“When you bring your attention to a stone, a tree or an animal, something of its essence transmits itself to you. You can sense how still it is and in doing so the same stillness rises within you. You can sense how deeply it rests in being, completely one with what it is and where it is, in realizing this, you too come to a place or rest deep within yourself.”—Eckhart Tolle, German-born spiritual teacher
Nature therapy utilizes the natural environment as the context for mental health treatment. As the springboard for somatic, sensory awareness, the outdoors provides a rich source of healing aspects. Today, nature therapy is gaining prominence as clients and practitioners alike seek alternatives to the, at times, constrained model of conventional talk therapy. Generally speaking, nature therapy consists of therapeutic time spent outdoors with a trained clinician or therapist.
Also called eco-therapy, nature therapy is characterized generally as therapy involving nature or time outside, predicated on the idea that the natural world promotes meaning, connection, and overall, helps us heal. Evolving through field expansion, and the umbrella term encompasses a variety of modalities that can be categorized as such.
The Different Types of Nature Therapy
The practice of nature therapy, also called nature-based therapy, eco-therapy, and green therapy, references an outdoor-based experiential modality in mental health care. Other modalities, often referred to under the nature therapy category, are adventure therapy, wilderness therapy, green or blue therapy, and horticulture therapy.
Forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) is a term coined in the 1980s, referring to a therapeutic practice from Japan, consisting of immersive self-care in the forest for health and wellness. Awakening the senses, forest bathing provides an opportunity to connect with self, our environment, and the natural world. Surrounded by trees and fauna, breathing in the greenery, we cultivate space for the present, influencing various systems, including digestive, neurological, and immune. Studies on forest bathing benefit psychological disposition and reveal improved mood. Nature therapy taps into this wellspring of health, through the guidance of a skilled practitioner.
Nature meditation or sit spot is a form of quieting the mind and engaging in natural surroundings to cultivate inner peace and expand consciousness. An individual finds a peaceful surrounding and engages in mindful awareness of the environment, tuning into the natural environment and coaxing the mind to stillness if it strays. Nature meditation is a sacred, solitary ritual for many, engaging in tangible connection. In addition to the obvious benefits, studies find that contemplative nature immersions can have a powerful self-regulating aspect to foster mental health and resilience. The approach is simple and can be engaged on one’s own or prescribed by a practitioner.
Adventure therapy is a variety of skills-based nature therapy can include activities as simple as walks and hikes, all the way through the spectrum to multi-day expeditions are another way practitioners facilitate nature-based therapy, offering outings that are feasible and pleasant for the client. In the past, when folks would think of adventure therapy, they’d conjure ropes courses and contrived challenges as interventions to ilicit a therapeutic response. Adventure therapy today, consists of a more dynamic repertoire of outdoor skills instruction and facilitation.
Family adventure therapy is another aspect of outdoor experiential activity that addresses family dynamics in natural settings to address interpersonal dynamics, roles, and patterns.
Dark nature therapy, also called, dark nature or stargazing therapy, is another variety framed in the context of night excursions. Stargazing can be a powerful, simple modality, as the human experience tunes to natural rhythms of the day, in light and dark, broadening the context of awareness.
Green therapy or blue therapy consists of time spent near green or blue spaces. The green is characterized by foliage and greenery and blue references water and water features. Green therapy studies reveal the practice promotes health through multifaceted means, including increased opportunity for movement and interconnection.
Blue therapy has been studied and documented extensively as clinicians seek experiential modalities to support clients. Research shows that blue spaces, in particular, can benefit mental health and well-being, as proximity to such areas typically indicates greater physical movement and exercise.
Horticulture, farming, or gardening therapy is another practice that obviously incorporates time immersed with plants, crops, and organic materials. Like other forms of nature therapy, the idea is that one is unplugged, engaged outdoors or in a greenhouse, engaging in direct applied skills with plant matter. Trained horticulturists may facilitate this work, helping clients set goals and approaches to reach them through the holistic use of plants. This could also include animals, but animal therapy is an approach unto itself, wherein the intuitive experience with animals is a therapeutic context for the experience.
