Nature Therapy

Imagine yourself walking through a forest of cedar and spruce…

…the ground is soft beneath your feet…

The scent of the trees wafting through your experience…

Sunlight filters down through the canopy…

You pause to observe a small bird twittering on a low branch.

Somehow, you feel softer and more alive out here – like a version of yourself you’d like to spend more time with.

The evidence is in, and research has found…

…that time in nature reduces stress and depression. Nature therapy calms the mental anguish resulting from busy schedules, unhealed trauma, and a society that directly ties worth to productivity.

As a society, we spend more time indoors and on screens, often isolated and disconnected from the natural world.

Nature therapy seeks to bring us into greater harmony and connection with ourselves and with nature.

The natural world is a wonderful place for therapy.

It’s a great venue for coming into supported contact with your body.

Individual sessions are available in the San Diego area. If time allows, I encourage my clients to meet in one of the nearby national forests, located about an hour outside San Diego. Options include: Cuyamaca Mountains or Cleveland National Forest, or Mount Laguna.

Closer locations include the Mission Trails recreation area or one of San Diego’s beautiful green spaces: The Presidio or Mission Dolores park.

We will discuss your needs and establish a specific location ahead of time.

Here’s what we can do for nature therapy…

Somatic Experiencing (SE)

SE is a body-based approach to healing trauma and chronic stress. But instead of processing the trauma verbally from your conscious memory, SE examines it directly as it’s reflected in your body. We’ll look at how your body responds to memories (e.g., breathing, posture, or expressions), gathering insight into the experience and how it affected you. SE is a highly specialized technique requiring years of training, and it’s the mainstay of my practice. If you would like more detail, please read my Somatic Experiencing page.

Forest Bathing

Also called “shinrin yoku,” forest bathing is the Japanese art of engaging your five senses in the natural world. Instead of walking or hiking with a destination or goal in mind, forest bathing encourages you to be present in nature, moving slowly and allowing your senses to take in the environment fully.

Qi Gong

Qi Gong is a practice developed thousands of years ago in China. Unlike Tai Chi, it has no martial application and is used solely for health and healing. Qi Gong involves gentle movement and subtle strengthening, focusing on fluidity and ease.

Time in nature benefits your mental and emotional health!

I find time in nature deeply healing of its own accord, and doing so with therapeutic intention provides you with a healthy counterbalance to your busy life.

If you are ready to feel more connected, slow down, react less, and enjoy the outdoors and movement, then nature therapy is a great option!

Give me a call to schedule your free 20-minute phone consultation, and we can chat about the best option to meet your needs: (619) 432-2991.

Reach out, and let’s get started!