LIVE Interactive Continuing Education Hours: 3 (Three)
Ecopsychology is the study of how the natural world impacts mental well-being. Ecotherapy is the therapeutic application of this knowledge. Mindfulness means being present in the moment. Natural environments may be utilized to facilitate mindful states, and mindfulness is a useful tool in ameliorating anxiety.
This experiential course will introduce you to some of the basic skills, techniques and research in the field.
Nature has the power to calm and to heal. In this webinar course we will be studying the following:
What is Ecotherapy?
What ecotherapy is and why is it important? This section will review some of the basics of the field.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a well-established aid in overcoming stress and anxiety. Natural environments facilitate mindfulness. This course will look at some of the tools and techniques of mindful awareness.
Nature-Based Mindfulness
This course examines some ways that nature can be used to facilitate mindful states.
Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART)
Anxiety is exhausting. Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART) offers a theoretical framework for how nature helps to restore positive levels of attention. This course looks at ART and how it relates to mindfulness and ecotherapy.
Anxiety and Ecotherapy
This course reviews some current research on using ecotherapy for the treatment of anxiety
Ecotherapeutic Techniques for the Treatment of Anxiety
In this course we will discuss some therapeutic techniques that have been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of anxiety. This course includes a bonus Body Scan Meditation audio file that may be used with your clients when practicing ecotherapy.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to
Define and describe ecotherapy
Define and describe mindfulness
Define and describe nature-based mindfulness
Discuss how mindful ecotherapy may be used for the treatment of anxiety
Define and describe several ecotherapeutic interventions, including
1. Mindfulness in nature
2. Forest bathing
3. Nature walks
4. Eco-Art TherapyThis is a LIVE WEBINAR that will be presented on November 9, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
Instructor Qualifications and Contact Information
This course was created by Charlton Hall, MMFT, PhD.
Charlton Hall, MMFT, PhD is a former Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor and a former Registered Play Therapy Supervisor (now retired from both those roles).
In 2008 he was awarded a two-year post-graduate fellowship through the Westgate Training and Consultation Network to study mindfulness and ecotherapy. His chosen specialty demographic at that time was Borderline Personality Disorder.
Dr. Hall has been providing training seminars on mindfulness and ecotherapy since 2007 when he founded what would become the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC, and has been an advocate for education in ecotherapy and mindfulness throughout his professional career, serving on the South Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy’s Board of Directors as Chair of Continuing Education from 2012 to 2014.
He served as the Chair of Behavioral Health for ReGenesis Health Care from 2014 to 2016 and trained all the medical staff in suicide risk assessment and prevention during his employment at that agency.
Dr. Hall is also a trained SMART Recovery Facilitator and served as a Volunteer Advisor in South Carolina for several years.
Dr. Hall’s area of research and interest is using Mindfulness and Ecotherapy to facilitate acceptance and change strategies within a family systemic framework, and he has presented research at several conferences and seminars on this and other topics.
Click here for instructor contact informationClick here to see a biography and summary of credentials for the Instructor
DISCLAIMER
The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7022. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
All course materials for this online home study continuing education course are evidence-based, with clearly defined learning objectives, references and citations, and post-course evaluations. Upon request a copy of this information and a course description containing objectives, course description, references and citations will be given to you for your local licensing board.
All of our courses and webinars contain course objectives, references, and citations as a part of the course materials; however, it is your responsibility to check with your local licensure board for suitability for continuing education credit.
No warranty is expressed or implied as to approval or suitability for continuing education credit regarding jurisdictions outside of the United States or its territories.
If a participant or potential participant would like to express a concern about his/her experience with the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, NBCC ACEP #7022, he/she may call or e-mail at (864) 384-2388 or chuck@mindfulecotherapy.com. Emails generally get faster responses.
You may also use the contact form below.
Although we do not guarantee a particular outcome, the individual can expect us to consider the complaint, make any necessary decisions and respond within 24 to 48 hours.
As of September 20, 2023, The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors as a LIVE continuing education provider. This is in addition to our approval in May of 2020 as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP #7022) for online home study continuing education.
This means that in addition to our online home study programs, we will soon be offering live, interactive webinars!
Look for the first of these later this year.
We are also looking into the possibility of holding face-to-face seminars in and around the Pacific Northwest region. If you would like to schedule one for your organization, please contact us.
In late 2024 and early 2025 we will be adding an interactive component to the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Certification Program as well. These changes will be announced in our newsletter as they occur.