Wilderness therapy, also called outdoor behavioral healthcare is a profound outdoor therapeutic approach that brings individuals outside to develop interpersonal skills, confront dysfunctional patterns, and explore opportunities to grow and succeed. The wilderness treatment model traditionally involved removing individuals from their daily life and immersing them in remote, wilderness settings for extended periods. The practice has many benefits, including creating cooperative groups that develop confidence and healthy habits, but the niche field has experienced struggles, controversy, and program closures, especially over the last few years. Often rejected by insurance providers as “experimental” treatment and reports of negative outcomes by former participants, including deaths, some have advocated staunchly against this practice. The field is evolving, as thoughtful practitioners continue to evolve the model through evidence-based practices and outcomes.
What Does Nature Therapy Treat
Nature therapy is growing in popularity, as clinicians and patients seek new modes of transformation and healing. Following the pandemic, the need to get outside grew exponentially and this influenced many different areas of our lives. Many counselors, therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists embarked on new ways of processing and engaging with those in need.
Nature therapy can treat many conditions, including:
Stress & Anxiety
Depression
Trauma & PTSD
Neurodivergent Diagnoses
ADHD
Substance Use Disorder
How Does Nature Therapy Work?
Traditional talk therapy often takes place indoors, historically referencing classic analysis, featuring offices, a couch, and a clipboard. The model is hierarchical, typically, with a clinician facilitating, taking notes, asking questions, and noting observations in a clinical setting. While also engaged by a clinician or counselor, nature therapy evens the playing ground in a sense, as two experience the same environment, shoulder to shoulder. The dialogue is framed by a natural backdrop, often featuring side-by-side exploration and real-time observation. Walking, hiking, or simply sitting outdoors are easy ways to engage in nature therapy.
“The woods were my Ritalin. Nature calmed me, focused me, and yet excited my senses.”— Richard Louv, American journalist and documenter of nature-deficit disorder
The Science of Nature Therapy
Research reveals that nature therapy integrates the long-divided understanding of mind and body, harmonizing aspects of mental health that require mutual attention. For those who struggle to process in traditional settings, outdoor therapy can be hugely beneficial. From a nature-based therapy study published in 2023:
“…the results show that connectedness to nature and mental well-being are connected in psychosomatic patients, and both significantly improve over time. Effectiveness, satisfaction, and improvements on the mood and soul level, well-being, contact with other people, and coping with problems and ill health from the patients’ perspective are reported.”
Scientists have discovered being in nature can enhance the therapeutic experience, since those engaged reap various rewards. The results include increased mood benefit, expanded interaction and relationship building, and deeper feelings of purpose. From one pilot study investigating the relationships between nature-based therapy, mental health, and connectedness to nature:
“The research found that nature-based therapy improves patients’ self-esteem and decreases depression; improves motivation and social interaction; reduces healthcare consumption; increases mental well-being, and engagement, and can give participants a sense of meaningfulness. Overall, the potential of nature-based therapy is highly promising.”
The therapeutic application of nature interventions proves to be highly beneficial and amenable to complimentary application with other approaches. Often, when one is resistant to talk therapy, nature offers a welcoming opportunity to engage, especially for those who may be struggling with the idea of therapy.
The Benefits of Nature Therapy
There are multiple benefits of nature therapy. Walks in nature have a longstanding tradition of forging connection and expanding perspective. When we head outside, we escape the trappings of static, seated communication, move our bodies, which has a direct result on mood and state of mind. Movement and light exercise bring us into deeper connection with our bodies and our feelings, shining a light on what’s happening within. This can be powerful when we are in a therapeutic context, and can also generate the opportunity for awareness, insight, and awe.
“Connecting clinical practices and nature is a highly effective pairing. Key components of the natural world are balance, sustainability, and overcoming adversity—concepts people are often seeking in their emotional health journeys. Being “in it,”—not just thinking of these things as a theoretical—can help illuminate and solidify change. The work is profoundly healing.”—Josh Flaherty, LCSW, Executive Director at AR
Increased motivation and interest, improved disposition, diminished feelings of anxiety, and increased engagement are just a few of the recorded benefits of nature therapy. The research demonstrates that the long-term results of nature therapy include a more reliable sense of confidence and self-esteem, deeper sustained connections within and with others, decreased healthcare consumption, and ultimately, personal meaningfulness and purpose. This is why we go.
Images courtesy of AR Crew
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