Supporting young people with effective and restorative nature based skills.

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

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Meet the Team

"Nature is the therapist, the guide opens the doors"

Association of Nature and Forest Therapy

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 she understands the importance of fostering a love for the outdoors and creating enriching experiences for families. Simone is excited to use her expertise to 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. This leads to 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 making them easily accessible at any time.

Our goal is to promote an awareness of how these simple and accessible nature-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.

Nature on Prescription is a new program beginning in September 2026 in partnership with Dose of Nature, a London based charity. Currently accepting referrals for Young People between the ages of 11-18 based in Lewes or Hove, East Sussex. Please email us to learn more.

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