Institute for Outdoor Learning:
Horizons Magazine
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy:
University and College Counselling Journal
Historic Workshops.
Built for Threat: How a Compassionate Mind Approach Can Enhance Your Grades and Wellbeing - This experiential workshop was delivered at the Gower Climbing Festival. In the workshop, we explored why your nervous system cannot distinguish between the threat of a hungry lion and the stress of a challenging situation. We also discussed how your emotional regulation systems manage these perceptions, whether you are aware of it or not. Through a combination of psychoeducation and climbing on the bouldering wall at Flashpoint in Swansea, we examined how the Compassionate Mind Approach impacts both your climbing performance and your overall wellbeing.
As part of ClimbWell CIC, Andy Cross and Jess Eatwell delivered an experiential, introductory workshop titled "Reach, Reflect, Restore: Therapeutic Bouldering for Mind and Body" for the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL) at the Association for Outdoor Therapy (AOT) Annual Conference. The practical session introduced the concept to outdoor practitioners and therapists and covered the fundamentals of bouldering therapy. Using the climbing wall as an active, somatic space, the workshop demonstrated how to safely draw out emotional and physical responses, such as fear and self-criticism and taught delegates how to use compassion-focused tools to support client nervous system regulation and psychological safety
The Holding space: How we can relate to nature, not just use it: This experiential session uses the metaphor of slowly carving a small bowl as a simple way to explore how we relate to the natural world. With practical instruction, participants begin carving a small bowl, noticing how easily the wood becomes something to manage, control, or “get right”. As carving continues, attention is invited to shift towards meeting the wood as something with its own character and limits. This metaphor of carving a bowl enables participants to explore the difference between using nature and being in a relationship with it. Drawing on Martin Buber’s concepts of I-It and I-Thou, participants are supported in observing how this relational shift shows up in real time during the carving process and in considering what this shift might offer within nature-based and wellbeing practices.
A bespoke Workshop delivered for Hampshire Outdoors at Hampshire County Council. This specialised ClimbWell workshop was designed and led by Andy Cross and Jess Eatwell. The workshop applied Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) while exploring how conflicting Configurations of Self, from Person-Centred Theory, interacted among the team of outdoor education staff. Through experiential training, practitioners learned to cultivate a stable "Compassionate Self" in their leadership style. This approach aimed to de-escalate group threat responses and manage vulnerability without judgment. By integrating these psychological frameworks into adventure settings, leaders acquired actionable tools to foster high-trust team dynamics, mitigate emotional risks, and empower adventurers to safely embrace personal growth.
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