The potential to grow relationships with nature as co-therapist
(Themes: social, connection, relationships, ecofeminism, women, ritual, social inclusion, communication, expression)
The wellbeing practice of nature-based therapy (NBT) goes by many names, including ecotherapy, forest bathing, forest therapy, grounding, earthing, Shinrin-Yoku or Sami Lok. Although NBT applications and processes may look different, the common thread is connecting with the wonders of the natural world such as plants, oceans, animals, mountains, and stars. In its highest expression, NBT holds deep reverence for indigenous knowledge, wisdom and living, such as the reciprocal relationships between people and their environment, and may involve creative nature-based practices, nature immersion, and holistic counselling and healthcare through experiential learning and sensory experiences.
NBT can be infused into many traditional services and settings including education and early learning, healthcare, therapy services, homes, rehabilitation and even prisons.
This research essay explores how NBT can support girls, teens and young women living with disability or neurodivergence to develop and deepen their relationships with themselves, others, and community - ultimately leading to a greater sense of connectedness.
The integration of relationships and nature parallels my own life experiences. Nature has been my greatest source of security and safety and has held me through deep initiations in life. Being in nature has allowed me to develop my relationships, by offering a non-judgemental space to deeply listen and strengthen my relationship with self-love, grief, surrender, gratitude, trust, non-judgement, patience, seasons and cycles, animals and people, traditional living, food, creativity, awe, inspiration, resilience, inner peace, and a feeling of greater spiritual connection. Nature organically embodies these qualities, and has inspired me to commit to developing my relationship with her in all aspects of my life, from the food I eat, to the skincare or clothing I wear, to the programs and values I teach.
On a more personal level, the inspiration and heart of writing this article stems from sharing 26 years of my life with my triplet brother Pierce, who lived with Down Syndrome and Autism. He was my greatest teacher in communication and connecting from a place that transcends much deeper soil. This naturally led me to a career in Speech Pathology, with special interests in language, communication, connecting and relationships. I recognise that my life experiences are not separate from nature, but mirror nature through their own seasons and cycles. I believe as a species, we are inherently social beings and seek a sense of connection. Like our biological cells, we are constantly in communication. This runs deeper than the words we might speak, like mycelium beneath the forest floor. Relationships are not just between humans, but the authentic connection we feel within ourselves and life around us in every unfolding moment.
1.In Connections, Compassion and co-healing: The Ecology of relationships (2017), D. Mitten explores the value of outdoor education and nature-based experiences for women as a radical act of Ecofeminism, which suggests the way Western cultures treat women, parallels how Western cultures treat the natural world or Mother Earth.
Mitten suggests that mindfully made outdoor nature-based programs have the potential to heal our relationships with ourselves and others, including developing positive emotional attachment to the natural world, where there is the potential to see nature as part of ourselves and develop a greater sense of connection. It shows us that as social, relational beings, all relationships are embedded and entangled, and tending to these relationships is integral to every dimension of our lives.
Nature connections such as through outdoor programs offer the opportunity for participants to experience an ecology of relationships that supports learning about ourselves, as well as the potential to develop secure attachments and positive relationships.
2. A case study completed by Ronen Berger (2006), explored contact with nature, creativity, and rituals as a therapeutic medium for children with learning difficulties. The program was intended to improve communication skills, positive interactions from participants, and group collaboration, as well as self-esteem and confidence.
The study suggests that a low verbal and cognitively demanding setting such as the natural environment, supports the implementation of creative and experiential methods that may be more suited to this demographic. The nature-based program integrated seasons, where autumn was based in a familiar location and set the rituals in place, winter involved longer explorations and building individual homes using natural materials. This home was a sacred space that was revisited weekly. This process offered a sense of individuation. Finally, in the spring and summer, participants were encouraged to transition to new space and build a home together. This final unit encouraged group coherence, trust and intimacy, where the group’s safe space was to be maintained and cared for collectively.
The program meaningfully impacted participants, who previously had minimal engagement with one another led to a more symbiotic experience where care, communication and collaboration was observed.
According to (Polak, 2000) “it seems that such an approach has been used successfully in group and individual settings, to develop social skills, self-confidence, and self-esteem, and provide opportunities for personal exploration and expression (Polak, 2000). Essentially, nature provided a means for experiential and non-spoken exploration. The program offered a nurturing space to develop skills including communication, cooperation, creativity, curiosity, flexibility and positive attitudes towards nature, all of which improve social and psychological wellbeing. Creating a safe, sensuous environment clear of human judgment or prejudice allowed participants to “develop skills and expand personal issues in experiential ways which might not have been possible in the indoor and everyday environment.” (Berger, 2006).
3. An article published by occupational therapists Andrea Kormanik and Alysha Skuthan explores how autistic children benefit from outdoor sensory activities in a way that holistically develops their physical, mental, and social health. Growth was observed across areas including participation, motivation, interest, and engagement in natural settings.
According to (Dankiw 2020, Gill 2015, McQuay 2020 and Figueroa 2020) evidence supports the benefits of nature play on child development and stresses the value of nature as co-therapist in settings for autistic children. (Firby & Rain 2023) state that “spending time in nature leads to a sense of belonging and inclusivity. This follows alongside other professionals who back an increase in creativity and social play, strengthened relationships and growth in self-control, self-awareness, and communication. Nature-based therapeutic experiences create greater opportunity for connectedness through collaboration and organic initiation of interactions with others.
