More Than a Walk in the Park: How Ecotherapy is Transforming Mental Health
The following post, adapted from a literature review, explores the growing field of ecotherapy and the science-backed benefits of using nature as a tool for mental wellness.
Ecotherapy is a term for various nature-based healing methods that stem from a core belief: humans are part of the web of life, and our minds are not separate from our environment. When we engage in practices that create harmony with nature, we also heal ourselves. This approach can be divided into two main categories:
Level 1 Ecotherapy: Using natural environments for personal healing, like meditating in a park.
Level 2 Ecotherapy: Engaging with natural environments for reciprocal healing, like planting a community garden.
The body of research on this topic is exploding. One review of studies in China found that research on natural environments and mental health grew by nearly 1,000% between 1990 and 2019. Let's explore a few of the most common and well-researched forms of ecotherapy.
Wilderness Therapy: Healing in the Great Outdoors
Wilderness therapy uses outdoor adventures and activities like backpacking, rock climbing, or canoeing, combined with therapeutic practices like counseling and journaling, to foster personal and interpersonal growth.
Research shows this approach has a powerful effect on mental health. In one study, college students participated in an 8-session campus forest therapy program that included activities like forest meditation, walking, and exercise. The results showed a significant decrease in participants' overall psychological distress, including lower scores for tension-anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
Horticultural Therapy: Finding Growth in the Garden
Horticultural therapy uses plants and gardening-related activities to help individuals improve their psychological functioning and overall well-being. This can take place in specially designed therapeutic gardens that are created to address specific health needs.
This form of therapy has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for serious mental health conditions. A major systematic review evaluated 23 different studies on horticultural therapy for people with schizophrenia. The findings were overwhelmingly positive: horticultural therapy reduced anxiety, depression, and stress, and even alleviated symptoms of delusions and hallucinations. It also improved social functioning and helped reinforce a strong sense of purpose and self-esteem.
Animal-Assisted Therapy: The Human-Animal Bond
Grounded in the belief that animals provide a unique means of connection, animal-assisted therapy uses the presence of animals to help clients express their inner world and improve their psychological well-being. Research shows that having an animal in the room can significantly strengthen the therapeutic alliance between a client and their clinician, leading to better treatment outcomes.
The benefits aren't limited to traditional therapy pets. A review of "green care" interventions found that farm-animal assisted therapy—which involves caring for and interacting with farm animals—had significant benefits for children, adolescents, and adults with psychiatric issues. The studies showed that these interactions improved symptoms of depression and anxiety while increasing self-efficacy and self-esteem.
References
American Horticultural Therapy Association. (2021). Horticultural therapy: History and practice: A word about therapeutic gardens.
Anderson, L. K. (2010). Natural connection: Ecotherapy as a path to wholeness. UMI Dissertation Publishing.
Artz, B. & Davis, B. D. (2017). Green care: A review of the benefits and potential of animal-assisted care farming globally and in rural America. Animals, 7(31).
Johnson, L. (2021). Ecotherapy. Live wild: Connecting people with nature.
Kamitis, I. & Simmonds, G. J. (2017). Using resources of nature in the counseling room: Qualitative research into ecotherapy practice. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling.
Lu, S., Zhao, Y., Liu, J., Xu, F., Wang, Z. (2021). Effectiveness of horticultural therapy in people with schizophrenia: A systemic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(964).
Parish-Plass, N. (2020). Animal-assisted psychotherapy for developmental trauma through the lens of interpersonal neurobiology of trauma: Creating connection with self and others. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration.
Russell, C. K. (2001). What is wilderness therapy? The Journal of Experiential Education, 24(2): 70-79.
Saltzman, L. (2014). Ecotherapy [video]. YouTube.
Stigsdotter, U. K., & Grahn, P. (2002). What makes a garden a healing garden? Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 60-69.
Zhu, D., Zhong, L., and Yu, H. (2021). Progress on relationship between natural environment and mental health in China. Sustainability, 13(991).
