“It will all be different because there’ll be different people there. The weather will be different. It will be a different stretch of the walk. It will be from the source of just the spring all the way into the city when it gets busier and the landscape changes”

After a chance encounter with Jonathan Passmore at the inaugural Coaching Outdoors Podcast LIVE @ Henley Business School in July 2024 and subsequent online conversations around outdoor coaching; the ‘Source to Sea Challenge - Exploring the Power of Blue-Green Psychology’ was born. Throughout 2025, a series of roughly 10-mile walks will trace the river Thames from its source in Swindon, through the picturesque countryside, into the vibrant city as the river swells, and finally to the vast sea at the estuary in Essex. This year-long challenge, led by Jonathan and Ellie is more than a walk - it’s an exploration of the transformative benefits of blue-green spaces on our mental and emotional wellbeing.

Ellie discovered the great outdoors in her mid-30s after a ‘bucket list’ hike up Snowden to celebrate her husband’s 40th birthday and firmly describes herself in the honeymoon phased bewitched by nature. Former leader within the corporate world her desire to support her people as opposed to business targets meant she’s been a coach at heart for years. In 2021, she took the plunge into self-employment and a chance conversation with a friend encouraged her to take her coaching practice outdoors. She founded Elevate netwalking events to offer other small business owners the opportunity to connect and collaborate where each event is specially curated based on her former insights and experiences.

View podcasts and get in touch.

https://www.coaching-outdoors.com

Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com

Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

“One of the important aspects of vision questing is that practical preparation for people and getting that right, depending on the individual and their experience”

Born in the countryside of Norfolk, where endless days were spent exploring forests and coastlines, Tom Goldstein developed an innate connection with the natural world that now infuses his transformative coaching practice in the French Alps. Based in Chamonix for the past 14 years, Tom guides leaders through profound nature-based experiences, including Vision Quests where clients spend four days and nights in wild spaces. Drawing on both his deep ecological wisdom and background in psychology, he helps professionals rediscover their authentic path by tapping into nature's rhythms of constant change and renewal. Tom's approach reveals how our most powerful insights often emerge when we step out of our analytical minds and into meaningful connection with the natural world.

View podcasts and get in touch.

https://www.coaching-outdoors.com

Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com

Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

"Eco-somatic painting is a way to create a dialogue between the body-nature outside and bringing everything on the canvas, and is really based on deep listening" Paola Fabbri, Eco-somatic Coach & Artist

Coach, facilitator, artist and former humanitarian and development consultant Paola invites her clients to rediscover their inner creative flare and express their authentic selves on canvas.

Paola shares her own artistic re-connection story after a gap since primary school, when in 2007 she awoke with a visceral urge to draw blue lines whilst working in Uganda. The impulse purchase of ‘Watercolours for Dummies’ whilst on holiday grew into a daily physical and embodied practice that brings freedom into her life. Fast forward to 2025 Paola brings an artistic flare to her 1-to-1 and group coaching that integrates eco-somatic and nature-based practices.

Our conversation flows from childhood memories in Italy with her grandmother; her creative gap from primary school to 2007 with rediscovery that grew into a physical and embodied connection with the canvas. She studied eco-somatic coaching through The Nature Academy under our former podcast guest Diana Tedoldi (check out episode 9). Her work illustrates the diversity and creative possibilities within the outdoor and nature-connected coaching world and how it’s possible to align your authentic self and interests.

Listen in to this episode to banish your childhood ‘art scars’; discover the freedom art can bring into your life and the power of metaphor with a butterfly, cow and Cedar tree. Paola shares the powerful balance between the process and product of art as her clients connect and create a meaningful anchor to take away; plus we touch on the practicalities of painting outdoors and professional influencers who’ve shaped her practice from beyond the coaching world.

View podcasts and get in touch.

https://www.coaching-outdoors.com

Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com

Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

“We cannot rely just on scientists. We cannot rely on politicians to help with this climate crisis. The most valuable thing is spending time in nature, and finding a connection to mother nature, to the natural world, to the ecological and to the spiritual”

Coach, coach supervisor, podcaster, writer, runner, swimmer, husband and father George places the climate at the heart of his work and life. He places the climate crisis at the centre of his coaching, influenced by ‘dark nights of the soul’, based on the future trajectory that when his daughter reaches her eighties large swathes of humanity won’t exist. His coaching practice strays beyond neat process models to work with the unconscious and explore shadow emotions in depth. He invites his clients within the NGO, charity and scientific sectors to think BIG about their future with a pragmatic twist.

He shares insights on the emotional and evocative nature of ‘climate change’, touches on eco-anxiety where our relationship to climate change manifests within ourselves & the importance of reflective practice to seek answers within. George’s urgent call to action invites you to see through the pervasive socially constructed silence around climate change where it is a taboo to discuss openly; to express any grief, over-whelm, or anger that emerges and educate yourself.

This episode is resource-rich and signposts a plethora of ideas to satisfy your brain. Feel free to reach out to George to continue the conversation, follow his musings or learn about future learning opportunities…

View podcasts and get in touch.

https://www.coaching-outdoors.com

Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com

Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

“I would like everybody in their lives if they can, to enter the venture field. And the venture field is positive. It's expansive. It's very green. It's nature. It's probably where your potential can be unleashed, where it can be elevated”

Meet Phil Banfield; who founded VentureField® in 2008. Self-described worldwide roamer, thinker, reflector and deliverer of wisdom Phil steps back in time to share stories from his childhood in south-east London suburbia, his life-changing trip to Zimbabwe as a geology student, and early career in FMCG organisations.