“If your compassion does not include yourself it is incomplete.” – Jack Kornfield
People who have difficulties with emotional aggression are generally people who care deeply about the people in their lives. They have the capacity to be very caring and compassionate people. Their emotional aggression is often the result of attempting to express their compassion in maladaptive ways. If you didn’t care about people, would there be any need to get all worked up in the first place? Would there be any need to act in emotionally aggressive ways about people you didn’t care about?
This is because the opposite of “compassion” isn’t anger or conflict. The opposite of compassion is apathy. If you didn’t care, there’d be nothing to be upset about.
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy is about learning to channel that passion in compassionate and productive ways rather than in destructive and emotionally aggressive ways. We do this by learning to focus on relationships in a compassionate way.
As Jack Kornfield reminds us, if our compassion does not include ourselves, then our compassion is incomplete. Being compassionate means learning to also be gentle with ourselves by realizing that we are entitled to make mistakes. Mistakes are opportunities for growth and learning. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that if you didn’t make mistakes, you’d never learn anything, because if you never made a mistake, it meant that you already knew what you were doing in the first place.
Compassion with Self and Others
To be compassionate with yourself as well as with others, learn to view mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than as opportunities to beat yourself (or others) up. When you make a mistake, focus on your intention in the situation. If, for example, your intention is to have a compassionate relationship with someone, but you make a mistake that doesn’t reflect that intention, regroup and try again. Return to your intention in the situation, apologize if necessary, correct the mistake if possible, learn from it, and continue in a more compassionate fashion.
The idea behind using Meme Triads is to move from a problem-focused paradigm to a solution-focused paradigm. One of the goals of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy is to begin to think in terms of solutions instead of in terms of problems. When we start thinking in terms of solutions, we begin to live with intention. We begin to live with compassion.
The power of intention is one of the skills of mindfulness, so by living deliberately and with intention, we move to a solution-focused paradigm.
Since emotional aggression is the result of maladaptive attempts to be compassionate with others, half of the battle is already won! If we weren’t concerned about the other people in our lives, we wouldn’t care how they felt, or how we felt after interacting with them. So the element of care and concern for others is already present when we act out of emotional aggression.
When we behave in emotionally aggressive ways, we are doing it because we care. It’s just that the way we have chosen to express that care and concern is actually having the opposite effect of the way we intended it. Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy is a way to learn to express care and concern in positive ways rather than in ways that focus on the negatives.
The ultimate goal of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy is take the care and concern we feel for others and to focus on the positive by expressing that love in compassionate, rather than aggressive, ways. When we learn to do so without assumption and without judgment for self or others, we will have taken a giant step forward towards living fully in True Self.
In order to offer more flexible options for the Mindfulness-Based Facilitator Certification Program, we have made some changes to the path to certification. There are now TWO options that lead to certification.
In the past we’ve only offered the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Facilitator Certification Program as a package; however, there are three courses contained within the program itself.
Program content for the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Facilitator Certification training includes:
You may now also purchase the courses individually and complete them one at a time, instead of purchasing the entire package at once. The complete certification package offers you a substantial savings (over 20%) over buying the courses individually, but you may also purchase the courses listed above separately and complete them one at a time if you prefer this option. If you choose this option, you will need to contact us when you are ready to submit your case presentation.
If you have any questions about this new option, please feel free to contact me using the form below.
In 2024 the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC will begin publishing the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Journal. This journal will be specific to research in the field of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy.
As a part of this process we will be looking for peer reviewers to serve on the publication panel for the journal.
If you are a credentialed mental health professional or educator interested in serving on this panel in a volunteer capacity, please complete the form below.
In our ongoing effort to improve the quality of the courses we offer, we will be applying to the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) to be able to provide LIVE continuing education opportunities in addition to our online offerings.
As part of this process we are offering this FREE two-hour course on Ethics in Ecotherapy in June of 2023!
This course will cover some ethics issues common to the practice of ecotherapy. In addition to two free hours of continuing education on the Ethics of Ecotherapy, participants will receive a coupon code good for $25 off any course offered by the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC.
This course will be conducted by Zoom, so you will need access to Zoom for the course.
Course Description
Ecotherapy usually includes doing therapy outdoors. Therapy in non-traditional settings presents unique ethical challenges. These ethical issues are usually not covered in therapy graduate school programs. In this course we will discuss how to address some common ethical issues for therapists and counselors that are unique to the process of ecotherapy.
