Date – 25 November 2020
Time – 7:00 pm
The garden is often seen as a refuge, a place to forget worldly cares, removed from the “real” life that lies outside. But when we get our hands in the earth we connect with the cycle of life in nature through which destruction and decay are followed by regrowth and renewal. Drawing on my grandfather’s return from World War I, Sigmund Freud’s obsession with flowers, and interviews with people from mental health gardening projects in prisons, hospitals and in the community, I will look at how gardening can help us recover from experiences of loss and trauma. I will also outline findings from contemporary research into the health benefits of green spaces and how connecting to nature can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression.
About Sue Stuart-Smith
A prominent psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Sue took her degree in English literature at Cambridge before qualifying as a doctor. She worked in the National Health Service for many years, becoming the lead clinician in psychotherapy in Hertfordshire. She currently teaches at The Tavistock Clinic in London and is consultant to the DocHealth service. She is married to Tom Stuart-Smith, the celebrated garden designer, and, over 30 years together, they have created the wonderful Barn Garden in Hertfordshire.
Sue has recently published ‘THE WELL GARDENED MIND’. Combining contemporary neuroscience, psychoanalysis and compelling real-life stories, this inspirational and authoritative book investigates the remarkable effects of nature on our health and wellbeing and teaches us how vital gardening can be, both as an escape for the brain and to help our minds through movement as well as thought. William Collins £20 ISBN 978000810071 1
Wednesday 25th November 2020 7pm (Zoom webinar)