Nature Based Therapy: How Getting Outdoors can Change Your Brain
Nature Based Therapy: How Getting Outdoors can Change Your Brain
Have you ever noticed how a walk along the ocean, time spent in the woods, or simply sitting outside can make you feel a little more at ease?
Maybe your thoughts slow down, your shoulders relax, or something that felt overwhelming earlier in the day suddenly seems a little more manageable.
There's actually some interesting science behind why this happens. Research suggests that spending time in natural environments can influence how our brains respond to stress, process emotions, and manage attention. While nature isn't a cure-all for mental health challenges, it can be a valuable resource for supporting psychological well-being. And increasingly, therapists are exploring ways to bring these benefits into the counselling experience through nature-based therapy.
What Happens to Your Brain When You Spend Time in Nature?
Our brains are constantly responding to the environments around us. Between work responsibilities, notifications, traffic, and the demands of everyday life, it's easy to spend much of our time in environments that require continuous attention. Natural environments can offer a different kind of experience. Instead of constantly directing our attention toward tasks and responsibilities, we might notice the movement of trees, the sound of waves, or the feeling of fresh air. Researchers have been studying how these experiences influence the brain, and some of the findings are particularly interesting.
1. Nature May Help Quiet the Brain's Stress Response
One of the most interesting findings comes from a 2022 study published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Researchers in Germany examined what happened to participants' brain activity after a 60-minute walk through either a forest or a busy urban environment. They found that participants who walked through the forest showed reduced activity in the amygdala, a region of the brain involved in processing emotionally significant information, including potential threats. Participants who walked through the urban environment did not show the same reduction.
Why does this matter?
The amygdala plays an important role in how we respond to stressful or threatening situations. When we're experiencing ongoing stress, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed, our threat-response systems can become particularly sensitive.
The findings suggest that spending time in nature may help influence how the brain processes stress. It's important to recognize that this was a relatively small study, and reduced amygdala activity doesn't necessarily mean someone will immediately feel calmer. However, it offers an interesting glimpse into how our surroundings may influence the brain.
2. Getting Outdoors May Help Reduce Overthinking
Have you ever found yourself replaying a conversation, worrying about something that hasn't happened, or getting stuck thinking about what you could have done differently?
Psychologists sometimes refer to this as rumination: repetitive thinking that tends to focus on
distressing experiences, concerns, or negative perceptions of ourselves. Rumination is associated with difficulties such as anxiety and depression.
A 2015 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explored whether spending time in nature could influence this pattern. Participants completed a 90-minute walk through either a natural environment or an urban setting. Those who walked through nature reported less rumination and demonstrated reduced activity in a brain region associated with repetitive, self-focused negative thinking. This doesn't mean that going for a hike will make difficult thoughts disappear. However, it suggests that natural environments may help create opportunities to shift our attention away from repetitive thinking. For someone who spends much of their day worrying, problem-solving, or feeling mentally overwhelmed, that change in attention can be meaningful.
3. Nature Can Give Your Attention a Chance to Recover
Our ability to concentrate isn't unlimited. Throughout the day, we use what's called directed attention to focus on tasks, manage distractions, and complete responsibilities. Whether you're working, studying, managing family responsibilities, or simply trying to keep up with everything on your to-do list, that constant demand can become mentally tiring. One explanation for the restorative effects of nature is Attention Restoration Theory.
This theory suggests that natural environments can engage our attention in a gentler, less demanding way. Think about watching waves roll onto a beach or noticing the movement of leaves in the wind. These experiences can capture our interest without requiring the same deliberate concentration as answering emails or navigating a busy schedule.
Researchers suggest that this type of engagement may help restore some of our capacity for directed attention. Although the evidence varies across studies, research into nature exposure and cognitive functioning suggests that spending time outdoors may support certain aspects of attention and mental restoration. This may help explain why taking a walk outside can sometimes leave us feeling mentally refreshed, even when the responsibilities waiting for us haven't changed.
4. Spending Time Outdoors May Support Emotional Well-Being
The relationship between nature and mental health extends beyond brain activity.
Researchers have also examined how structured outdoor activities influence symptoms of anxiety, depression, and overall psychological well-being.
A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis examined 50 studies involving nature-based interventions, including activities such as gardening, outdoor exercise, and nature-based therapeutic programs. The researchers found evidence that these interventions could help improve depressive mood, reduce anxiety, and support positive emotional experiences.
Similarly, a 2023 systematic review involving researchers affiliated with institutions in Spain and Canada examined randomized controlled trials of green prescriptions. The review found that many of the included studies reported improvements in psychological health and well-being, although the researchers also identified limitations in the available evidence.
These findings are encouraging, but they don't mean that spending time outside works the same way for everyone.
Our experiences with nature are influenced by many things, including accessibility, physical comfort, personal preferences, weather, and whether an environment feels safe.
For some people, a quiet forest trail feels restorative. For others, it might be sitting beside the ocean, gardening, or spending time in a familiar neighbourhood park.
