Out of the office and into the outdoors: Nature-based Therapy

By Tara Burns, LPCC • JFCS Therapist

Nature-based Therapy is an approach to counseling that brings therapy outdoors, combining conversation, gentle movement, and time in nature. Rather than meeting only in a traditional office, sessions take place in natural settings such as neighborhood sidewalks, paved trails, parks, or quiet outdoor spaces. This shift in environment can create a more relaxed and open atmosphere, helping thoughts and feelings emerge more naturally.

This approach is not a replacement for traditional therapy, but a complement to it. Nature-based sessions build on each client’s core therapeutic work and may incorporate mindfulness, trauma informed care, and evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

These modalities can be just as effective outdoors, often enriched by the calming and grounding qualities of the natural environment. Before beginning, the clinician and client discuss what nature-informed therapy is, how it works, and important considerations such as privacy and emergency planning; they also complete a consent and release form.

Time outside offers several benefits for both mind and body. Being in nature can help reduce stress, ease physical tension, and support emotional regulation. Gentle movement, when it feels accessible, may improve circulation and boost mood through the release of endorphins.

At the same time, sessions do not need to involve continuous walking. We might stroll at an easy pace, sit together at a bench or picnic table, or pause by a stream, a garden of flowers, or under a tree. The pace and structure is always guided by the client’s comfort, energy level, and needs that day.

For many people, being outdoors can also make therapy feel more approachable and less confined than an office setting. It may invite a sense of freedom, creativity, and connection, while also softening some of the stigma that can surround mental health care.

Sessions will begin with a brief check-in indoors before moving outside together. From there, the clinician will follow what feels most supportive to the client, whether that includes walking, sitting, reflecting quietly, practicing deep breathing, or engaging in a brief mindfulness or visualization exercise. The client always has the option to meet indoors or virtually at any time.

At its heart, Nature-based Therapy offers a flexible, nature centered way to engage in the therapeutic process, supporting healing in a way that feels grounded, accessible, and gently expansive.

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