If you are experiencing mental health symptoms, have a history of trauma or insecure attachment, are having challenges in your relationships, struggle with addiction, or are going through a major life transition, ecotherapy may be a good fit. In nature-based counseling (ecotherapy), we explicitly recognize nature as the co-therapist. Nature reminds us of our inherent belonging in the larger ecosystem, soothes our nervous system, connects us to our inner healing intelligence, and supports our creative intuition. Ecotherapy can blend together evidence-based traditional therapeutic interventions and protocols (e.g. EMDR) with unique and spontaneous processes to promote healing and restore wellness. Ecotherapy fundamentally challenges the “individual pathology” medical model assumption and invites us to reclaim our place in the interconnected web of life.

Ecotherapy will most likely take the form of sitting or wandering in a natural setting in order to slow down, connecting deeply with nature and Self, and clarifying a focus for the session. With a focus in mind, we’ll collaboratively explore and work through that topic with traditional and non-traditional interventions. A gift in ecotherapy is the opportunity to be imaginative and expressive, so each session is unique. Sessions could include somatic tracking and movement practices, parts work, EMDR, mindfulness, expressive arts, ritual and ceremony, metaphor, guided visualization, relational practices, and more!

Ecotherapy sessions range from traditional 50-minute sessions to all-day intensives. For weekly counseling, a traditional session may be the best fit. I would recommend at least 90 minutes for a first session to really settle into a slower rhythm and allow the busy mind to step back and intuition to step forward. For an immersive deep-dive into a particular topic, a full day may be more appropriate.