Vitamin N: The Power of Nature in Work/Life Wellness

Dr. Laura welcomes guests Laura Cohen, counsellor and founder of her own nature therapy practice, and Philip Vanhoutte, ITC industry professional and author of “The Smarter Working Manifesto”, to the show to talk about the power of Vitamin N, nature. Both Laura and Philip are champions of the benefits of a connection with nature at work and in life.Laura Cohen, who works with Dr. Laura through Canada Career Counselling, details studies that show people to be happiest in coastal environments and outdoors. She also cites the profound benefits of nature for those living with ADHD. Philip Vanhoutte is a proponent of Biophilic Design, which includes identifying fourteen patterns of nature that would ideally be included in a building to directly impact the wellness of individuals within. The ways in which nature improves our work lives and overall health are compelling and it becomes apparent that we need to set ourselves up to maximize our interactions with nature. Laura and Philip share their individual expertise on the transformative power of nature and how they each advise incorporating more of the outdoors into our daily lives. “There's also this idea that I think a lot of the time we see nature as this thing that's separate from us or that it's a commodity to fulfill us and make us feel good… it reduces our stress hormones and we see it as something that's beneficial. But the next level is kind of understanding the reciprocity and how do I give back to nature, and developing that sort of deeper relationship with nature.” Laura CohenAbout Laura Cohen:Originally from Montreal, Laura is now based in Halifax with a 10 minute walk to the ocean. For the last 6 years, Laura has worked as a counsellor in universities, Employee Assistance Programs, and in private practice, including her own nature therapy practice and Canada Career Counselling.  Laura holds a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Psychology from Concordia University. Laura has been a guest lecturer for organizations such as Dalhousie University, Concordia University, Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association presenting on the mental health benefits of nature as well as, offers individual nature-informed therapy and outdoor groups therapeutic services for women and children for an embodied experience. She is also an intuitive, creative, and finds herself exploring the intersection of psychospiritual concepts and western psychology in her work as a nature therapist  guiding her clients through the lens of transpersonal psychology, polyvagal theory, creative arts, and other modalities like Acceptance & commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems.   About Philip Vanhoutte:Leveraging a rewarding international career in the ITC industry, Philip Vanhoutte’s passion for personal productivity tools and communication & collaboration solutions morphed into a singular purpose: accelerating the realization of human potential.Philip champions the adoption of Smarter Working: a holistic human centred work design practice that unifies space, technology, and people disciplines. He co-authored The Smarter Working Manifesto, a definitive guide on how to shape the best work style. In his quest for health and joy at work he learned that Nature Deficit Disorder has produced highest ever burnouts, work induced sickness, and a struggling workforce. He campaigned for more nature at work with Ozadi at SXSW in Austin and GCUC in Denver.Philip graduated from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium with a combined Applied Economics and Engineering degree and a major in Marketing. He started his career at Accenture Consulting, to continue with key change management roles at Engie and Wang Laboratories. In the second part of his IT career, he grew the MCI WorldCom International business