I'm thrilled that Organisational Psychologist, Charlotte Marcell has agreed to represent Happy Hiking. Charlotte has been innovative in the way she works with clients, taking them out of the traditional setting and utilising the nature around Kolding to achieve great results for her clients. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself Charlotte.

I am a trained Organisational Psychologist and Psychotherapist and I am currently pursuing a degree in digital marketing and one in sensitive yoga for PTSD sufferers. 

I am proud that I have put two beautiful sons in the world and that the family goes on with my first grandchild .... I wonder if there will be more ;-)

I love being in nature and use it for different purposes. I enjoy walking alone, breathing in the scents, listening to the sounds, and looking at all the wonderful colours and shades of nature. It is here that I find peace and time for contemplation, but it is also nature that has helped to heal me.

How do you use hiking/nature in your therapy work?

Funnily enough, the experience I have brought into my clinic is that I now take my clients out into nature. It works really well. People seem to take in more of the principles and the learning that takes place between therapist and client goes much faster than when we sit in a formal environment.

Nature heals, I know that, and so do my clients.

What has had the most significant impact on your clients?

My most difficult challenge as an organisational psychologist and therapist is probably that last year I lost 25% of my hearing for unknown reasons. But I continue to practice what I preach and that is: 

Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like, and instead, celebrating it for everything that it is. 

Nature is a great partner for me when I take my clinics outside. Smells, sounds, and visual impressions help to bring calm and shift focus. When you move, there is room for new and constructive thoughts.

If a scenario becomes too difficult for the client I have in therapy, or in a self-development conversation, they can let their gaze wander for a while as they are not "trapped" opposite me on a chair, but can move freely, these are great conditions for an exceptional development conversation.

What has been your proudest achievement on your journey so far?

Some say that life ends at 50, that you are too old to learn new things and that life becomes more about grandchildren and resigning yourself to a quiet life. 

That’s nonsense, I don’t agree at all. On the contrary, it is my experience that life only starts at the age of 50. The children have grown up, there is room to find who you, are own the person and feelings you have, without having to please others.

I hold courses with a focus on “going for life” and in short, make the most of my life at 60+ and I doubt there’s a 30-year-old who can keep up with my pace 😊

What do you do when you’re not out in nature?

I am a passionate foodie who loves to dance and sing. In my free time, I teach Latin American dancing and hold outdoor courses with different themes, but I can also sit still  relax with a good book, my needlework, or when I meditate daily.

As Søren Kirkegaard said:
"After all, do not lose the desire to go: I go every day the daily well-being to and go from a every disease, I have gone my best thoughts to, and I know no thought so heavy that you can not go from "When you keep going, they'll probably go.”