Ecotherapy, or Nature Therapy, believes people have a deep connection to their environment and to the earth itself and if we are short to nurture this connection, it can take a toll on your mental health. Different types of Ecotherapy include: gardening, camping, hiking, picking up trash, star gazing, planting trees, forest bathing, Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), or outdoor yoga and meditation.
Ecotherapy can foster connection with others when done in a group setting, can encourage exercise which is an important part of managing our mental health, increase mindfulness practices, build resilience, increase creativity, and help with balancing our nervous system. People struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma can all benefit from forms of Ecotherapy.
I’m very fortunate to have my office located along the St Croix River and Lakefront Park in Hudson, WI and only a few miles from Willow River State Park. Both offer beautiful scenery including trees, beaches, and flowing water. My clients and I will often engage in Walk and Talk Therapy (just like it sounds—we are outside walking during therapy instead of sitting inside an office), sit at the park while discussing hard to talk about topics, or practice a meditation or mindfulness exercise. We talk about how to practice Nature Therapy outside of therapy sessions to incorporate this as part of an integrative approach to mental health.
Interested in seeing if Ecotherapy can support your mental health journey?