Course Objectives
After taking this course the student will be able to:
Discuss and describe confidentiality and informed consent issues common to the practice of ecotherapy
Discuss training recommendations regarding the practice of ecotherapy
Discuss assessment and client safety issues common to the practice of ecotherapy
Discuss and describe what constitutes dual relationships in ecotherapy
Discuss and describe values conflicts in ecotherapy settings
Develop a sense of self-awareness for counselors and therapists practicing ecotherapy
Course Instructions
This is a LIVE course that will be offered on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Savings Time. An email reminder containing the Zoom code to access the course will be sent the day before the conference. The conference will be presented on Zoom. You need to be present for the duration of the course to get course credit.
The course will be two hours on Zoom. At the end of the course you will have access to a link for the final exam.
Upon successful completion of the exam you will receive a Certificate of Completion in pdf format, and you will be emailed a coupon code good for $25 off any course offered by the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC.
You may register for this FREE course any time prior to June 20, 2023. If you do not pre-register before the date, we cannot guarantee a seat for the course, so please register as early as possible! You may find help registering for courses and accessing course materials by visiting the Help Center.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
-The Serenity Prayer of Reinhold Niebuhr
Many of us are familiar with the Serenity Prayer. It deals with the dialectic of Acceptance vs. Change. This dialectic may be illustrated as follows:
One of the skills we develop in the practice of mindfulness is the skill of acceptance. Acceptance allows us to experience emotions and thoughts without feeling obligated to react to them. This is done by noting the emotion or thought, and then letting go of the thought and feeling processes that the emotion generates. Acceptance teaches us that thoughts and feelings are not facts. They are simply processes of the mind.
Mindful awareness teaches us the art of acceptance. Emotional reactions to our circumstances are natural, but that doesn’t mean that we have to respond to these emotions. The mindful skill of acceptance teaches us that we can experience these emotions without engaging in cycles of behavior, thought or feeling that lead us to negative consequences. Acceptance teaches us that we are not our thoughts, and that we are not our emotions. At any time we can choose which thoughts and emotions we wish to respond to, and which to let go of.
“Never underestimate your power to change yourself; never overestimate your power to change others.”
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Some things in life that cause us stress, anxiety and depression are things we can change. Others are things we cannot change, but must learn to accept. As Niebuhr reminds us, true wisdom lies in knowing the difference between the two. In Being Mode, we come to recognize the fact that true happiness can only come from within. There’s good news and bad news with this realization. The bad news is that nobody can change your life circumstances but you. The good news is that nobody can change your life circumstances but you. Mindful Acceptance includes, among other things, the idea that you can only change yourself. If your problems involve other people, then you can only accept that they are who they are. You cannot change anyone but yourself.
The art of Mindful Acceptance can best be described as the Art of Letting Go. Once you have done everything in your power to solve a problem, you have done all you can, so at that point worry and stress is counterproductive.
Note that letting go of the stress and anxiety doesn’t necessarily mean letting go of the problem itself. For example, suppose you have a car payment coming up, and you don’t have the money to pay it. This would naturally cause you anxiety. If, after brainstorming for solutions, you find that you still don’t have the money to pay the car payment, then at that point you’ve done all you can do. So at that point, you let go of the anxiety associated with the problem.
That doesn’t mean that you let go of car payments altogether. You’ll make the payment when you can. In this instance, letting go just means that you won’t worry about not being able to make the payment. The energy you might have used worrying about the situation could be put to better use in trying to come up with solutions.
Let’s try another example, this one a bit tougher. Imagine you’re in a relationship. You feel that your partner doesn’t spend enough time with you. You offer suggestions on activities you can do together, only to be met with a blank stare or excuses about why your partner doesn’t have the time to participate in an activity with you.
Once you’ve done everything you can do to persuade your partner to spend more time with you, if you still aren’t getting the results you want, it’s time to practice letting go. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you let go of your partner. It just means that you let go of the anxiety associated with the problem. Once you let go of that anxiety, you may find that your partner will actually want to spend more time with you, because you are less stressed-out. But even if this is not the case, you’ve let go of the stress associated with an emotionally distant partner.
Mindful Acceptance is looking at the thoughts and feelings that cause you anxiety, worry, or stress. As you examine these thoughts, ask yourself which of these thoughts concern things you have the power to change. Make a conscious decision to focus your energy only on those things in your life that you have the power to change. If you focus on those things that you cannot change, you are not using your energy to change the things that you can.
Decide right now that you will not feed your negative thoughts by giving in to them. Realize that it is natural to have negative thoughts, but having those thoughts does not mean that they have to control your life. Learn trust your own inner wisdom. While negative thoughts may come, you do not have to let them rule your life.
