"…there’s a strength around that bonfire": exploring the potential of nature-based therapy to enhance recovery for victim- survivors of domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse is a significant issue in the UK and indeed worldwide. The impacts on victim- survivors of domestic abuse are far reaching including increased risk of mental health illness; poorer physical health outcomes; and reduced self-esteem and social skills. Despite this, there is limited understanding of what supports victim-survivors in their long-term recovery from domestic abuse. Meanwhile, nature connectedness and green care projects are being shown to mitigate against or help to ameliorate poor physical health and mental health issues in other vulnerable groups. This study explores how a nature-based therapeutic programme might be used to support the recovery of victim-survivors of domestic abuse in respect of their health, well-being and resilience. This was achieved through the co-design and evaluation of a structured nature-based programme. Participants of the Blossom Programme who took part in the evaluation reported improved sense of social connection, self-esteem & wellbeing, and resilience over the course of the programme. Other benefits included an increased awareness of personal boundaries and the confidence to implement these, as well as increased feelings of calm and feeling able to be present without worrying as much about the future or fixating on the past. The wider impacts of the programme beyond the participants themselves as well as the challenges of the programme implementation are also discussed. Overall, the findings indicate that this type of nature-based therapy programme could be a useful part of the portfolio of support available to victim-survivors of domestic abuse.