Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy: An Innovative Approach to Mental Health

Have you ever taken a walk in the woods to clear your head? Have you ever taken a break from everyday life to go camping or fishing? Have you ever enjoyed a hike on one of your favorite nature trails? If so, then you’re probably already aware of nature’s healing powers. What if you could also utilize nature as a means for healing and improving your mental health?

As healthcare gets increasingly expensive, there is a growing interest in cost-effective alternative therapeutic approaches that move beyond traditional clinical settings. One such approach is Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy (MBE), which integrates mindfulness practices with nature-based interventions to promote holistic well-being. This model offers a promising new modality for people seeking to reconnect with themselves, with others, and with the natural world.

In this article we’ll explore what Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy is, how it works, and how it can benefit you and your clients in a therapeutic environment.

What Is Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy?

Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy is a therapeutic approach that combines the principles of mindfulness with ecotherapy. Mindfulness means paying attention to the moment with intention. It is a shift from Doing Mode to Being Mode. In Being Mode, we can create some space for feelings of anxiety, depression, or stress and just allow ourselves to be with those emotions without having to react to them. In the present moment we can learn that our thoughts and feelings don’t have to reflect our reality. In Being Mode, we learn that there’s no such thing as a “wrong” thought or a “wrong” feeling. We feel what we feel. We think what we think. But in the present moment we can consciously choose which thoughts and emotions to interact with, and which thoughts and feelings to simply observe and describe to ourselves without having to respond to them.

So, what is ecotherapy? Ecopsychology is the study of how nature impacts mental health. Ecotherapy is the application of this knowledge in a therapeutic environment. In short, ecotherapy is using the wisdom gained from ecopsychology to harness the healing power of nature in a clinical setting.

Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy (MBE) combines mindfulness and ecotherapy into a coherent framework to create therapeutic change. In MBE, mindfulness is the “what” and ecotherapy is the “how.” MBE uses nature to facilitate mindful states, and mindful states are where we make conscious choices for change. Mindful states are what we hope to achieve with MBE, and ecotherapy is how we facilitate and encourage those mindful states.

As a therapeutic approach, MBE encourages people to engage in nature-based activities while practicing mindfulness techniques. These activities may include guided nature walks, forest bathing, gardening, hiking, eco-art therapy, or simply spending time in natural settings while cultivating awareness, acceptance, and embodied presence.

Theoretical Foundations

The theoretical underpinnings of MBE draw from various disciplines, including psychology, ecology, and contemplative meditation practices from various cultures around the world. One of the central tenets of MBE is the belief in the interconnectedness of all life forms. MBE is based on the idea that healing occurs when people align themselves with the rhythms and cycles of the natural world. Although there are spiritual elements to this core concept, they are not exclusively within the realm of one spiritual approach. Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy instead draws on the transcendental elements of interconnectedness common to all spiritual and religious practices. In MBE, spirituality is simply defined as “connectedness.”

Key theoretical concepts of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy include:

• Attention Restoration Theory (ART): Suggests that exposure to natural environments can replenish cognitive resources and reduce mental fatigue, thereby enhancing attentional functioning and emotional well-being (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989).
• Ecopsychology: Explores the relationship between human beings and the natural world, emphasizing the psychological benefits of connection with nature and the impact of environmental degradation and environmental restoration on mental health (Jordan & Hinds, 2017).
• Systems Theory: Views people as part of larger ecological systems, highlighting the reciprocal relationship between human well-being and planetary health (Hall, 2024).

Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy

Research and clinical practice have highlighted several benefits associated with MBE:

1. Stress Reduction: Engaging in nature-based mindfulness practices has been shown to lower cortisol levels, the body's primary stress hormone, leading to reduced stress and anxiety (Park, et al, 2010).
2. Enhanced Emotional Regulation: Mindfulness techniques help people become more aware of their emotions, enabling better emotional regulation and response to emotional stimuli (Goldin & Gross, 2010).
3. Improved Mood and Well-being: Regular participation in MBE activities can lead to increased feelings of happiness, contentment, and overall life satisfaction (Howell, et al, 2011).
4. Increased Resilience: By creating deeper connections with nature and the self, MBE promotes psychological resilience, aiding people in coping with mental health challenges and improving coping skills (Jordan & Hinds, 2017).
5. Ecological Awareness and Stewardship: MBE encourages people to develop a sense of responsibility toward the environment, leading to behaviors that support ecological sustainability and environmental restoration (Nisbet, Zelenski, & Murphy, 2009).

