Ecotherapy: Plants in Therapeutic Healing

By: Elsa Matsumoto, LCSW

What is Ecotherapy?

Ecotherapy, also known as Nature Therapy and Horticulture Therapy, is the practice of being in the presence of nature to promote wellness, healing, and improve mental health. Although the method is known by several terms, each one has different professional criteria for who can practice them.

Ecotherapy can be facilitated by:

Licensed Mental health professional such as a Psychologist, Clinical Social Worker, or Marriage and Family Therapist, paired with gardening training.

A Registered Horticulture Therapist

The Benefits of Ecotherapy

Nature is an ideal healing space as it provides freedom to liberate ourselves from thoughts and feelings held internally and deeply. We can connect with nature using symbolism and metaphors by identifying parallels between its cyclical seasons and our minds.

It can be challenging to get in tune with emotions in a society that normalizes living life on autopilot. We miss the internal cues in our mind, body, and spirit that warn us that we are headed towards depression and anxiety. Before we know it, we have trouble balancing work and personal life, worrying more often, feeling fatigued, and skipping out on things that used to bring us joy. These are common signs that it is a good time for a nature prescription.

Studies have shown that there could be an increase in positive thinking simply by looking at images of greenery and even more so by being in nature. Stepping outside into the fresh air nudges our sympathetic nervous system (the "breaks" to our autonomic nervous system). It allows our mind the space to improve our patience and reduces stress. (Ivans, 2018, p.18)

Environmental psychologists at the University of Michigan have evaluated the effects of natural elements on a person's mental fatigue. They discovered that by looking at these images, their brains were better able to recover and rest from their everyday demands. (Ivans, 2018, p.19)

The Journal of Affective Disorders shared an analysis that identified a positive relationship between natural environments and their effect on improved moods and self-esteem, which are critical elements for happiness. (Ivans, 2018, p.21)

As an ecotherapist, I use the elements of nature as a tool to help my clients feel safe throughout the therapeutic journey. Feeling numb is a common symptom of depression. With the help of the sensory experience of plants, their colors, and textures, I can begin to help clients re-experience sensations even if they start outside themselves.

Anxiety results from constant thoughts, worries, and fears of what could potentially happen beyond the present moment. The role of nature and plants when working with anxiety is to invite them to be in the present moment and allow the mind to rest, even if it is just for a few seconds. Using the senses, we can ground ourselves by observing the colors and the textures of plants, soil, and water.

Ecotherapy involves processing thoughts and feelings using natural elements on a deeper level that only a professional can do. However, here are a few tips you can do on your own to help improve your overall wellness:

Fifteen minutes of sunlight - Fifteen minutes of sunlight helps produce serotonin, the mood-stabilizing chemical in our brain that later turns into melatonin, the chemical that helps us with restful sleep.
Listen to sounds: In as little as one minute, find a safe space outside where you can sit or stand and listen to the sounds. How many sounds can you identify? How many different birds can you hear?
Shades of green: Take a minute to notice the different shades of green around you. You will be surprised by the many shades of green that you will see.

References:

Ivens,S. (2018) Forest Therapy: Seasonal Ways to Embrace Nature for a Happier You.Piatkus