What is Ecotherapy?

cfarris7777
Sep 18
2 min read

Ecotherapy is an umbrella term for activities that incorporate human–nature relationships to improve mental and physical health and wellbeing. By reconnecting people with nature, ecotherapy moves beyond individualistic, neoliberal views of human health and wellbeing to take a systems view centered on sustainability and interconnection of human and planetary health.

Also referred to using terms such as nature-assisted therapy, greens social prescribing, nature-based interventions, or green care eco-therapeutic activities can vary. Some may include psychotherapy in outdoor spaces, hiking while engaging in talk therapy, or mindfulness meditation in natural environments. Others involve gardening, bushcraft, or birdwatching. All activities are undertaken with an ecological consciousness and utilise natural settings or processes as an integral part of the therapeutic activity. In line with this variety of activities, there is also great heterogeneity in terms of the type of nature utilised, duration of exposure, level of interaction, and presence of other people. Whilst often implemented within healthcare contexts, ecotherapy can be administered in education or community-based settings as part of a preventative approach to public health.

Ecotherapy interventions offer co-benefits spanning individual, social, and environmental outcomes. Large-scale, country-wide, longitudinal studies link residential greenness with better mental health. Spending 120 min, or more, per week in nature is associated with improvements in self-rated overall health and life satisfaction, especially when engagement involves simple activities or fosters nature connection. Ecotherapy builds upon these links to devise interventions that purposefully utilise nature to support individual health and wellbeing.