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Navigating Relationships in Therapy and Nature with Ruth Allen

Becoming Nature Podcast

Release Date: 11/21/2025

Navigating Relationships in Therapy and Nature with Ruth Allen show art Navigating Relationships in Therapy and Nature with Ruth Allen

Becoming Nature Podcast

I sit down with Ruth Allen and we talk about her journey to writing 'Weathering', her insights into eco psychology, and the importance of relationality in therapy. We explore the complexities of nature connection, the role of language in articulating experiences, and the expectations surrounding nature therapy. We get into the need for humility in understanding our relationship with nature and the significance of staying present in both human and ecological relationships. We also get real about the act of commitment, the concept of weathering, and the relationship between decay and personal...

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Becoming Nature Podcast

In this episode of the Becoming Nature podcast, host we sit down to talk about the fifth volume of the Elementals series with editors Gavin Van Horn and Nickole Brown. We explore the themes of kinship, belonging, and the urgent need for awareness of the elemental forces that shape our lives. The conversation delves into the indifference of the elements, the cultural shifts needed to respect them, and the importance of community and gratitude in our relationship with nature. The episode concludes with reflections on the power of light and an invitation to engage more deeply with the natural...

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This episode is the first of 5 episode of a collaboration with the . It is a series to celebrate the Center’s series ‘Elemental’ as well as a celebration of the many voices that contributed to the series. It is a great honor to finally shares these episodes with you. In this episode of our special, I sit down with nature writer Isaac Yuen and contributor Rina Garcia Cua. We delve into the theme of fire, exploring its multifaceted significance and the personal and collective narratives surrounding this elemental force. They both share insights into their work, which blends, poetry,...

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More Episodes

I sit down with Ruth Allen and we talk about her journey to writing 'Weathering', her insights into eco psychology, and the importance of relationality in therapy. We explore the complexities of nature connection, the role of language in articulating experiences, and the expectations surrounding nature therapy.

We get into the need for humility in understanding our relationship with nature and the significance of staying present in both human and ecological relationships. We also get real about the act of commitment, the concept of weathering, and the relationship between decay and personal growth.

Ruth shares how rocks can serve as a metaphor for understanding our own lives and the importance of being present in the moment, the challenges of facing decay and loneliness, while also emphasizing the value of commitment to living fully and authentically. And we dwell on the interconnectedness of life, death, and the natural world, encouraging listeners to embrace the complexities of existence.

 

About Ruth Allen

Ruth is a writer/author, embodied psychotherapist and writing facilitator and mentor. She has written two books Weathering (Penguin Random House, 2024) and Grounded(Hachette, 2021) and is currently writing her third book publishing with PRH in 2027. She also writes and illustrates zines which she self-publishes to explore ideas and preoccupations that arise ‘between book projects’ and which push the boundaries of genre and form.

Combining her doctorate in geology with innovative body-based and creative techniques drawing on a multitude of psychological teachings and influences, she offers therapy, mentoring, workshops, classes and adventure retreats – all practical, slow magic – designed to help others connect with their bodies, their words, and the rest of nature through depth-full enquiry and practices that extend our capacity to listen and nurture deep resonance with the world around us.