For Caroline Schratz Lovett, emotional healing is a marriage between the cognitive mind and the physical body — a concept she brings to her clients through various holistic wellness approaches at her practice, Integrative Wellness 901.
Caroline grew up in Memphis, a runner and soccer player with a love of being active and spending time outdoors. This love grew during her time at Maryville College, where she studied psychology but spent most of her free time hiking the nearby Great Smoky Mountains.
After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, Caroline returned to Memphis to complete her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. During this time, Caroline started practicing yoga regularly, eventually completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training and taking additional training to obtain a special certification in trauma-informed yoga. “I always knew from personal experience how healing yoga can be, and I really wanted to share this with my clients,” Caroline remembers. “Incorporating trauma-informed practices like breathwork and guided imagery into yoga classes and counseling can be such a beneficial combination.”
During her initial years working as a therapist and yoga teacher, Caroline continued to recognize her goal of opening her practice. “I wanted to create a unique therapy practice in the Memphis area that heavily emphasizes the physical body as well as the mental and emotional body,” she says.
Caroline’s practice as a therapist evolved further during COVID-19 when it was no longer encouraged to sit in an enclosed room with her patients. During this time, Caroline started offering sessions with her patients outdoors in nature, also called Ecotherapy. In Ecotherapy, Caroline and her patients talk during walks at the park, around the lake at Shelby Farms, or sitting outdoors in the grass. “We all know how healing nature is — there is so much value in getting fresh air, moving your body, and experiencing therapy in a different format.” Caroline has even become certified as a paddleboard yoga instructor and has taken her counseling clients out for sessions on paddleboards with SUP901.
Additionally, Caroline offers access to her garden plot at Shelby Farms for a horticulture-focused Ecotherapy experience. “Sometimes, I will take clients out to the garden for counseling. Doing something repetitive like weeding or digging has helped clients open up by having an activity to do rather than just sitting on a couch.”
At Integrative Wellness 901, Caroline’s specialized practices of Ecotherapy, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and other therapeutic techniques can be chosen to tailor to each specific patient’s needs. “I hope to teach my clients that there are many ways to heal your body by moving and getting outside.”
Are you interested in learning more about Ecotherapy and Integrative Wellness 901? Visit integrativewellness901.com and book a free consultation!
By Zoe Harrison
Photo by Tindall Stephens
