoors work take a look at Getting Started Coaching Outdoors and Nature as Co-facilitator. We’d love to see you on our programmes.