Nature Therapy

This article offers a comprehensive overview of nature therapy, including the specific types, benefits, and its overall role within mental health treatment and overall life quality.

Key Takeaways:

• Nature therapy involves direct exposure to natural environments to promote greater mental health and overall well-being. Specific forms of nature therapy include forest bathing, horticultural therapy, and wilderness therapy, among others.
• Nature therapy has many proven mental health benefits, such as decreased anxiety and depression, improved mood, and enhanced self-esteem.
• Nature therapy is often done under the guidance of a trained therapist. You can also experience the benefits of nature on your own, simply by getting outside more often.

Understanding Nature Therapy

Nature therapy refers to a variety of therapies that utilize exposure to outdoor, natural settings to promote greater mental and/or physical health. The settings within nature therapy can range from small city parks all the way to forests and wilderness virtually untouched by humans. ^[1]

How Does Nature Therapy Work?

Nature therapy is based on the premise that humans are meant to thrive and be most adaptive in natural environments. After all, it’s where we’ve lived for the vast majority of our history, and only recently have we lived in more modern or urbanized environments. ^[2]

Spending time in nature has been shown to lead to numerous beneficial changes in the mind and body, which are thought to be behind its many mental and physical benefits. For example, time in nature activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which leads to a decrease in stress. ^[2]

Other ways nature therapy may lead to benefits include: ^[3]

• Reduction in mental fatigue (and restoring attentional capacities)
• Allows opportunities for discovery, creativity, risk-taking, mastery, etc.
• Opportunities for social engagement and physical activity

Mental Health Benefits of Nature Therapy

There are many proven mental health benefits of nature therapy, including: ^{[1] [3] [4] [5]}

• Decreased depression
• Lower anxiety
• Improved mood
• Greater self-esteem
• Greater mindfulness
• Often accompanied by a decrease in racing thoughts
• Improved sense of purpose
• Enhanced feelings of connectedness

Notably, some studies have also found that nature has even greater mental health benefits for individuals with significant depression and other mental health symptoms, compared to those without major concerns. Therefore, nature therapy seems to help the greatest degree in the individuals who need it most. ^{[6] [7]}

One review also found that the benefits seemed to be greater the more “wild” the environment was. For example, forests led to greater benefits than parks. ^[1]

Everyday Benefits

Nature therapy offers many benefits for general well-being and everyday life, too. For one, it’s a very simple way to reduce stress, which is becoming increasingly more important in our fast-paced society. Nature therapy can help lower cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure. This is important not only for immediate relaxation and calmness, it also supports general health over the long-term. ^{[2] [3]}

Other benefits of regular nature exposure include: ^[3]

• Enhanced cognitive function, such as attention and creativity
• Increased levels of physical activity
• Improved cardiovascular and metabolic health
• Better sleep
• Decreased risk of obesity

Types of Nature Therapy

There are several types of nature therapy, each of which hold their own unique benefits. The most common types of nature therapy are:

• Forest bathing
• Horticultural therapy
• Wilderness therapy

Forest bathing (referred to as “Shinrin-yoku” in Japan) simply involves walking in a forest environment and inhaling all of the fragrances released by trees and other plants. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system relatively quickly, leading to significant mental and physical relaxation and invigoration. It can also be combined with purposeful exercise too, such as hiking or biking. ^[6]

Horticultural therapy refers to gardening and plant caretaking activities led by a therapist to help achieve specific treatment goals. Activities often include learning about plants, digging soil, trimming leaves, and weeding. It can be used for many situations, such as reducing stress and improving mental health, providing a sense of accomplishment and productivity, and connecting with others for greater socialization and team-building. ^[5]

Wilderness therapy typically involves a variety of outdoor activities and adventures in the wilderness, along with structured therapy. It is most often used to treat behavioral problems, substance use disorders, and mental health disorders in adolescents and young adults.

Other types of nature therapy include animal-assisted therapy, nature meditations, and green exercise (or simply exercising in a natural setting).

