Supporting young people with effective and restorative nature based skills.

Providing calm, resilience and grounding in an fast paced, technology driven, world.

Meet the Team

Welcome to Roots Nature Therapy, where sisters Karen and Simone combine their unique expertise to guide you on a journey of healing and growth. With Karen's background as a GP and personal experience raising a teenager with ADHD, alongside Simone's training as a nature wellness guide, they understand the transformative power of nature in emotional regulation and stress management. Together, they create a nurturing environment that fosters connection, community, resilience, and well-being.

Co-founder

Dr Karen Rushton

As an NHS GP with a special interest in adolescent medicine, Karen has used her position as a Churchill Fellow to gain experience in nature therapy from around the world. She co-founded Roots Nature Therapy with Simone in order to use the expertise gained in Canada and Japan locally in the UK. She has developed Nature Therapy Days designed specifically for young people, providing a unique opportunity for connection, healing, and growth in a natural environment. She is particularly skilled at helping young people and families living with neurodiversity.

Co-founder

Simone York

Simone is a certified Forest Therapy Guide with a passion for connecting children and young people with nature. With extensive experience in implementing nature therapy programs in schools, she is an entrepreneur and innovator at heart. As a proud mother of three young children, she understands the importance of fostering a love for the outdoors creating enriching experiences for families. Simone is excited to use her expertise and inspire others to embrace the healing power of nature

About Our Work

Our Approach

With nature guiding our mission, we have developed a research and physiology based program for young people that supports effective self calming skills and emotional regulation.

Time spent consciously connecting to nature helps to balance our current state of device and sensory overload and nature deprivation, and towards more connection, grounding and an increased ability to navigate and regulate our emotional wellbeing. Other benefits include improved cognition, reduced levels of stress and anxiety, and increased creativity.

Workshops are offered in schools and through social prescribing in an engaging format modified for each age group. These nature practices can be used in any setting e.g. schoolyard, backyard, or park, making them easily accessible at any time.

Our goal is to promote an awareness of how these simple and accessible nature and sensory based skills can support the students, staff and family; and for these principles to become a common coping methodology at school, at home and in the community.

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