Tag: nature therapy

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What is Ecotherapy?

ecotherapy
Ecotherapy

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 ecopsychology studies 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.

ecotherapy

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.

Cole, D. N. (2012). Wilderness visitor experiences: A selective review of 50 years of research. Park Science, 28(3), Winter 2011‑2012. https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs_other/rmrs_2012_cole_d001.pdf

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.



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Upstairs Brain vs. Downstairs Brain

upstairs brain nature rewires the brain
upstairs brain

Feelings of depression, anxiety, sadness, and other emotions are generated in a part of the brain called the limbic system. This ‘downstairs’ portion of the brain is only interested in three things: Fighting, fleeing, or freezing. In ‘fight’ mode, the downstairs brain wants to protect you from harm by fighting against the threat. When it is triggered, your heart may race, your palms may get sweaty, and you may have a sharp increase in irritability and anger. In ‘flee’ mode, you may experience a similar adrenaline rush, but in this instance, your brain is preparing your body to run away from the danger. In ‘freeze’ mode, we tend to retreat inside ourselves. This is the deer-in-the-headlights feeling of “If I’m very quiet and still, the bad thing won’t see me.”

How the Upstairs Brain Interacts with the Downstairs Brain

Whether you’re in fight, flee, or freeze mode, your downstairs brain is preparing you to deal with a real or perceived threat in the only way it knows how. When your downstairs brain is engaged, the upstairs part of your brain tends to get overwhelmed. The upstairs brain, which consists of the neocortex of the brain, is the part responsible for thinking things through, figuring things out, and solving problems. When the downstairs brain takes over, the upstairs brain is out to lunch. That’s why when you’re emotionally overwhelmed, it is nearly impossible to figure out a way to deal with it. The upstairs brain is all about finding solutions to problems, but the downstairs brain is all about fighting, fleeing, or freezing. When your upstairs brain is overwhelmed, thinking things over isn’t going to work. That’s because at that point, your downstairs brain is in charge. For those times when your downstairs brain is running the show, mindfulness is a way of disengaging from the thinking cycle for a while so that you can re-center yourself and reconnect with yourself and the world around you.

How Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Supports the Upstairs Brain, the Downstairs Brain, and a Calmer Nervous System

The “upstairs brain vs. downstairs brain” model offers a simple way to understand how our minds react to stress. The “downstairs brain” refers to evolutionarily older structures such as the amygdala, brain stem, and limbic regions. These areas handle survival instincts, fight-or-flight responses, and quick emotional reactions. The “upstairs brain” includes the prefrontal cortex and other regions responsible for reasoning, emotional regulation, empathy, and long-term decision-making. In moments of stress, the sympathetic nervous system activates the downstairs brain, often overwhelming the upstairs brain’s ability to respond calmly. This imbalance can lead to impulsive reactions, emotional flooding, or a sense of being perpetually on edge.

Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy: A Practical Solution

Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy offers a practical, grounded way to restore balance between these two systems. By integrating mindfulness practices with nature-based experiences, it supports regulation of the sympathetic nervous system while strengthening the upstairs brain’s capacity to stay engaged even during difficult moments.

One of the most powerful aspects of nature-based mindfulness is how quickly it downshifts the nervous system. Being outdoors, or even visualizing natural environments, has been shown to reduce sympathetic arousal and increase activity in the parasympathetic system. This shift creates the physiological conditions necessary for the upstairs brain to come back online. When the body stops signaling danger, the prefrontal cortex is freed to resume its role in planning, reflection, and problem-solving. Mindfulness in nature makes this transition smoother by encouraging sensory awareness, present-moment attention, and slower breathing, each of which directly supports parasympathetic activation.

How Mindfulness Trains Attention

Another key component is how mindfulness trains attention. The downstairs brain often hijacks the mind by pulling attention toward perceived threats. Mindfulness practice teaches individuals to notice this pull without automatically following it. In ecotherapy, this awareness is supported by grounding elements: the texture of tree bark, the rhythm of waves, and the sound of wind through leaves. These sensory anchors provide a natural counterweight to the internal storm generated by the sympathetic nervous system. Over time, this helps strengthen neural pathways associated with emotional regulation, making it easier for the upstairs brain to remain active even when the downstairs brain fires up.

Interoceptive Literacy and the Upstairs Brain

Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy also promotes what some therapists refer to as “interoceptive literacy,” the ability to recognize and interpret internal body signals. A dysregulated sympathetic system often produces sensations such as a tight chest, rapid heartbeat, or restlessness. When people learn to identify these early cues without judgment, they gain a moment of choice. This pause allows the upstairs brain to intervene before the downstairs brain drives behavior. Practices like mindful walking, breath-based grounding, or observing natural cycles help individuals connect more deeply with these signals in a supportive, non-threatening environment.

Emotional Processing and the Upstairs Brain

Nature-based mindfulness also supports emotional processing. The downstairs brain often stores unresolved emotional material that surfaces during stress. Natural environments provide a calming backdrop for working through these experiences without becoming overwhelmed. The sense of spaciousness and the absence of artificial stimuli reduce cognitive load, giving the upstairs brain more bandwidth to integrate emotional information. This creates a more flexible, resilient nervous system that can adapt to challenges rather than reacting automatically.

Connectedness and the Upstairs Brain

Finally, Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy strengthens the sense of connectedness that is crucial for nervous system regulation. Feelings of isolation can intensify sympathetic activation, while experiences of belonging and connection activate systems of safety and social engagement. Ecotherapy offers a double form of connection: with nature and with one’s own internal experience. This sense of being part of something larger reduces the perception of threat and supports long-term regulation of both the upstairs and downstairs brain.

In this way, Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy provides a holistic path to balancing instinctive emotional responses with thoughtful, grounded awareness. By soothing the sympathetic nervous system and strengthening the upstairs brain, it helps people respond to life’s challenges with clarity, resilience, and a greater sense of peace.

References

Jo H, Song C, Miyazaki Y. Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 27;16(23):4739. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234739. PMID: 31783531; PMCID: PMC6926748.

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