Another key to Mindful Acceptance is to understand that anxiety has a useful purpose. It is nature’s way of letting us know that there is something wrong. Your anxiety protects you from harm, but sometimes it may do its job too well. Ask your anxiety if it is trying to protect you from something that you cannot change. Picture yourself thanking your anxiety for protecting you, and say to your anxiety, “I am now using my own inner wisdom to make positive choices in my life.”
Mindful Acceptance teaches us that each mistake is an opportunity for growth. Each mistake contains a lesson. If you never made a mistake, you would never have an opportunity to learn and grow. In Mindful Acceptance, you learn to accept your mistakes as signs that you are becoming a stronger and wiser individual.
Charlton Hall, PhD is available for training and instruction at your organization. This could be an in-person training, a webinar training, or a hybrid of both. Seminars are available in half-day, all-day, or multiple day formats for any of the topics in our Courses section of the website.
The complete Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Certified Facilitator Program is also available as a live or web-based seminar. This fifty-hour seminar is only available live in a two-week format, in two 5-day weeks of five hours each, either online or live at your organization. Volume discounts on the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook are available for these seminars for your employees or members.
Any of our other courses are also available for your organization. Please view our Courses section if interested.
Dr. Hall is also available for public speaking opportunities on the following topics:
Clinical Supervision Best Practices
Ecotherapy
Marriage and Family Therapy
Mindful Suicide Prevention
Mindful Treatment of Addiction
Mindful Treatment of Anxiety
Mindful Treatment of Trauma
Mindfulness
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy
Play Therapy
Suicide Prevention
Trauma
Rates for public speaking and seminars are $500 per day per half-day or $1000 per day for full day, plus travel expenses, meals, and accommodations.
Charlton Hall, PhD is available for training and instruction at your organization. This could be an in-person training, a webinar training, or a hybrid of both. Seminars are available in half-day, all-day, or multiple day formats for any of the topics in our Courses section of the website.
The complete Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Certified Facilitator Program is also available as a live or web-based seminar. This fifty-hour seminar is only available live in a two-week format, in two 5-day weeks of five hours each, either online or live at your organization. Volume discounts on the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook are available for these seminars for your employees or members.
Any of our other courses are also available for your organization. Please view our Courses section if interested.
Dr. Hall is also available for public speaking opportunities on the following topics:
Clinical Supervision Best Practices
Ecotherapy
Marriage and Family Therapy
Mindful Suicide Prevention
Mindful Treatment of Addiction
Mindful Treatment of Anxiety
Mindful Treatment of Trauma
Mindfulness
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy
Play Therapy
Suicide Prevention
Trauma
Rates for public speaking and seminars are $500 per day per half-day or $1000 per day for full day, plus travel expenses, meals, and accommodations.
If you are interested in booking a training or a public speaking engagement with Dr. Hall, please complete the contact form below.
This is the second edition of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook. The original workbook was published in 2015, and the sciences of mindfulness and ecotherapy have advanced a great deal since that time. This second edition was updated to reflect this new research. This edition, like its predecessor, was written to accompany the 12-week Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy workshop series. Some of the exercises in this new edition have changed based on participant feedback regarding what is more helpful in facilitating nature experiences.
This new version of the handbook introduces the 12 skills of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy (MBE) and introduces one of these skills at each of the 12 sessions in the program. Although this book is designed to accompany the 12-week Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy workshop series, it may also be completed on your own at home. The experiential nature of the work allows anyone with access to outdoor spaces the opportunity to complete the series. If you are interested in participating in a workshop series near you, you can visit the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s website at www.mindfulecotherapy.org. The website contains a directory of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapists worldwide
The second edition of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook represents a significant evolution in the integration of mindfulness, nature-based practices, and therapeutic skill development. The original workbook, first published in 2015, emerged at a time when mindfulness-based interventions and ecotherapy were gaining momentum but had not yet fully matured as research-informed practices. In the years since, the sciences of mindfulness, trauma treatment, somatic awareness, and nature-based mental health interventions have advanced substantially. This revised workbook reflects those developments while staying grounded in experiential, accessible practice.
The Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook is designed to accompany the 12-week Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy (MBE) workshop series. However, one of its strengths is its flexibility. While it functions seamlessly within a structured group setting, it can also be completed independently by individuals who wish to engage in the practices on their own. The experiential nature of the workbook allows participants to move beyond theory and into direct engagement with the natural world, using outdoor spaces as co-facilitators in the therapeutic process.
