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Talking with a Tree by Jackie Feather
Whimsical musings on serious topics. Seeking solace in a world of unrest and uncertainty, Jackie talks with the ancient Pohutukawa tree in her garden and shares words of wisdom with her subscribers. This happens intermittently when the tree has something to say. Watch this space!
About me
Thank you for joining me on this journey of exploration… talking with a tree. It started long ago when I was a baby. I remember lying in my cot and looking at the trees out the window. They brought me comfort somehow, a sense of peace. I loved watching the branches wave in the breeze and the leaves with all their shades of green. Green has always been my favourite colour, the colour of trees, of nature. As a child I spent a lot of time with trees, climbing up to the very top branches, swinging wildly on ropes, lying underneath watching the clouds drift by through their leaves. Trees provided me with solace, adventure, physicality, and a tangible sense of connection with the natural world. It’s perhaps no accident that I have come full circle; after a career following a path grounded in mainstream science, I now find myself writing about talking with a tree. I think I have always communed with trees, seen them as my friends. I love trees. This Substack begins here and I’m not sure where it’s going to lead.
I am a mother of three and grandmother of six. I have recently retired from a career in psychology spanning over 40 years. I am trained as a clinical and counselling psychologist with a BA(Hons), PGDip(Couns), PhD Dip(ClinPsych). In my clinical and academic career, I specialised in child abuse and trauma, and the mental health effects of climate change and ecological devastation. I continue to have a voluntary role as Co-convenor of the Climate Psychology Taskforce of the New Zealand Psychological Society. I have had a lifelong interest in what makes us human and how we can live harmoniously with each other and on the planet.
I live with my husband Tim on Waiheke Island. We treasure having our friends and family to visit. Our raucous, lively grandchildren love to climb the ancient Pohutukawa tree in our garden, swing from her branches and lie underneath watching the clouds go by through her leaves. The circle of life.
Having recently retired I am still feeling my way into the next phase. What does it mean to be a parent and grandparent in today’s world? How can I contribute to and support the younger generations? How can I find answers to my own questions about the state of the world? I have found myself turning to the Pohutukawa tree to help me. Maybe together we can find something to offer. I look forward to sharing the conversations with you!
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