Weathering: Earth wisdom for hopeful living

Rocks and mountains have withstood aeons of life on our planet - gradually eroding, shifting, solidifying, and weathering. We might spend a little less time on earth, but humans are also weathering: evolving and changing as we're transformed by the shifting climates of our lives and experiences. So, what might these ancient natural forms have to teach us about resilience and change?

In a stunning exploration of our own connection to these enduring forms, outdoor psychotherapist and geologist Ruth Allen takes us on a journey through deep time and ancient landscapes, showing how geology - which has formed the bedrock of her own adult life and approach to therapy - can offer us a new way of thinking about our own grief, change and boundaries.

In a world shaken by physical, political, and medical disasters, Weathering argues for a deeper understanding of the ground beneath our feet to better serve ourselves and the world we live in.

Review

It's not hyperbole to say Weathering changed my life. In Weathering, Allen has produced a revelatory book that reshaped my relationship, not only with landscape but with my own body, allowing me to finally explore its true potential. ― Ali Millar

This beautiful book so lyrically connects the weathering of our internal life with the erosion of deep-time. I felt anchored by Ruth’s words ― Raynor Winn

A beautiful and nourishing meditation on how our exterior and interior landscapes shape and are shaped by the different weathers of our lives ― Stuart Maconie

A fascinating exploration of the literal ground of our being, and a wise and profound reflection on what rock can teach us about what it is to be human. ― Sharon Blackie

This is a book that feels worldy as well as spiritual; solid as well as shifting; realistic and deeply hopeful too. ― Kerri ní Dochartaigh

Who would have thought that the rocks beneath our feet could feel so intimate and personal? A profound and beautiful journey into the unique world of geotherapy, bringing us into closer relationship not just with the natural landscape, but with ourselves. A metaphorical mind-changer, revealing the weathering that shapes who we are and who we might become. ― Roman Krznaric, author of The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World

A convincing, considered read for those who enjoy a deeper exploration of our place within an unromanticised natural world: "What if know your place was a call to action and not a reprimand?" ― Irish Times

About the Author

Ruth Allen PhD is a qualified psychotherapist, writer, and an experienced trainer and facilitator. Originally trained as a geologist, with a doctorate in Himalayan mountain-building, she now specialises in movement and nature-based practice, nature connection and relational embodiment. She is a supervisory director for 'Rooted for Girls' , a unique woodland-based psycho-educational programme for teenage girls in the North of England, and is influential in the UK outdoor therapy field, offering training to new practitioners and trainees as well as offering expert consultation. In her spare time, she is a keen mountain adventurer. Her first book, the illustrated title Grounded, was published in 2021 to critical acclaim.