When was the last time you strolled through a forest without your phone, lay down under the stars or swam in a natural body of water? For an increasing number of us, our daily contact with the natural world is brief. It’s estimated that two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050, while in the UK 83 per cent of us are already living metropolitan lives. Recent surveys suggest that most children in the UK spend less time outdoors than prison inmates, and play outside 50 per cent fewer hours than their parents’ generation. Our increasingly urban, technology-fuelled lives are taking their toll on our minds: anxiety and distress proliferate, particularly among the young, while burnout and chronic stress are on the rise.
Against this bleak picture, however, is emerging a counterforce: a biophilic impulse to find refuge and healing in the natural world. Whether it’s psychedelic plant medicine, woodland walks or community gardening, an increasing number of us are looking to nature as an antidote to our modern metropolitan lives.
What is ecotherapy?
At the heart of this drive towards the natural is ecotherapy: an umbrella term for therapies that seek to help us reconnect with nature. From pet therapy to nature arts and crafts, ecotherapy can take many forms. Its unifying premise is that humans flourish in nature, and that connecting with the natural world can help us to feel happier, calmer, and more resilient against the stresses of life.
While ecotherapy is a fairly new concept in the West, ancient and indigenous cultures have long looked to nature as a source of healing. The now-ubiquitous concept of grounding, for example, has roots in the “earthing” principle of traditional Chinese medicine, while forest bathing, which has recently gained global traction, originated in Japan and emerged from ancient Shinto and Buddhist practices. Applying new psychotherapeutic ideas to ancient practices, the UK’s fast-growing ecotherapy scene owes a great deal to these different long-standing cultural heritages.
Adrian Harris has been practising ecotherapy for over 10 years. He takes a “walk and talk” approach, in which nature acts as co-therapist. “We’ll meet in a local green space”, he tells me, “which could be a park, riverside or wood. This is our therapy space and the client can walk or sit, explore different spaces or stay in one spot. As an ecotherapist I’m working in partnership with nature – the best therapist there is – so sometimes my role is to be a facilitator allowing nature to do the healing.”
While, in many ways, the interactions between Harris and his clients are similar to those of a conventional therapy session, nature steers the shape of the sessions and often facilitates new insights. “Clients often find that the natural world mirrors or highlights aspects of their lives”, he explains. “One client saw squirrels running around and wondered how he might become more playful. On another occasion, an old twisted tree symbolised how hard life had been, but also modelled diversity and resilience.” Nature metaphors become helpful channels for processing thoughts and emotions while also providing comfort. “Just being in nature is calming, enhances our sense of vitality and helps with the thinking process”, Harris says. “During the session, difficult emotions like loneliness and anxiety often arise, and these are easier to be within a natural environment.”
What is ecotherapy good for?
We’ve all felt the restorative effects of a bracing walk, breathed a little easier in countryside air, or experienced the clarity of thought that comes with staring out at a vast expanse of sea or a starry, pollution-free sky. Neuroscientists are continuing to confirm what poets and Eastern philosophers have long held to be self-evident: that nature is good for us. According to recent research, immersion in green spaces can improve cognitive function and memory, boost psychological well-being, and even guard against physical ill health.
Ecotherapy combines the intrinsic benefits of the natural world with therapeutic practice. “Spending time in nature can improve your self-esteem, give a greater sense of personal autonomy and provide deeper meaning to your life”, says Harris. “Nature engages our senses and calms the mind, and can help us feel more playful and curious.” Harris also noted that while people generally come to him with the same issues as they would any kind of therapy (anxiety, depression, relationships), he’s seeing an increasing number of clients with climate anxiety. As our relationship with the natural world becomes more fraught, making time to connect with and appreciate nature feels more vital than ever.
For Claire Thompson, author and “mindfulness of nature” workshop facilitator, connecting with nature can help us better connect with ourselves. “Nature doesn’t judge us”, she explains. “So when we spend time in nature, we can feel a real sense of being allowed to simply be who we are, without any sense of what we should or shouldn’t be, or how we should or shouldn’t feel.” By “developing a greater mindfulness of our experiences in the natural world through our bodies and senses”, we can become more attuned to our needs and “hear what truly matters to us”.
How to try ecotherapy in the UK
There are plenty of ecotherapy practitioners across the UK running workshops, retreats and one-to-one sessions. To find one in your area, search the Counselling Directory and filter by ‘ecotherapy’, or look at the list below. And you can always reap the benefits of the natural world without having to sign up for a session or pay any money. Walking around your local park, doing a spot of gardening or even bringing plants and stones into your home can make a world of difference to your wellbeing.
Adrian Harris, Exeter: An ecotherapist offering ‘walk and talk’ therapy in Exeter. adrianharris.org
Claire Thompson, Cambridge: A mindfulness practitioner and workshop facilitator. mindfulness-of-nature.com
Estelle Asselin (The Connective Space), North London: An ecotherapist and forest therapy guide, offering one-to-one counselling and group experiences. estelleasselin.com
Forest Farm Peace Garden, North East London: A mental health and environment project running workshop, events and volunteering opportunities. forestfarmpeacegarden.org
Centre for Ecotherapy, Brighton: A community space offering free nature-based therapies for vulnerable people, and regular therapeutic activities for groups and volunteers. greenwellbeingalliance.org.uk
Wilderness Foundation UK, Mann Wood / Chatham Green: Therapeutic and conversation foundation, running Wilderness Therapy retreats and one-to-one sessions. wildernessfoundation.org.uk
The Centre for Natural Reflection, Derbyshire: Outdoor therapy sessions with psychotherapist Hayley Marshall. centrefornaturalreflection.co.uk
Live Wild, West Yorkshire and Manchester: Running courses and programmes inviting people to rediscover the wild within and outside of them, through activities foraging, wild singing and fire quests. livewild.org.uk
Venture Trust, Scotland: Outdoor therapy programmes operating across Scotland. venturetrust.org.uk
Urban Growth, London: Community gardening workshops across London. urbangrowth.london