90. A Natural Alternative for Treating Anxiety, Depression and Mental Illness w/ Dr Georgina Gould

The Home of Wellbeing and Joy Welcome back to The Mood Booster Podcast. This week Charlie and Dr Marcus sit down with Dr Georgina Gould, clinical lead at Dose of Nature, a charity that prescribes time in nature as an alternative to more traditional therapies like CBT. This is a genuinely fascinating one, covering the real science behind why nature heals us, right down to the bacteria in the soil. ˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍ 🎧 In This Episode: Dr Georgina Gould shares her journey from working as a counselling psychologist in NHS child and adolescent mental health services to leading Dose of Nature, a charity offering nature prescriptions as a genuine alternative to conventional therapy. She breaks down a recent randomised control trial with the London School of Economics, which found nature prescriptions made a clinically significant difference to participants' anxiety and mood. The conversation dives into the six active ingredients of nature, sunlight, fractal patterns, soil bacteria, phytoncides and more, including the fascinating science behind Japan's practice of forest bathing, before closing on cities, community, and how to realistically build nature into a busy London life. ˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍˍ 🛠 Practical Advice: Fifteen minutes outside is enough to start settling your nervous system, so a short break counts, it doesn't need to be a full day out. Try to get sunlight on your eyes and step outside before the busyness of the day takes over. Notice fractal patterns around you, clouds, leaves, waves, they genuinely help your brain relax while staying alert. You don't need to escape to the countryside permanently, small, intentional pockets of nature built into daily life can be just as powerful. 📍 Pillars Explored: Presence and Gratitude, Introspection and Reflection, Wellbeing and Joy, Community and Connection 🔔 Don't forget to follow and review, it really helps us grow 📲 Follow us for more: 👉 Instagram: @themoodboosterofficial 👉 TikTok: @themoodboosterofficial 🌍 Website: www.themoodbooster.co.uk 🎥 Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube @TheMoodBoosterOfficial