Clinical Applications

MBE has been applied in a variety of clinical settings to address a range of mental health concerns, including:

• Anxiety and Depression: Nature-based mindfulness practices have been found to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, offering a cost-effective alternative or complementary treatment to traditional therapies (Koh & Lee, 2023).
• Trauma Recovery: MBE provides a safe and grounding environment for people recovering from trauma and post-traumatic stress, facilitating healing through immersion in nature and mindfulness (Poulsen, et al, 2016).
• Substance Use Disorders: Incorporating mindfulness and connections to nature can support people in recovery, promoting self-awareness and enhanced emotional regulation and sobriety skills (Demina, et al, (2023).
• Chronic Stress and Burnout: MBE offers strategies to manage stress and prevent burnout, skills that are particularly beneficial for healthcare professionals and caregivers vulnerable to compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma (Bagereka, et al, 2025).

Integrating Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy into Clinical Practice

For mental health professionals interested in incorporating MBE into their practice, several strategies can be employed with the proper training and experience. These include:

• Nature-Based Sessions: Conducting therapy sessions in outdoor settings, such as parks or gardens, to facilitate nature connection and mindfulness. If you do not have access to outdoor spaces for sessions, you may still incorporate elements of nature through techniques like eco-art therapy using natural materials, bringing plants and animals into the therapy space, or introducing nature recordings or scented candles.
• Mindfulness Training: Providing clients with mindfulness techniques, such as breathing exercises, mindful walking in natural settings, and body scans, to enhance self-awareness and emotional regulation. If you do not have access to outdoor spaces for sessions, you can still assign some of these activities as homework.
• Ecotherapy Activities: Incorporating activities like gardening, nature walks, or eco-art projects that encourage interaction with the natural environment.
• Community Engagement: Encouraging clients to participate in community-based environmental initiatives like community tree-planting projects, community gardens, or litter pickups, fostering a sense of belonging, connection, and ecological responsibility.

By integrating these practices into your work with your clients, you can offer a person-centered approach that addresses the mind, body, and environment, promoting comprehensive healing and well-being.

A growing body of evidence continues to demonstrate that combining mindfulness with nature can help people improve their mental and physical health while enjoying the great outdoors. Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy is a dynamic way to boost mental health, blending the calming benefits of mindfulness with the healing effects of nature. MBE offers people a pathway to healing, resilience, and ecological stewardship by helping participants build deeper, more mindful connections with the natural world.

References

Bagereka, P., Ameli, R., Sinaii, N., Vocci, M. C., Coulter, A. M., Neustedter, M., & Berger, A. (2025). Effects of a combined nature-based and audio-based virtual mindfulness intervention on stress and wellbeing of COVID-19 healthcare workers: A randomized controlled trial. PeerJ, 13, e19109. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj....

Demina, A., Petit, B., Meille, V., & Trojak, B. (2023). Mindfulness interventions for craving reduction in substance use disorders and behavioral addictions: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Neuroscience, 24, 55. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12868...

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Hall, C. (2024). Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy in Clinical Practice: First Edition. Elder Grove Media.

Howell, A. J., Dopko, R. L., Passmore, H.-A., & Buro, K. (2011). Nature connectedness: Associations with well-being and mindfulness. Personality and Individual Differences, 51(2), 166–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid...

Jordan, M., & Hinds, J. (2017). Ecotherapy: Theory, research and practice. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. Delacorte.

Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. Cambridge University Press.

Koh, K. K., & Lee, S. M. (2023). Effects of nature-based mindfulness interventions on anxiety and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 317, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad....

Nisbet, E. K., Zelenski, J. M., & Murphy, S. A. (2009). The nature relatedness scale: Linking individuals’ connection with nature to environmental concern and behavior. Environment and Behavior, 41(5), 715–740. https://doi.org/10.1177/001391...

Park, B. J., Tsunetsugu, Y., Kasetani, T., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2010). The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): Evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15(1), 18–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199...

Poulsen, D. V., Stigsdotter, U. K., Djernis, D., & Sidenius, U. (2016). ‘Everything just seems much more right in nature’: How veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder experience nature-based activities in a forest therapy garden. Health Psychology Open, 3(1), 2055102916637090. https://doi.org/10.1177/205510...