15-17 May 2026 | Intro to Environmental Arts Therapy | The Woodland, Derbyshire | Weekend camping retreat

For the fourth year running, we are offering the unique opportunity to experience a training weekend delivered in the context of an off-grid camping retreat in private woodland in the Derbyshire Peak District. 

In these challenging times many professionals are looking for alternatives to working face-to-face in enclosed environments and the outdoors offers many benefits which the training will explore. This weekend is suitable for practitioners at all levels of experience, serving both as personal and professional development as well as positive self-care in the midst of the hustle and bustle of contemporary life. It will also give a good introduction to the field of Environmental Arts Therapy for those considering taking their therapy work outside.

This event is suitable for arts therapists, psychotherapists and others in the caring professions (please contact us on the email below if you are unsure about suitability).

Maximum group size 12.

Food and camping: All meals and hot drinks are included in the fee. Food will be vegetarian/vegan and will comprise hot home-cooked meals on Friday and Saturday evenings, soup, salad and bread for Saturday and Sunday lunches, and a choice of porridge, muesli, fruit, yoghurt, bread and spreads for breakfast. There will be breaks for hot drinks and cake or biscuits. If you have any dietary requirements, let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate. We have tents for hire for those unable to bring their own, available on a first-come, first-served basis. No large tents please, due to limited pitch sizes. Please bring your own sleeping bag and mat if you can, as well as warm clothes, waterproofs and sturdy shoes.

Please note: This is an off-grid experience. We have a compost toilet but no running water and very limited phone signal. We encourage participants to see this as an opportunity to experience a simpler way of living, close to nature. 

Transport: Oaks Wood is 12 miles outside Sheffield and accessible by car. There is a train station at Hathersage 2 miles from the wood and we can arrange pick-up for an additional fee at agreed times. Sheffield is 2 hours from London by direct train: change here for Hathersage.

Access: The camp is a ten-minute walk up a steep hill, and the ground around the camp can be uneven. We can take camping gear and offer lifts to the camp at the top for those that need it. Please get in touch for further queries about accessibility.

For more information please do not hesitate to contact Cecilia on ceciliebrowne@yahoo.co.uk or call 07504 696926.

Facilitator/s:

Cecilie Browne, MA Art Psychotherapy, Environmental Art Therapy cert. Cecilia has worked in arts and mental health as a community artist and art psychotherapist for 20 years, running workshops and developing projects with diverse community groups. She has a private practice using integrative arts-based approaches with adults in Sheffield and previously worked as an art psychotherapist in schools for 10 years. Over the last few years she has been developing eco-therapy workshops and retreats in a co-owned piece of woodland with her partner.

Simon Turnbull, UKCP accredited integrative psychotherapist. Simon taught mindfulness and Buddhism for 30 years during which time he trained as a counsellor, initially working in residential and daycare settings for people with drug and alcohol problems. After training as an integrative psychotherapist he has worked in private practice in Sheffield for out years. He has completed additional training in Body Psychotherapy and as a Shamanic Practitioner and works both indoors and outside in woodland in Derbyshire.