Gain a better understanding of the impact of nature therapy for sensory, cognitive, and emotional development.

Traditional training in the healing arts, including medicine and psychotherapy, neglects the largest, most available source of healing available: the world of nature. Furthermore, the increasing disconnection from nature found in the industrialized world carries a heavy psychological and physical price. Ecotherapy is an umbrella term for a range of modalities, exercises, and treatments that reestablish healing relations with nature, place, and Earth. This topic will introduce ecotherapy, touch on its history, summarize research supporting its effectiveness, and offer examples of its methods for use in a variety of settings. As we will see, ecotherapy does not require extensive nature hikes or wilderness excursions: it can even be performed indoors.