Can an hour spent in the park have a calming effect on the nervous system, much like relaxation exercises? A growing body of research suggests that it can. For years, clinical psychology has been gathering evidence that nature is not just a pleasant backdrop to everyday life, but can actually support the healing process.
Why do we need contact with nature?
Biologist Edward O. Wilson described the biophilia hypothesis, according to which humans have an innate need for connection with nature and other forms of life. This is not just a poetic metaphor, but a line of thinking supported by contemporary research on mental health and brain function.
Our nervous system constantly assesses whether our surroundings are safe, and contact with the living world can help it return to balance more quickly. That is why the rustling of trees, the scent of the forest, daylight, or the sight of greenery often bring a sense of calm even before we have a chance to consciously name it. In practice, this means that nature can act as a gentle regulator: it does not force, rush, or judge, but helps the body and mind transition from a state of tension to a state of greater safety.
What happens in the brain?
Recent reviews of neuroimaging studies show that contact with nature is associated with a decrease in activity in brain areas related to stress, as well as improved attention and mental recovery. The studies also observed brain activity patterns similar to those that occur during meditation.
This is important because it means that nature can support both momentary calm and longer-term processes of rebuilding mental resources. So it’s not just about a “nice walk,” but about a real impact on stress reduction, concentration, and well-being. From a therapeutic perspective, this is particularly valuable because many mental health challenges are linked to chronic arousal, cognitive overload, or difficulty returning to a state of inner balance.
What does the research say?
Research indicates that contact with nature is associated with increased happiness, a sense of meaning, and inner fulfillment, as well as a reduction in psychological stress. A large study published in Scientific Reports showed that just 120 minutes a week spent in nature is associated with better health and well-being.
Other studies suggest that children growing up in green environments have a lower risk of developing mental health disorders later in life. In turn, reviews and meta-analyses show that even short, regular doses of contact with nature can improve the mental state of people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, or other emotional difficulties. It’s worth noting that it’s not always about a trip to the forest or a weekend outside the city: daily contact with a nearby park, garden, trees outside the window, or a mindful walk can also make a difference.
What is nature-based therapy?
Nature-based therapy encompasses various forms of practice: therapeutic walks, forest bathing, gardening, outdoor mindfulness exercises, or incorporating elements of nature into therapeutic conversation. Most often, it does not replace psychotherapy but enhances its effects.
In practice, this means that nature can serve as an additional support for methods such as CBT or schema therapy. The natural environment is then not merely a backdrop but becomes an important element of the therapeutic process. For many people, it is also an easier way to connect with their emotions, as nature often reduces tension and allows for more direct feelings, without excessive analysis.
Forest bathing and green prescriptions
The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, involves spending time in the forest in a calm, mindful way, engaging all the senses. Research shows that this practice can lower stress levels, heart rate, and blood pressure, and improve mood. Its power lies not in exertion or achieving a goal, but in slowing down and entering into a deeper connection with the surroundings.
So-called “green prescriptions”—recommendations from specialists to regularly engage with nature as a health-promoting activity—are also becoming increasingly common. In Canada, the PaRx program has expanded this idea on a large scale, encouraging healthcare professionals to include contact with nature in their plans for patient well-being. This is an important signal that contact with nature is no longer treated solely as a “nice bonus,” but is increasingly becoming a recognized element of prevention and mental health support.
Nature in Schema Therapy
Dr. Susan Simpson proposes viewing nature as a key element in strengthening the Healthy Adult mode in schema therapy. The concept of“Rewilding the Healthy Adult”posits that humans need not only connections with other people but also a vital connection with place and nature.
This is a very interesting direction, as schema therapy has always focused on basic emotional needs such as safety, connection, autonomy, spontaneity, and realistic boundaries. Simpson proposes adding one more important dimension to this picture: the need to be part of the living world. In this view, nature is not merely a resource to be exploited, but a space for relationships that can strengthen a sense of belonging, rootedness, and inner coherence.
In schema therapy, the Healthy Adult mode is the part of the personality that can care for the sensitive part, set boundaries, regulate emotions, and make decisions consistent with reality and long-term well-being. Developing this mode is one of the main goals of therapy, as it is precisely this mode that helps break free from automatic, ingrained response patterns. Contact with nature can support this process, as it helps the client experience safety, presence in the body, and a broader perspective than just their own tension or suffering.
Disconnection from nature may take a greater psychological toll than we usually assume. When the world ceases to be experienced as alive, responsive, and sustaining, feelings of loneliness, meaninglessness, and detachment from oneself and the world may intensify, reinforcing certain patterns such as emotional deprivation or isolation. In this light, contact with nature is neither a luxury nor merely a lifestyle choice, but one of the sources of psychological grounding and the experience that “I am part of something greater than my symptoms and my struggles.”
Childlike modes are also important. This refers to the part of a person that spontaneously responds to the living world with curiosity, movement, sensuality, and energy. A healthy adult, therefore, does not rely on idealizing nature, but on creating conditions in which the mature, stable part of the personality can protect and nurture this more spontaneous, vibrant dimension of experience.
How can nature help in therapy?
Noticing birds outside the window, focusing attention on the movement of trees, going out together for a short walk, regularly returning to a single tree, or keeping a nature observation journal. Such activities can help you reconnect with your body, broaden your attention, and reduce tension.
Their value also lies in the fact that they are minimally invasive and easy to incorporate between sessions. The client doesn’t have to immediately engage in intense emotional work to benefit from therapy; sometimes the first step is simply learning to notice what is alive, calm, and supportive in the environment. For people who are overwhelmed, disconnected from their bodies, or constantly functioning “in their heads,” this can be an exceptionally important bridge to further work.
Nature can also be used symbolically, for example as a metaphor for strength, rest, cyclicality, or survival. In imaginative work, it can serve as a safe space, a soothing backdrop that supports an experience of support, warmth, and belonging. For some clients, the figure of nature may even be more accessible than the figure of a caring human, especially when their relational history has been marked by neglect, chaos, or violence.
Eco-anxiety and the contemporary context
For some people today, the relationship with nature is not only associated with solace but also with pain, fear, and sadness related to climate change. This type of suffering is increasingly described as eco-anxiety or eco-grief.
Contemporary psychotherapy is increasingly recognizing that such reactions do not necessarily indicate a disorder but may be a natural response to real threats. From this perspective, the therapist’s task is not merely to reduce anxiety, but also to help the client contain it, understand it, and transform it into a more bearable, supportive way of being. This is another moment in which the relationship with nature can have a dual dimension: on the one hand, healing; on the other, confronting loss, helplessness, and responsibility.
What does this mean for psychotherapy?
The most important conclusion is simple: nature can support psychotherapy on the levels of the body, emotions, attention, meaning, and a sense of belonging. It does not replace professional help, but it can be a valuable complement to it.
For the therapist, this means the possibility of incorporating simple, accessible interventions: more mindfulness of the surroundings, more work with the body, more references to the rhythm of nature and the experience of being grounded. For the client, this can be an invitation to reconnect with oneself through something very concrete: a tree, the wind, light, the ground beneath one’s feet. Sometimes it is precisely such simple experiences that become the beginning of a deeper change, because they restore something fundamental: the sense that one can breathe for a moment, feel the ground, and not be alone in one’s experience.
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