On this first of episode of Definitely Not the Ivory Tower, host Natalie Meisner sits down with Mount Royal University researcher Sonya Jakubec and Mount Royal alum Erika Bloedorn to talk about nature-based and narrative-based healing.  With her guests, Natalie discusses how nature and narrative help people cope with grief and loss. This episode will explore how different groups access nature for healing and the mixture of awe, hope and loss that emerges when reconnecting with nature. It will also explore the power of stories and how recounting the stories of our life can help us heal.  Sonya Jakubec is a professor and researcher at Mount Royal University who has researched nature interactions with people living with disabilities and people in palliative care. Her research has focused on how these groups access nature and what the effects of being in natural environments are on their mental health.  Erika Bloedorn is a Mount Royal University alum and writer for No Story Lost. No Story Lost is a life writing service. Through interviews, writers get to know the clients and then help produce a book detailing the story of the clients life. Erika recounts her experiences with No Story Lost and how it has changed her perspective of grief and loss.   Resources: Excerpt from Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words by David Whyte, read by Sonya Jakubec. https://davidwhyte.com/store/book/consolations/Rocky Mountain AdaptiveAlberta Parks - Everyone Belongs OutsideAlberta Parks - Push to Open Nature and Alberta Adaptive Nature Challenges Miles Richardson - University of Derby. Nature Connectedness Research Group.E.O Wilson - The Biophilia HypothesisThe Burgess Shale Dacher Keltner - University of California Berkeley. Pathways to Awe and WonderAl Etmanski and Vicky Cammack - Natural Caring Lori Beattie - Calgary’s Best WalksFriends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society- Good Grief WalkingAlberta Parks - Grief Walking in Provincial ParksMiles Richardson - Reconnection: Fixing our Broken Relationship with Nature Francis Weller - The Wild Edge of Sorrow No Story LostJonathan Gottschall - The Storytelling Animal Discussion Segments: 3:46: Interview with Sonya Jakubec starts5:00: Sonya’s background in her field of research9:00: The effects of nature-based healing on patients and their caregivers11:06: Pracademics12:21: Nature-based healing beyond Alberta, eco-therapy and nature connectedness discussion14:30: Continuation of nature connectedness discussion17:48: Awe in nature20:39: Medicalization23:04: Grief26:40: Barriers27:24: Personal experiences with grief31:00: Walkshops and Conferences35:40: Keeping programs sustained37:50: Recommendation for further reading and getting involved41:50: Erika Bloedorn interview starts42:19: Erika explaining her role at No Story Lost43:15: What makes a good interview?44:21: How Erika got into life writing.47:15: No Story Lost experiences48:45: Importance of narrative-based healing50:03: Communities Erika works with50:45: Grief, death and awe53:05: Erika’s views of grieving and death55:53: The future of narrative-based healing, barriers and accessibility57:50: Client reactions58:30: Interviews end - Outro Sonya Jakubec’s Research: 'I Can Reinvent Myself Out Here': Experiences of Nature Inclusion and Mental Well-Being Jakubec, S. L., Carruthers Den Hoed, D., & Ray, H. (2014). ‘I Can Reinvent Myself Out Here’: Experiences of Nature Inclusion and Mental Well-Being. In Environmental Contexts and Disability (pp. 213-229). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Mental well-being and quality-of-life benefits of inclusion in nature for adults with disabilities and their caregivers Jakubec, S. L., Carruthers Den Hoed, D., Ray, H., & Krishnamurthy, A. (2016). Mental well-being and quality-of-life benefits of inclusion in nature for adults with disabilities and their caregivers. Landscape Research, 41(6), 616-627.Understanding Belonging and Community Connection for Seniors Living in the SuburbsJakubec, S. L., Olfert, M., Choi, L. L., Dawe, N., & Sheehan, D. (2019). Understanding belonging and community connection for seniors living in the suburbs. Urban Planning, 4(2), 43-52.Grieving Nature–Grieving in Nature: The Place of Parks and Natural Places in Palliative and Grief Care Jakubec, S. L., Den Hoed, D. C., Ray, H., & Krishnamurthy, A. (2020). Grieving Nature–Grieving in Nature: The Place of Parks and Natural Places in Palliative and Grief Care. Health in the Anthropocene, 241-250.Planting seeds of community-engaged pedagogy: Community health nursing practice in an intergenerational campus-community gardening program Jakubec, S. L., Szabo, J., Gleeson, J., Currie, G., & Flessati, S. (2021). Planting seeds of community-engaged pedagogy: Community health nursing practice in an intergenerational campus-community gardening program. Nurse education in practice, 51, 102980.THE ‘HEALTHY PARKS–HEALTHY PEOPLE’ MOVEMENT IN CANADA: PROGRESS, CHALLENGES, AND AN EMERGING KNOWLEDGE AND ACTION AGENDA Lemieux, C. J., Groulx, M. W., Buxton, R. T., Reining, C. E., Blye, C. J. C., Hassen, N., ... & Krehbiel, R. (2022). The 'Healthy Parks-Healthy People 'Movement in Canada: Progress, Challenges, and an Emerging Knowledge and Action Agenda.

Ver todos los episodios