Nature Informed Therapy
Even before I became a certified Nature-Informed Therapist, I considered nature one of the best co-therapists I could ask for. Whether we're walking in a park, meeting at a trail head, or holding sessions on Zoom, the natural world will play a role in the work we do together. I might invite you to step outside for a grounding practice or reflect on what insight nature offers in relation to your inner landscape. However we connect with her, you can expect Nature to be a wise and steady presence in our work together.
"The leaf has a song in it.
Stone is the face of patience.
Inside the river there is an unfinishable story
and you are somewhere in it…"
- Mary Oliver -
Nature Informed Therapy integrates the healing effects of nature with evidence-based therapeutic modalities. "It seeks to improve awareness of the impact the disconnect from nature has on the mental health of human beings and improves mental health and wellbeing by restoring the healthy relationship with nature, self, and others.” (from The Center for Nature Informed Therapy.)
This healthy relationship acknowledges our deep connection with all aspects of Life, and is grounded in compassion, gratitude, and reciprocity. Research continues to affirm what many of us already sense intuitively: time spent in nature supports healing on every level — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. For example, did you know that trees release phytoncides — natural chemical compounds that have been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, ease anxiety and depression, reduce fatigue, and improve sleep?