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A new programme is helping people in Suffolk with borderline personality disorder connect with nature and improve their wellbeing.
The big picture: Suffolk Mind's Waves service has partnered with Suffolk Wildlife Trust to offer "Waves in the Wilds" visits to local nature reserves. The initiative aims to provide a peaceful setting for participants to experience nature and discuss their mental health.
Why it matters: Outdoor therapy sessions can offer a different approach to traditional group settings, allowing clients to open up in a more relaxed environment.
Waves's Community Services Manager, Kym Hackett, said clients have been "looking around in childlike wonder" during the visits and that the programme helps people "get away from the stress and noise of daily life."
What they're saying: Dawn, a service user who visited Martlesham Wilds, praised the initiative:
"Waves in the Wild opened the door to a new therapy for me. It's easier to walk and talk when you're in an environment like this. It's not all focused on you – it's a different way of working."
Another participant described the experience as "relaxing and calm," saying their "inner child felt free when with nature."
About the programme: Waves is a 12-week programme for people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder or emotionally unstable personality disorder. It aims to help participants:
Learn new skills to manage their diagnosis
Build confidence and self-esteem
Weekly sessions are held in Ipswich on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
What's next: Further visits are planned at Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Bradfield Woods nature reserve in the spring, funded by the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths' Landscape for All Fund.
The bottom line: Charlie Zakss, Engagement Officer at Suffolk Wildlife Trust, emphasised the mutual benefits of the partnership: "Nature can recover and nature can help you recover."
How to access: Admission to the Waves service is by referral from health and social care professionals. More information is available at www.suffolkmind.org.uk/services/waves-borderline-personality-disorder-support
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