Jasmin Stallard

-Provide some of your past and current Adventure and Nature-Based Therapies related work experiences

My current role is as Director and Outdoor Therapist at New Wave Wild Project. I have been involved in this area since 2017, lending my hand to all aspects of designing and delivering adventure and nature-based therapy programmes and interventions since then. I love my client work, as well as training and supporting new practitioners

I have attended and presented at two of the last IAANT conferences, in Norway 2022 and Taiwan 2025, and we are thrilled to be hosting the 11th International Conference in Kerry, Ireland in 2028. I am very keen to support the development of adventure and nature-based therapy in Ireland, and hope that convening in Ireland will shine a light on the fantastic offerings emerging throughout Ireland in this space, while inspiring new practice in the years to come.

I am an IAANT representative for Ireland and sit on the Conferencing & Leadership Working Groups.

-What drew you to this work?

Growing up in Ireland, blue and green spaces have been an unknown privilege to me. My work background is in education, where I spent many years challenged to be creative within the four walls. Transitioning into a psychology and psychotherapy space, I have only ever practiced in the outdoors. Creative practice is a whole new concept to me now. My modality supports me to deliver sessions and training in the outdoors, which for me is truly sustainable and congruent to my values. I love that every session and programme is different; blending skills is encouraged, and it gives me a really diverse and creative toolkit for practice.

-Why would you encourage others in your region to also do this work?

It seems that clinicians and practitioners in Ireland across health and social care are increasingly looking to be creative and dynamic in their work. With some practical training and good guidance, experiential approaches can really enhance a lot of therapeutic work. We sometimes think the weather is a barrier to getting outdoors in Ireland, but with a bit of planning and reliable gear, we shouldn’t let a bit of rain stand in our way.

Jasmin’s email is jasmin@newwavewildproject.ie