What’s New in the Second Edition
One of the most important updates in this second edition is the explicit introduction of the 12 core skills of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy. Each skill is presented in sequence, with one skill explored in depth during each of the 12 sessions of the program. This structure provides clarity, coherence, and a clear developmental arc, allowing participants to gradually build capacity rather than feeling overwhelmed.
Several exercises have been revised or replaced based on participant feedback from previous workshop cohorts. This feedback-driven approach ensures that the workbook prioritizes practices that genuinely support embodied awareness, emotional regulation, and meaningful connection with nature. Rather than offering abstract reflection prompts, the workbook emphasizes lived experience, sensory engagement, and mindful presence in outdoor environments.
The updated content also reflects newer research in areas such as:
Trauma-informed mindfulness
Nervous system regulation
Embodied and somatic awareness
The psychological benefits of green and blue spaces
Nature-based interventions for anxiety, depression, and stress
An Experiential Approach to Learning
Unlike many traditional self-help books, this workbook is intentionally experiential rather than purely instructional. The practices are designed to be done, not just read about. Participants are encouraged to spend time outdoors, observe natural processes, notice bodily sensations, and reflect on how these experiences intersect with thoughts, emotions, and values.
This approach aligns with the foundational philosophy of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy, which views nature not as a backdrop, but as an active participant in healing. Anyone with access to outdoor spaces—whether a forest, park, backyard, or urban green area—can meaningfully engage with the workbook. The practices are adaptable, making the material accessible across diverse environments and life circumstances.
For Groups and Individuals Alike
While the workbook was created to support the 12-week MBE workshop series, it is equally valuable for individual use. Therapists may integrate the workbook into their clinical work, while individuals may use it as a structured self-guided program. The pacing encourages reflection without pressure, reinforcing the principle that growth unfolds over time and through repeated, mindful engagement.
For those interested in participating in a facilitated workshop, the Mindful Ecotherapy Center maintains a global directory of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy programs. This directory, available at www.mindfulecotherapy.org, connects individuals with trained providers offering workshops and groups worldwide.
A Living Resource for Ongoing Practice
The second edition of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook is not meant to be completed once and shelved. Instead, it serves as a living resource that participants can return to as their relationship with mindfulness, nature, and self-awareness deepens. By grounding therapeutic skills in direct experience with the natural world, the workbook offers a sustainable and compassionate pathway toward psychological resilience and ecological connection.
Share Your Thoughts!
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter!
For most of its existence, homo sapiens has lived in harmony with nature as hunter/gatherers. Such a lifestyle requires a vast knowledge of the seasons, and of the patterns and habits of wildlife, and of plants and herbs and their healing powers. Industrialization and urbanization are fairly recent phenomena on an evolutionary scale. We still carry the genetic memory of our ancestors who lived in untamed nature. Our brains are wired for the outdoors and nature. A growing body of research demonstrates that not only do we feel better when we make time for nature, but it is also actually a requirement for good physical and mental health!
Ecopsychology and Ecotherapy
The field of ecopsychologystudies how humans interact with nature. Ecopsychology is a philosophy combining elements of psychology and ecology. It is the philosophy that mental health is contingent upon the health of the environment. Humankind and the environment are part of an interrelated system. We are not separate from nature. We are a part of nature.
Ecopsychology suggests that there is a synergistic relation between planetary and personal well-being; that the needs of the one are relevant to the needs of the other. In short, what we do to the environment, we do to ourselves. Ecotherapy is the practical application of this knowledge. In ecotherapy, nature is the “therapist.” In practicing the techniques of ecotherapy, we allow the healing power of nature to work its magic on us. Hölzel et al (2011) demonstrated that meditative states of mindfulness stimulate neural growth in the cerebral cortex in the areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, good judgment, insight, and impulse control. Nature experiences have been demonstrated in several studies to produce meditative states (fascination, relaxation, and mindfulness).
Ecotherapy: Natural Experiences with Nature
Experiences in and with nature, or natural experiences, are ways in which we consciously choose to allow nature to work its healing magic on us. Some types of natural experiences include:
Facilitated Wilderness Experiences
In these types of experiences, a trained facilitator takes you into the woods for an adventure. These events can be anything from a wilderness experience in ecotherapy led by a therapist or counselor to a hunting trip led by a wilderness guide. Kuo & Taylor (2004) demonstrated that therapy and other activities conducted in outdoor settings reduced symptoms of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Whittington (2006) found that wilderness skills training gave adolescent girls increased self-esteem and self-confidence and helped to shatter gender stereotypes.
