Ecotherapy

What is ecotherapy?

Ecotherapy is a broad term for human-centered nature therapy — simply put, using nature in therapy and benefiting from its healing capabilities. It can be applied in many ways: wilderness therapy, adventure therapy, nature-based therapy, equine and animal-assisted therapies, garden and horticultural therapies, sensory integration, surf therapy, and forest therapy. These approaches can be facilitated in many different environments.

My personal vision has been to combine my two passions — nature and therapy. I am not the only therapist who sees the value of reconnecting with the natural world. Incorporating nature into therapy is growing in popularity alongside recent research on its therapeutic power. Studies have shown that exposure to nature has vast benefits, such as improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders, and even upticks in empathy and cooperation (Weir, 2020).

What is walking therapy?

Walking therapy, or the "walk and talk" model, is one of the ways ecotherapy can be facilitated. It is simply going outside and walking while doing therapy — around town, through a neighborhood, or in inner-city parks. It can be a gateway to more integrative outdoor therapeutic practices. Walking therapy is currently what I am integrating into my services. It is in no way required to receive services, but I hope clients come to see the value of getting outdoors.

Even outside of a therapy session, I hope to help clients reengage with something they used to be — or can be — passionate about that connects them back with nature: hiking, going to the beach, dusting off the old bike, a walk in the park, birding, wildlife photography, stargazing, kayaking, or anything else that gets you back in touch with the natural world.

As more opportunities arise within Naturalistic Counseling, I hope to expand the ecotherapy options available to improve mental health and overall well-being. If you have something in mind that you feel would benefit your healing journey, we can discuss including it in your sessions.

References
Weir, K. (2020, April 1). Nurtured by nature. Monitor on Psychology. Read it here