What is Nature Connected Therapy?
Nature Connected Therapy draws upon nature’s health benefits and wisdom to promote children’s health, development and social -emotional wellbeing. It blends traditional therapeutic processes and tools (for example, in psychotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy or physical therapy), with the calming, grounding, engaging, and inspiring qualities of nature to enhance the therapeutic process and optimize health outcomes. Contact with nature may be direct (e.g. nature play and immersive experiences, facilitated interactions with animals) and/or indirect (e.g. through story, metaphor, imagery, and immersive virtual/augmented reality).
Nature Connected
Occupational Therapy
Nature Connected Occupational Therapy for children and youth integrates evidence-informed occupational therapy approaches with nature-inspired strategies to support growing independence and meaningful participation in everyday activities such as self-care, learning, and play. Centered on children’s lived experiences, therapy fosters social-emotional skills, physical literacy, and ecological awareness through movement, play, and connection with nature. Interventions may include direct or indirect contact with nature (e.g., outdoor play-based sessions, animal-assisted interactions, nature-based metaphor and imagery, or immersive virtual experiences) to enhance engagement and therapeutic outcomes.
Nature Connected
Counselling & Psychotherapy
Nature Connected Counselling & Psychotherapy for children and youth integrates evidence-informed therapeutic approaches (e.g., play-based, attachment-informed, cognitive-behavioural, and mindfulness-based approaches) with nature-inspired strategies to support adaptive coping and social- emotional well being. Interventions may include direct or indirect contact with nature (e.g., outdoor play-based sessions, animal-assisted interactions, nature-based metaphor and imagery, or immersive virtual experiences) to enhance engagement and therapeutic outcomes.