4. A pilot study completed by (Sonya L. Jakubec, Don Carruthers Den Hoed, Heather Ray & Ashok Krishnamurthy (2016) titled “Mental well-being and quality-of-life benefits of inclusion in nature for adults with disabilities and their caregivers” shared a poignant statement I reflect on often, “we are all participants in nature’.
Through the inclusive and non-judgemental space of the natural world, reimagined social relations was documented and shared the evolving experiences participants had of self and others, and their relationship with the environment. These outcomes align with scholar Conradson’s theory (Conradson, 2005) of nature-based settings highlighting the relational properties embedded within nature.
Inclusive nature experiences enhanced the wellbeing of participants through the realms of balanced relating and experiences of self. Noted was the promising connection between inclusive nature experiences and fulfilment with relationships, health, love, serving and community. Davis (1998) provided this eco-psychological shift in power relations through the transpersonal parts of being in nature.
5. A systematic review (Ashby Lavelle Sachs et al, 2024) explored the effectiveness of nature-based social prescribing practices to combat loneliness. Loneliness can be defined as a “subjective unpleasant or distressing feeling of a lack of connection to other people, along with a desire for more satisfying, social relationships”
(Badcock et al 2022) This can accompany a sense of social isolation, however the two do not necessarily coexist. Women with disabilities are substantially more inclined to experience feelings of loneliness and social isolation. In 2024, rates of loneliness for people living with disability were higher compared to previous years.
Social prescribing is an innovative non-clinical approach intended to improve social connectedness and wellbeing. It invites others to engage with community through activities such as volunteering, arts, conversation groups, cookery, carpentry, games, sports or group learning. Some may have a particular focus on integrating nature, which is the case for this systematic review. The systematic review evaluated a range of social nature-based physical activities, nature elements and gardening-based interventions, with all 38 publications providing a generous evidence base for reducing loneliness. Studies relating to youth populations presented moderate to strong outcomes. Encouraging findings show spending time in nature may support social bonding, cohesion and openness towards social relationships. (Goldy and Piff, 2020, Oh et al., 2022). Social prescribing programs are becoming an increasingly recognised antidote to loneliness and social isolation, which is commonly experienced among the demographic of focus.
To improve these statistics and reach a wider range of people, we must address the systemic barriers and structural challenges by providing more inclusive environments that cater to unique sensory, neurological, cognitive, and communicative needs to make social prescribing programs more accessible to all.
6. A study “Responding to Nature: Natural Environments improve Parent-Child Communication”, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology (Volume 59, October 2018, Pages 9-15) explores the effects of natural environments on communication between parent and child. Outcomes showed that communication between parents and their toddler or young child was more effective and connected when situated in natural environments, compared to indoors settings. This study encourages the ways in which engaging in the natural world can positively promote communication and connection with others, ultimately ripening the opportunity to nurture relationships.
Conclusion.
There is potential to grow relationships with nature as co-therapist. In a world that seems increasingly disconnected, offering nature-based therapeutic experiences is an encouraging step towards mitigating social isolation within vulnerable and at-risk populations, such as girls, teens and young women living with disability or neurodivergence. Relevant research articles suggest promising results in wellbeing and particularly social domains of health. For those who are overwhelmed by the sting of society, or seeking a gentler sense of connection, NBT offers a refreshing antidote where the subtler relationships we share between ourselves and nature can be gently fostered and nurtured.
Nature connections can be weaved into experiences and programs that support girls, teens and young women living with disability or neurodivergence as a multidimensional experience that can complement traditional approaches or even form the basis of new programs. Gaps in research include accommodations for social prescribing programs that meet people with disabilities unique needs, and therapy outcome measures that can capture genuine results that align within a neuro-affirming and trauma-informed paradigm.
References:
- Ashby Lavelle Sachs, Kolster, A., Wrigley, J., Papon, V., Nerkez Opacin, Hill, N., Howarth, M., Rochau, U., Hidalgo, L., Casajuana, C., Siebert, U., Gerhard, J., Daher, C. and Litt, J. (2024). Connecting through nature: A systematic review of the effectiveness of nature-based social prescribing practices to combat loneliness.
Landscape and urban planning, 248, pp.105071-105071. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2024.106071
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2024). Social Isolation and Loneliness [online] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/mental-health/topic-areas/social-isolation-and-loneliness.
- Berger, R. (2006). Using contact with nature, creativity and rituals as a therapeutic medium with children with learning difficulties: a case study. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 11(2), pp.135-146.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13632750600619430
- Cameron-Faulkner, T., Melville, J. and Gattis, M. (2018). Responding to nature: Natural environments improve parent-child communication. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 59, pp.9-15. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.08.008
- Jakubec, S.L., Carruthers Den Hoed, D., Ray, H. and Krishnamurthy, A. (2016). Mental well-being and quality-of-life benefits of inclusion in nature for adults with disabilities and their caregivers. Landscape Research, 41(6), pp.616-627. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2016.1197190
- MHNE_Staff (2024). Harnessing the Power of Nature: Outdoor Sensory Activities for Autism Spectrum Disorder. [online] Autism Spectrum News. Available at: https://autismspectrumnews.org/outdoor-sensory-activities-for-autism-spectrum-
- Mitten, D. (2017). Connections, Compassion, and co-healing: The Ecology of Relationships. In disorder/. Springer eBooks(pp. 173–186). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2550-1_12