Harnessing Nature’s Power with Nature Informed Therapy (NIT)

Nature Informed Therapy (NIT) is a type of nature-based therapy that combines the healing power of nature with established psychological treatments.

You can apply elements of NIT inside or outside of therapy, deepening your sense of belonging with the natural world.

Nature-Informed Therapy sees nature as the agent of change, and believes in the power of the natural world to restore the connection to self and others.

There is no singular way to practice Nature-Informed Therapy. It can look like a “walk-and-talk” appointment where you and your therapist will have a traditional session while walking at a gentle pace in a natural setting, or it could involve sitting in camping chairs at a local park or natural area. Aspects of NIT can be integrated into a traditional office or telehealth visit as well.

At its core, you will explore your connection to nature and then build on this connection through deeper interaction, gratitude, and advocacy with the natural environment. Here are tips on how to harness nature’s healing power:

1. Nature as Self-Care: Engaging with the natural environment 2+ hours per week is associated with an improvement in mood, creativity, and ability to focus and recall information as well as reductions in levels of stress, anxiety, and aggression.

2. Biophilic Design: Decorate your space with elements of nature. Green has been shown to exact the least strain of any color on our eyes. Sounds of running water, gentle wind, and birdsong have been shown to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Stones, shells, and wood can be excellent grounding tools. Aromatherapy with essential oils can be soothing as smell offers the most direct path of the 5 senses to our amygdala. Be creative!

3. Nature Enhanced Toolbox: Integrate nature-inspired interventions for holistic healing. NIT uses many experiential tools. Some of these include going for a gratitude or awe walk, valuing rituals and metaphors as part of healing, and looking to nature for universal truths like interconnectedness, continuity, cycles, reciprocity, and sacredness of life. My favorite activity is the ‘sit spot’ practice because reciprocity starts with a willingness to attend.

4. Walk & Talk: This can be integrated into therapy sessions to imbue the session with a more fluid, unfolding, and experiential dynamic. This encourages more mutuality and authenticity between client and therapist, and utilizes nature as a “co-therapist” to work within the here-and-now.

The nature-informed biopsychosocial-spiritual model recognizes that interactions with the natural world can signifcantly impact an individual’s well-being. NIT draws from well researched and evidenced based principles such as mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MB-CBT), psycho-evolutionary concepts, attention restoration theory, attachment theory, and psycho-spiritual concepts. 

Want to know more about NIT?

Reach out to our administrative staff to inquire about a Nature Informed Therapy session with Michael Grassa, LMHC.

Or, check out the Center for Nature Informed Therapy to learn more about how to cultivate a healing reconnection with the natural world.