The goal isn't to find the perfect outdoor activity. It's to find a way of connecting with nature that feels comfortable and meaningful to you.
What Is Nature-Based Therapy?
Nature-based therapy brings elements of the natural environment into the therapeutic experience.
Rather than always meeting in a traditional office, a therapist and client may engage in counselling while walking outdoors, sitting in a natural setting, or participating in other carefully selected activities. The outdoor environment becomes part of the therapeutic experience, but the counselling itself remains intentional and guided by the client's needs.
Depending on the individual, nature-based therapy may incorporate:
Walk-and-talk counselling sessions
Mindfulness and grounding exercises
Gentle hiking or time spent in natural settings
Opportunities to explore thoughts and emotions through movement
Nature-based activities that encourage reflection and self-awareness
For some people, walking side by side can make conversations feel more comfortable than sitting face to face. Others may find that being outdoors helps them feel more present, notice physical sensations, or engage with difficult emotions at a manageable pace.
Nature-based therapy isn't simply going for a walk with a therapist. It combines professional therapeutic support with intentional use of the outdoor environment.
It's also important to distinguish between research on general nature exposure and research specifically examining psychotherapy outdoors. Although both areas are promising, further research is needed to understand which approaches work best, for whom, and under what circumstances.
Nature-Based Therapy in Newfoundland and Labrador
Living in Newfoundland and Labrador gives us access to a wide variety of natural environments.
From coastal trails and wooded parks to beaches and quiet green spaces, there are many opportunities to experience nature close to home.
In the St. John's and Mount Pearl area, locations such as Powers Pond, Manuals River, and
sections of the East Coast Trail offer different ways to connect with the outdoors.
And you don't need to be an experienced hiker to benefit. Sometimes, a gentle walk or a few minutes sitting outside is enough to create an opportunity to slow down.
At True Life Counselling and Psychotherapy, nature-based therapy combines professional counselling with thoughtfully selected outdoor experiences.With a background in outdoor education and adventure guiding alongside my training as a psychotherapist, I'm passionate about creating opportunities for people to explore therapy beyond the traditional office setting.
Sessions are adapted to individual comfort levels, therapeutic goals, and physical abilities, with safety, privacy, and accessibility considered throughout the process. Nature-based therapy isn't necessarily the right fit for everyone, and that's okay. The goal is to offer another way of engaging in meaningful therapeutic work.
How Much Time in Nature Do You Actually Need?
One of the encouraging things about research on nature and mental health is that meaningful experiences don't necessarily require an entire day outdoors.
Canada's national nature prescription initiative, PaRx, encourages people to make time in nature part of their regular health routines. Its recommendations draw on research suggesting that spending approximately two hours per week in natural environments is associated with better self-reported health and well-being.
However, this isn't a strict threshold, and the research doesn't establish that everyone needs exactly two hours to experience benefits. What matters is finding realistic opportunities to spend time outside. That might mean walking around your neighbourhood after work, sitting beside the ocean on a weekend, enjoying a local park, or taking a few minutes to notice the natural environment around you. You don't need expensive equipment, a challenging hike, or a perfectly planned outdoor adventure.
Nature doesn't have to become another thing on your to-do list.
A Different Way to Think About Mental Health
We often think about mental health in terms of what's happening inside us: our thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and relationships. But our environments matter, too. Where we spend our time can influence how we feel, where our attention goes, and how we respond to stress.
Research into nature and the brain is continuing to develop, but the findings so far offer an encouraging reminder that supporting mental health doesn't always have to happen within four walls. Sometimes, creating space to slow down, move our bodies, notice our surroundings, and connect with the natural world can be a meaningful part of caring for ourselves. And for those interested in exploring these experiences within counselling, nature-based therapy offers another option for therapeutic support.
Interested in learning more about nature-based therapy in Mount Pearl or St. John's?
True Life Counselling and Psychotherapy offers individual counselling and nature-based therapy for adults in the St. John's and Mount Pearl area. You can explore the nature-based therapy services available or book an initial consultation to discuss whether outdoor counselling might be a good fit for you!
Research and References
Sudimac, S., Sale, V., & Kühn, S. (2022). How nature nurtures: Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a one-hour walk in nature. Molecular Psychiatry, 27, 4446–4452. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01720-6
Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., Hahn, K. S., Daily, G. C., & Gross, J. J. (2015). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(28), 8567–8572. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510459112
Coventry, P. A., et al. (2021). Nature-based outdoor activities for mental and physical health: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SSM - Population Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34646931/
Adewuyi, F. A., Knobel, P., Gogna, P., & Dadvand, P. (2023). Health effects of green prescription: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Environmental Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116844
Ma, J., Lin, P., & Williams, J. (2023). Effectiveness of nature-based walking interventions in improving mental health in adults: A systematic review. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05112-z
BC Parks Foundation. PaRx: A Prescription for Nature. https://www.parkprescriptions.ca/
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2024). Nature prescribing: Emerging insights about reconciliation-based and culturally inclusive approaches from a tricultural community health centre. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada.
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