From the summit of Snowdon and North Downs, Phil Banfield tells tales from the trails of his outdoor coaching work through the experiential programmes; ‘always outside’ coaching, ‘the journey’, ‘the mountain’ and ‘my mountain’ each with an unique approach.

Listen in to discover his life-long deep affinity for trees, the essential skill of navigation to locate oneself in the landscape and foster neurological connections, and gain an insight into his clients experiences – plus a library of useful resources!

View podcasts and get in touch.

https://www.coaching-outdoors.com

Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com

Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

“I think it is that thing for me about being in nature is. It's often where I feel I get really present with myself. It's where I can hear myself, where I can listen to myself, where I feel like I I put bits of myself back together again”

Jackee Holder joins us from the outskirts of London to share her passion for trees, tree mythology, nature, outdoor coaching and journalling.

Jackee is a coach, supervisor, prolific writer, inter-faith minister and podcaster.

Jackee shares insights into her outdoor coaching practice and finding nature in amongst the urban spaces of London. As well as her love for trees and how this profound connection has shaped her journey.

She has created a “Green Prescriptions Manifesto”, inviting people to think about where are the places in nature that energise them. Then take what they're noticing and what they're observing into journal writing, to explore their inner world, thoughts and feelings.

She has also created a number of very useful tools for outdoor coaching and shares her inspiration for designing these tools.

For example, “The inner and outer self-discovery card deck” with 49 questions, and around 8 different themes from seed to wisdom, to root, to growth, to nature, to bloom, which offer a different entry point into looking at a question or challenge.

And the “Writing with Fabulous Trees: Writing Map for Parks, Gardens and Green Spaces” which provides creative writing prompts to help deepen our connection with trees.

View podcasts and get in touch.

https://www.coaching-outdoors.com

Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com

Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

“Being outdoors, simply allows me to be myself”

Clemens shares his early years of nature connection right through to memories of family connection to brothers, father, and of course the mountains and the small farms, sometimes drinking cow’s milk and playing in the hay.

Clemens shares his thoughts that while in the outdoors, either on his own or with others, somehow our normal set of rules are changing in a way, they are much more authentic and natural, it allows you to be there without filters, and that's what makes it so special.

This is an honest, authentic story about how difficult it can be to step away from the corporate world, which, yes, has its own challenges and yet Clemens experiments and tries things that 2 years ago he would have never considered. And suddenly, these things begin to evolve, and confidence grows and a new life identity begins.

Clemens brought his adventuring aspect from his early days into his outdoor coaching by taking people and groups on night hikes around Brussels. Weaving his coaching, facilitation and adventure into an identity that is only now recently starting to work its magic. Seeing what he wanted, what clients wanted and what skills he had and bringing it all together is a very interesting journey.

His book "Misogi Mindset: transforming lives, one adventure at a time" is a result of one of Clemens 160 kilometres hikes last year in Belgium. He wanted to write something which is quick and easy to digest, and ultimately inspires others to go out and do their own Misogi adventures - based on Japanese Samurai rituals from ancient times, which involve purification under icy waterfalls to sharpen the mind and strengthen the whole body for the difficulties ahead. Clemens goes on to explain how he has weaved the Misogi mindset into his coaching work and helps others to develop their own Misogi mindset.

View podcasts and get in touch.

https://www.coaching-outdoors.com

Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com

Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently

“I actually help them gain an experience of the interconnectedness of how nature works by working with trees and living systems around, explaining how electromagnetism, how forest bathing, aromatic compounds, how connection through sound, how the wood wide web works with Mycelia! All of that, it just opens them up” ~ Giles Hutchins, Coach & Author

Pioneering practitioner, executive coach, thought leader, author, keynote speaker and land guardian Giles joins us from sixty acres of ancient forest known as Springwood in Sussex. He tells tales from his formative years as a child through to his coaching client work that blends rigorous academic research with his search for his soul-craft. Time and time again the power of serendipity and trust emerge in our conversation from his transition within the mainstream corporate world to his current coaching career. His six published books on business, regeneration, nature, separation and leadership track this journey and offer an insight into the depths of his contemplation and self-reflection across the years.

This episode is packed with a multitude of theories and resources from regeneration, Theory ‘U’, adult development, identity, systems thinking, biomimicry, ego soul dynamic vertical development and more. Giles offers insights into his transformational work through client stories with organisations such as Vivobarefoot and beyond.

View podcasts and get in touch.

https://www.coaching-outdoors.com

Anna-Marie https://www.rfmcoaching.com

Alex https://www.alexburnconsulting.com

Paul https://pebbleassociates.co.uk/team-member/paul-jefferies/

#coachingoutdoors #outdoorcoaching #coaching #ecopsychology #ecocoaching #bluespace #greenspace #natureconnectedness #naturalenvironments #ecology #nature #environment #mentalhealth #wellbeing #coaches #coachees #movement #thinkingdifferently