2.2 Nature-Based Social-Emotional Programs

NAture-based social-emotional programs

An immersive, outdoor experience designed to target specific developmental skills,
foster meaningful peer connections, and build lasting emotional resilience.

Nurturing Social-Emotional Growth in Nature
Following your initial consultation, we may discover that your child lacks a specific target skill and would greatly benefit from a focused, 4-week nature-based social skills program designed explicitly around that need.

Uncovering the Right Fit for Your Family
Our social-emotional programs are structured as immersive, experiential journeys. Whether your child needs help navigating self-regulation or mastering peer connection and communication, we provide targeted pathways to support their development.

Our Program Pathways:

Path 1: Self-Regulation with Tully the Tortoise —
A 4-week journey helping children build interoception, tune into their internal “body weather,” and practice gentle calming strategies before emotions become overwhelming. Click →HERE← for more info.
Path 2: Social Connection & Communication with Sara the Squirrel — A 4-week outdoor adventure focused on building authentic peer relationships, navigating shared play, and developing self-advocacy skills in a supportive setting. Click →HERE← for more info
Path 3: COMING SOON
Path 4: COMING SOON

The Fable Willow Approach
Just like our assessment services, these programs are rooted in a whole-child perspective—fully customizable, deeply individualized, and designed to help children build lasting resilience through outdoor fables and naturalistic interventions.

Let’s Write the Next Chapter Together

You don’t have to figure out your child’s behavior challenges alone. Reach out for an initial consultation so we can map out a
custom support plan for your family.

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Serving Charlotte County, FL, and surrounding communities

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The Initial Assessment & Plan Package

A comprehensive onboarding process designed to evaluate your child’s needs, establish baseline data, and build a customized, actionable roadmap for success—entirely within your real-world environments.

What to Expect During Your Assessment Journey Starting behavioral consulting can feel overwhelming, which is why we’ve designed our initial assessment process to be thorough, collaborative, and entirely stress-free. Instead of rushing straight into intervention, we take the time to truly understand the root of the behavior and your family’s unique dynamics without artificial clinic settings.

What’s Included:

Initial Family Interview: A 1-hour consultation with parents and caregivers to discuss your goals, current concerns, and family history.
Direct Assessment: 1.5 to 2 hours of direct observation and/or standardized skill assessment conducted in natural settings like home, public spaces, or private academy environments.
Plan Development: Behind-the-scenes data analysis, functional behavior assessment synthesis, and the creation of your custom Behavior Treatment Plan.
Plan Rollout Meeting: A 1-hour parent consultation meeting to review the plan, answer all of your questions, and train you on immediate implementation strategies.

Syllabus & Program Overview

Path 2: Social Dynamics with Sara the Squirrel

A 4-Week Experiential Journey in Communication, Boundaries, Cooperation, & Repair

What to Expect

Program Structure: 4 Weeks | 1-Hour Weekly Outdoor Sessions
Group/Individual Size: Designed for Small Groups or Sibling Pairs
Location: Local Outdoor Natural Settings (Parks, Trails, or Quiet Green Spaces)

Each 60-minute session uses the communal ecosystem of the Oak Tree to help children navigate social friction. Rather than avoiding conflict, children learn actionable tools for clear communication, respecting personal space, compromising, and restoring relationships when mistakes happen.

Week-by-Week Curriculum

Week 1: The Chattering Rule

Focus: Clear Communication & Replacing Whining with Direct Scripting.
Core Activity: Pass the Acorn & Voice Wands — Children use an “Acorn Microphone” to role-play “I need…” or “I want…” scripts in real-life scenarios, then craft a yarn-wrapped Voice Wand to hold when practicing clear speech.
Key Learning: Replacing whining, yelling, or pulling away with a calm, direct “clear chatter” voice so others understand their needs.

Week 2: The Branch Boundaries

Focus: Personal Space & Protecting Physical/Emotional Boundaries.
Core Activity: Branch Walkers & Boundary Stones — Children practice navigating narrow chalk/yarn “branches” using respectful verbal cues, then paint double-sided stones (“Welcome to my branch” vs. “Resting in my nest”) to communicate space needs visually.
Key Learning: Respecting friends’ personal space and kindly setting clear boundaries for their own space.

Week 3: The Acorn Compromise

Focus: Sharing, Turn-Taking, & Collaborative Problem-Solving.
Core Activity: The Oak Tree Build & Turn-Token — Working in pairs with shared natural resources to build a single nest, followed by crafting a double-sided nature Turn-Token (My Turn / Your Turn) to manage game turns fairly.
Key Learning: Understanding that sharing is a collaborative negotiation where everyone gets to keep playing together.