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Animal therapy in the form of contact with pets and/or wild or domesticated animals enhances self-actualization and can lessen symptoms of depression. Antonioli & Reveley (2005) found that simply swimming with dolphins can greatly reduce symptoms of depression. Other studies have shown that owning pets, or even just watching fish in an aquarium, can greatly reduce stress. Equine Therapy uses horses to facilitate mental and physical well-being. There are many other ways that animals can help us lead happier lives, as any pet owner can tell you!
Therapeutic Gardens
Sempik & Spurgeon (2006) demonstrated that therapeutic gardening reduces stress and lessens symptoms of depression. Blair (2009) discovered that gardening can be used as a means of helping school children to enhance self-sufficiency, social identity, meaning, and self-integration. There’s just something very healing about planting something and nurturing it as you watch it grow.
Vacations
Berto (2014) discovered that outdoor activities reduce stress and restore energy. If you’ve ever had to miss a vacation, you’re probably painfully aware of the regenerative power of taking a week or so off to spend time in nature. Cole (2012) found that you don’t need a facilitator or guide to enjoy health and well-being benefits from the use of wilderness areas. There’s a reason we’re attracted to beaches and national parks!
Architecture Incorporating Natural Spaces
Nature can be incorporated into the home environment through the use of plants, an aquarium, or even recorded nature sounds. Alvarsson et al (2010) studied the positive mental health effects of listening to nature sounds.
Outdoor Classrooms
Dennis, Wells & Bishop (2014) revealed that outdoor classrooms enhanced many critical factors of the educational experience, including: Enhanced retention, better focus, more attention to detail, less hyperactivity, more relaxation, increased confidence and self-esteem, and better cognitive functioning
Why Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy?
Mindfulness-based ecotherapy (MBE) enhances traditional ecotherapy by combining the restorative benefits of nature with the self-regulation and awareness skills cultivated through mindfulness practices. Ecotherapy alone has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and increase feelings of connectedness to the natural environment (Berto, 2014).
By integrating mindfulness, participants are encouraged to attend fully to present-moment sensory experiences within natural settings, which can deepen emotional processing, reduce rumination, and amplify psychological restoration (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). This combination strengthens the therapeutic impact, particularly for individuals prone to anxiety or depression, by not only providing exposure to nature but also fostering intentional engagement with it. Mindfulness enhances attentional control, allowing participants to notice subtle natural cues, reflect without judgment, and cultivate a sense of grounded presence, thereby making ecotherapy sessions more effective and transformative (Berto, 2014; Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
References
Alvarsson JJ, Wiens S, Nilsson ME. Stress recovery during exposure to nature sound and environmental noise. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 Mar;7(3):1036-46. doi: 10.3390/ijerph7031036. Epub 2010 Mar 11. PMID: 20617017; PMCID: PMC2872309.
Antonioli C, Reveley MA. Randomised controlled trial of animal facilitated therapy with dolphins in the treatment of depression. BMJ. 2005 Nov 26;331(7527):1231. doi: 10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1231. PMID: 16308382; PMCID: PMC1289317.
Berto, R. (2014). The role of nature in coping with psycho-physiological stress: A literature review on restorativeness. Behavioral Sciences, 4(4), 394–409. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs4040394
Blair, D. (2009). The child in the garden: An evaluative review of the benefits of school gardening. Journal of Environmental Education, 40(2), 15–38.
Dennis, S. F., Wells, A., & Bishop, C. (2014). A post-occupancy study of nature-based outdoor classrooms in early childhood education. Children, Youth and Environments, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.24.2.0035
Fieldhouse J, Sempik J. ‘Gardening without Borders’: Reflections on the Results of a Survey of Practitioners of an ‘Unstructured’ Profession. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2007;70(10):449-453. doi:10.1177/030802260707001006
Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, Congleton C, Yerramsetti SM, Gard T, Lazar SW. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Res. 2011 Jan 30;191(1):36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006. Epub 2010 Nov 10. PMID: 21071182; PMCID: PMC3004979.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg016
Taylor AF, Kuo FE. Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park. J Atten Disord. 2009 Mar;12(5):402-9. doi: 10.1177/1087054708323000. Epub 2008 Aug 25. PMID: 18725656.
Share Your Thoughts!
What do you think? What courses would you like the Mindful Ecotherapy Center to add in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter!
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This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
