About Laura Cohen:
Originally from Montreal, Laura is now based in Halifax with a 10 minute walk to the ocean. For the last 6 years, Laura has worked as a counsellor in universities, Employee Assistance Programs, and in private practice, including her own nature therapy practice and Canada Career Counselling.
Laura holds a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Psychology from Concordia University. Laura has been a guest lecturer for organizations such as Dalhousie University, Concordia University, Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association presenting on the mental health benefits of nature as well as, offers individual nature-informed therapy and outdoor groups therapeutic services for women and children for an embodied experience. She is also an intuitive, creative, and finds herself exploring the intersection of psychospiritual concepts and western psychology in her work as a nature therapist guiding her clients through the lens of transpersonal psychology, polyvagal theory, creative arts, and other modalities like Acceptance & commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems.
About Philip Vanhoutte:
Leveraging a rewarding international career in the ITC industry, Philip Vanhoutte’s passion for personal productivity tools and communication & collaboration solutions morphed into a singular purpose: accelerating the realization of human potential.
Philip champions the adoption of Smarter Working: a holistic human centred work design practice that unifies space, technology, and people disciplines. He co-authored The Smarter Working Manifesto, a definitive guide on how to shape the best work style. In his quest for health and joy at work he learned that Nature Deficit Disorder has produced highest ever burnouts, work induced sickness, and a struggling workforce. He campaigned for more nature at work with Ozadi at SXSW in Austin and GCUC in Denver.
Philip graduated from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium with a combined Applied Economics and Engineering degree and a major in Marketing. He started his career at Accenture Consulting, to continue with key change management roles at Engie and Wang Laboratories. In the second part of his IT career, he grew the MCI WorldCom International business, became Chief Marketing Officer at Sony-Ericsson Mobile Communications to finish a blue-chip career as SrVP and MD of Plantronics (now part of HP) Europe and Africa.
Since the Financial Crisis of 2008, Philip became a strong advocate of Agile Working with a passion for Human Dimensions of Organisations. He is known for transformational projects in award-winning offices which are acoustic temples and benchmarks for the biophilic built environment. He has advised Leesman, Veldhoen+Company and Work EvOHlution, and provided support to the founding of the Osservatorio Smart Working at the Politecnico di Milano.
Episode Notes:
Dr. Laura welcomes guests Laura Cohen, counsellor and founder of her own nature therapy practice, and Philip Vanhoutte, ITC industry professional and author of “The Smarter Working Manifesto”, to the show to talk about the power of Vitamin N, nature. Both Laura and Philip are champions of the benefits of a connection with nature at work and in life.
Laura Cohen, who works with Dr. Laura through Canada Career Counselling, details studies that show people to be happiest in coastal environments and outdoors. She also cites the profound benefits of nature for those living with ADHD. Philip Vanhoutte is a proponent of Biophilic Design, which includes identifying fourteen patterns of nature that would ideally be included in a building to directly impact the wellness of individuals within. The ways in which nature improves our work lives and overall health are compelling and it becomes apparent that we need to set ourselves up to maximize our interactions with nature. Laura and Philip share their individual expertise on the transformative power of nature and how they each advise incorporating more of the outdoors into our daily lives.
“There’s also this idea that I think a lot of the time we see nature as this thing that’s separate from us or that it’s a commodity to fulfill us and make us feel good… it reduces our stress hormones and we see it as something that’s beneficial. But the next level is kind of understanding the reciprocity and how do I give back to nature, and developing that sort of deeper relationship with nature.” Laura Cohen
Resources:
-
Website: https://smarterworking.io/
-
“The Smarter Working Manifesto” by Guy Clapperton and Philip Vanhoutte
-
Website: https://lauracohen.org/
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Season 3 Episodes:
Episode 57 | The Power of Exercise to Optimize your Brain and Mental Wellness
About Dr. John J. Ratey: John J. Ratey, MD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognized expert in Neuropsychiatry. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles, and 12 books published in 20 languages,...
Episode 56 | The Evolution of Flexibility at Work with Dr. Laura
About Dr. Laura: KEYNOTE SPEAKER | PSYCHOLOGIST | THOUGHT LEADER | PODCAST HOST | AUTHOR Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett helps organizations and people to grow and thrive, using the principles of organizational psychology. Through leading, speaking, writing, coaching, and...
Episode 55 | The Secrets to Happiness at Work
About Dr. Tracy Brower, PhD, MM, MCRW: Dr. Tracy Brower is a PhD sociologist studying work-life fulfillment and happiness. She is the author of a new book, The Secrets to Happiness at Work as well as her previous book, Bring Work to Life. She is the Vice President of...
Episode 54 | Special Episode on The LiLoHia Project: with guests Gerald Auger and Sass Jordan
About Gerald Auger: Gerald Auger is an actor, producer, writer, entrepreneur and motivational speaker from Alberta, Canada, of Woodland Cree descent. He graduated from Grande Prairie Regional College in 1995 with a Marketing Management diploma and a Small Business...
Episode 53 | A Time To Lead: Master Yourself So You Can Master Your World
About Craig Dowden, PhD: Craig Dowden (Ph.D.) is an inspiring and thought-provoking executive coach, Forbes author and keynote speaker who partners with leaders and executives to tackle their most important personal and organizational challenges. Craig holds a...
Episode 52 | Making Space in Our Lives for What Matters
About David Allen: YOUR MIND IS FOR HAVING IDEAS, NOT HOLDING THEM.® That’s why David Allen created Getting Things Done®. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. GTD enables greater...
More Thriving Human Episodes:
Episode 68 | Money and Well-Being: How the Pink Tax Harms Us All
About Janine Rogan: Janine Rogan, CPA, is a passionate keynote and TEDx speaker. She is the Founder and CEO of The Wealth Building Academy Inc. and an award-winning CPA. Her mission is to educate and empower women to confidently and profitably grow their wealth,...
Episode 67 | Making Bold Life Changes: Turning Fear into Courage
About Samra Zafar: Samra Zafar is an award-winning internationally renowned speaker, bestselling author, and educator for equity, mental health, and human rights. Samra is currently pursuing an MD at McMaster’s DeGroote School of Medicine with the purpose of...
Episode 64 | The Generous Workhome: Boosting Your Wellbeing and Productivity
About Philip Vanhoutte: Leveraging a rewarding international career in the ITC industry, Philip Vanhoutte’s passion for personal productivity tools and communication & collaboration solutions morphed into a singular purpose: accelerating the realization of human...
Episode 63 | Philanthropy Through Fashion: Purpose, Planet and People
About Randi Seiff: Randi Seiff is a Creative and Strategist in one, with 30+ years of expertise in fashion & lifestyle, specializing in design, branding, & product development, building purpose-driven brands from concept to completion. Randi brings a unique...
Episode 60 | Exploring the Human Side of Unconscious Bias at Work
About Tina Varughese: An Indo-Canadian daughter of first generation parents, Varughese says her cultural background allows her to find “the best of both worlds” and shed light, knowledge, and, most importantly, universal humor into the changing workplace. Her highly...
Episode 59 | Closing the Confidence Gap to Thrive in Your Career
About Kelli Thompson: Kelli Thompson is a women’s leadership coach and speaker who helps women advance to the rooms where decisions are made. She has coached and trained hundreds of women to trust themselves, lead with more confidence, and create a career they love....