Virtual Nature Therapy

With advancements in technology, virtual nature therapy is another potentially beneficial option, especially if access to natural environments is limited. At the most basic level, virtual nature therapy involves viewing images or videos of natural environments. But it can also involve virtual reality sessions, in which individuals are able to observe a simulated 3D natural environment. ^[8]

Overall, virtual nature therapy seems beneficial for mood, stress, and reinvigoration. ^[8]

Risks and Considerations

Nature therapies are very safe and low-risk for the majority of individuals. But exposure to nature does have its risks, such as bug and insect bites, sunburn, allergies, contact with wild animals, and the potential for falls or other injuries. Always talk with your doctor and/or therapist before engaging in nature therapy, especially if you have any medical conditions or take prescription medications.

Moreover, there are several ethical considerations with nature therapy, such as confidentiality and informed consent. Make sure you look for qualified therapists and ask them any important questions you have beforehand, so you know exactly what to expect.

How to Find Nature Therapy Sessions

Several organizations offer information on how to find nature therapy sessions near you. This includes:

• The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (this link takes you to a listing of guides you can search for, based on your location. It’s an international service and includes dozens of different countries, particularly those in North America and Europe.
• Nature Based Therapists: This link is a directory of nature-based therapists in the United States and Canada.
• Nature Therapy Link: Offers nature therapy listings for select states in the US.

Additionally, you can always ask your doctor or therapist if they know of nature therapy programs and/or nature therapists near you.

What if You Don’t Live Near Nature?

Even if you don’t live near nature, there are still things you can do to benefit. For example, even if you’re in the city, there is often at least some form of nature around. Research has shown that simply going outside where there are some form of natural substances (e.g., trees in a city park) can lead to benefits for stress, mood, and overall well-being. ^[1]

Other things that you can do to still experience the positive effects of nature include:

• Incorporate natural plants into your house
• Watch videos or documentaries detailing natural environments
• Exercising outdoors
• Take planned trips to visit nature (such as a weekend getaway to a natural park)

Utilizing Nature Therapy at Home

There are many ways to utilize nature therapy at home and experience its benefits. The best part about nature therapy is that it really doesn’t require you to do anything other than go outside and observe the natural environment. You can also:

• Exercise outside
• Fill your house with plants
• Garden
• Spend time outside/in nature while journaling or meditating

There really is no wrong way to incorporate nature therapy at home; just do what feels right for you.

Summary

Nature therapy holds many benefits for mental health and overall well-being. Reconnecting with the natural world is a simple, yet powerful way to reduce stress, improve mood, and foster feelings of connectedness, among many other benefits. Whether you incorporate structured nature therapy sessions under the guidance of a professional therapist, or simply seek out more nature on your own time, you will likely receive benefits that add to overall life quality.

Nature Therapy FAQs

Listed below are frequently asked questions about nature therapy.

Is nature therapy the same as ecotherapy?

Yes, nature therapy and ecotherapy are essentially the same thing. They both refer to intentional time spent in natural environments to improve health and well-being.

Is nature therapy suitable for children?

Yes, nature therapy is absolutely suitable for children. It may help with behavioral issues, self-esteem, socialization, physical activity, and many other important factors for children.

Will my insurance cover nature therapy?

Coverage of nature therapy varies widely based on location and the specific insurance company. Always ask your insurance company to see what coverage you have.

Author

Jack Cincotta

Jack Cincotta holds a M.S. degree in Psychology. He is also a board-certified holistic health practitioner through AADP and an AFPA-certified holistic health coach and nutritionist.

Activity History - Last updated: March 19, 2026, Published date: March 19, 2026

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Reviewer

Kaye SmithPhD

Dr. Smith is a behavioral health coach, clinician, writer, and educator with over 15 years of experience in psychotherapy, coaching, teaching, and writing.

Activity History - Medically reviewed on April 8, 2026 and last checked on March 19, 2026