Week 4: Patching the Nest

Focus: Restorative Apologies & Relationship Repair.
Core Activity: The Rebuild Challenge & Nest Patches — Practicing a 3-part restorative apology script after simulated accidental “oops” moments during construction, then weaving a tangible “Nest Patch” to represent their commitment to fixing mistakes.
Key Learning: Moving beyond an empty “sorry” to deliver a restorative apology that actively helps repair the relationship.

What’s Included Every Week

4 Live 1-Hour Outdoor Sessions: Fully guided, nature-integrated experiential groups.
4 Original Weekly Social Stories: Beautiful, character-driven digital stories to reinforce skills at home.
Nature-Integrated Crafts: Tangible, weekly take-home tools (Voice Wands, Boundary Stones, Turn-Tokens, Nest Patches) that remove adults from having to play “referee.”
Home Connection & Parent Scripts: Actionable phrases provided during the 5-minute debrief (e.g., “Are you on their branch right now?”) to mirror exact language at home.
Caregiver Reflection Handouts: Weekly guides summarizing Sara’s core social concepts for long-term consistency across home and school environments.

Every Child’s Needs Are Unique

We build flexible, customized plans tailored specifically to your family (with single-child and sibling options available).

Ready to start the journey with Sara?

Syllabus & Program Overview

Path 1: Self-Regulation with Tully the Tortoise

A 4-Week Experiential Journey in Interoception, Pause Responses, & Regulation

What to Expect

Program Structure: 4 Weeks | 1-Hour Weekly Outdoor Sessions
Group/Individual Size: Designed for Small Groups or Sibling Pairs
Location: Local Outdoor Natural Settings (Parks, Trails, or Quiet Green Spaces)

Each 60-minute session uses the calming pace of nature to help children recognize internal body signals (“body weather”), master the pause response, practice active down-regulation, and build confidence transitioning back into daily activities.

Week-by-Week Curriculum

Week 1: Meeting Tully & Tuning Into Body Weather

Focus: Interoception & connecting physical body sensations to rising emotions.
Core Activity: The Body Weather Map — A guided trail walk where children map physical cues (hot face, racing heart, tight muscles) onto visual weather symbols (sun, raincloud, lightning bolt).
Key Learning: Recognizing personal “body weather” signals before an emotional meltdown occurs.

Week 2: Entering the Burrow

Focus: The Pause Response & stepping away from triggering environments.
Core Activity: The Burrow Build & Run — Practicing Tully’s “pause and step away” technique using pop-up play tunnels, blankets, or shade structures during tricky tasks.
Key Learning: Shifting away from frustration and initiating a safe “Burrow Break” instead of reacting impulsively.

Week 3: Burrow Breathing

Focus: Down-regulation & actively lowering physiological arousal.
Core Activity: Cool Earth, Hot Storm — Diaphragmatic breathing using grounding forest scents (pine needles/damp earth) and visual expansion tools to calm the body.
Key Learning: Inhaling “cool forest air” and exhaling “hot storm energy” to shift from elevated stress back to baseline.

Week 4: Stepping Back into the Sunshine

Focus: Transition & re-engagement using self-monitoring routines.
Core Activity: The Sunshine Re-Entry — Utilizing a physical checklist (Cool Face, Quiet Heart, Kind Words) to evaluate readiness before returning to play or work.
Key Learning: Self-checking emotional readiness and successfully transitioning back to daily tasks without getting re-triggered.

What’s Included Every Week

4 Live 1-Hour Outdoor Sessions: Fully guided, nature-integrated experiential groups.
4 Original Weekly Social Stories: Beautiful, character-driven digital stories to reinforce skills at home.
Weekly Visual Tools: Physical, charts (Body Weather Map, Safe Return Checklist) to build consistent routines at home.
Home Connection Cards & Strategy: Actionable weekly parent prompts delivered during the end-of-session 5-minute debrief.
Caregiver Reflection Handouts: Individualized feedback on your child’s progress and explicit scripts for home implementation.

Every Child’s Needs Are Unique

We build flexible, customized plans tailored specifically to your family (with single-child and sibling options available).

Parent / Guardian Information

1-on-1 Virtual Caregiver Coaching Intake Form

Parent / Guardian Information

What to Expect

Week-by-Week Curriculum

Week 1: The Chattering Rule

Week 2: The Branch Boundaries

Week 3: The Acorn Compromise

Week 4: Patching the Nest

What’s Included Every Week

Every Child’s Needs Are Unique

Ready to start the journey with Sara?

What to Expect

Week-by-Week Curriculum

Week 1: Meeting Tully & Tuning Into Body Weather

Week 2: Entering the Burrow

Week 3: Burrow Breathing

Week 4: Stepping Back into the Sunshine

What’s Included Every Week

Every Child’s Needs Are Unique

Ready to start the journey with Tully?