What Is Nature Therapy?

Nature-based therapy—sometimes called ecotherapy or green care—involves using natural environments and elements as part of mental health treatment. It includes outdoor activities like walking in green spaces, gardening, or simply sitting quietly under trees. It can also involve structured forest therapy, animal-assisted interventions, or even art therapy using natural materials or symbols.

These aren’t just feel-good add-ons. Increasingly, systematic reviews and meta-analyses (the big-picture research that pulls lots of studies together) are showing positive outcomes for people living with depressive disorders, anxiety symptoms, and other psychiatric conditions. Nature-based interventions can improve PHQ-9 scores, reduce suicidal ideation, and support those with treatment-resistant depression. That’s not woo-woo—that’s evidence.

Why Does It Help?

The benefits of nature for mental health go deep. When people spend time in natural environments—especially forest environments or near blue spaces like rivers, lakes, and the sea—it can lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety levels, and improve mood. This isn’t just anecdotal. Observational studies, cross-sectional studies, and even cohort studies have linked frequent participation in nature with reduced depressive symptoms and better quality of life.

There’s a theory that being in nature helps rebalance functional brain networks, encouraging brain network integration—especially in people with major depression. Nature seems to gently support what clinicians call cognitive restructuring—the ability to shift perspective. It doesn’t tell you to think positive. It just gives you space to see clearly.

Even in urban environments, green pockets—parks, community gardens, nature strips—can offer these restorative experiences. Engagement in nature, even at a modest level, has shown beneficial effects on both mental and physical health. And when there’s social interaction—say, a walking group or a community-based garden—the positive effects can multiply.

Making It Part of Everyday Life

You don’t need to live off-grid to benefit. It starts with stepping outside. Find a park. A green space. Visit the beach. Sit under a tree. If you live in the city, look for even the smallest signs of life—birds, clouds, leaves cracking through pavement. These are nature elements, and they matter. You’re not just passing time—you’re recharging.

If you’re struggling with the symptoms of depression, you’re not alone. Talk to your GP. If you're already connected to mental health services, ask whether they include or refer to nature-based activities. More practitioners are starting to partner with community-based organisations to include nature-based treatments as part of a broader, integrative therapy program.

And yes, the researchers are still figuring out the finer details—frequency of participation, interaction effects, score at week, baseline to week shifts, and all the rest. Journals like PLOS ONE, J. Environ, and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health are publishing more of it every year. But honestly, the old folks knew it all along: spend time with the land, and the land will spend time with you.

A Final Word

Depression isn’t weakness. It’s an illness—like a broken leg, only quieter. But even the hardest days can be softened by a bit of green and a bit of quiet.

Nature doesn’t fix everything. But she’s good company while you heal. And sometimes, that’s enough to get through today.