Experiential therapy is a non-traditional therapeutic approach that involves the incorporation of activities, real-life experiences, and hands-on approaches to explore things about ourselves and our surroundings. In other words, it’s a way to get your hands dirty and then learn from it! And in some ways, getting our hands dirty is exactly what we do here at Collegiate Coaching Services through volunteering at organic farms. Boulder, Colorado is a haven for the organic and local foods movement, and we’re lucky to have many organic farms, the Boulder Downtown Farmers Market that takes place on Wednesday and Saturdays, and restaurants and grocery stores that make buying and eating healthy food an affordable and convenient option.
Because the Boulder community is so in-touch with healthy living, working and volunteering for local farms is a great way to feel connected to both the earth as well as the community at large. While many farms in and right outside of Boulder offer (and greatly welcome) volunteering, I’ve volunteered with my clients at Cure Organic Farm, a local farm that provides certified organic vegetables and herbs to many downtown restaurants and farmers markets.
Spending your morning outdoors, making conversation and connections with other volunteers, kneeling on the ground and dirtying your hands in the soil that will support growth of something beautiful and nourishing is an experience that is both therapeutic and gratifying. Clients and coaches can be part of something bigger than ourselves when we contribute to something as natural and fundamental as growing food for the community in which we live. This, along with the many other ways we strive to incorporate experiential therapy into our work with clients at Collegiate Coaching Services, helps clients find meaning through the world around them.
Julia Rees, Therapeutic Coach
