Nature-Based Therapy Boulder
Takeaway: Sometimes, a traditional therapy office (or sessions over telehealth) can’t give us the space and support we truly need to heal. That’s where nature-based care comes in. With this specialized approach, you can find connection to the environment and to yourself in a way unlike any other.
So many of us are feeling a sense of urgency when we look out at the state of the world. The world is on fire, literally and metaphorically. People are dying. War, famine, genocide. Mental Health challenges are on the rise. Species are becoming extinct. Temperatures are rising and extreme weather conditions are becoming more and more commonplace.
How do we balance that sense of urgency with patience? How can we continue holding onto meaning, purpose, and hope in the face of the atrocities we witness each day? How can we remain in the present moment despite it all?
Ecotherapy can provide a path to healing that steps outside the confines of today’s relentless pace while building positive relationships and self compassion. This approach seeks to challenge conventional norms and embrace nontraditional healing practices. Ecotherapy includes a framework that honors the interconnectedness between humanity and the natural world.
If you’re curious about ecotherapy and if it can be a fit for you, keep reading to learn more!
My approach to nature-based therapy
There is so much grief and trauma in this world and so little time or space to process it. Surviving under capitalism has so many of us unable to pause, understand, feel, and heal.
Hustle culture contributes to our disconnection from ourselves, our loved ones, and the world around us. Even when we are off work or out of school, we remain disconnected through doom-scrolling, binge-watching television shows, and other forms of checking out.
This isn’t working. And it is leaving us all sick.
Our culture and trying to survive it increases mental health issues. We need different ways of being and healing. Perhaps some old ways of being can support our healing and well being.
Ecotherapy is a nontraditional framework for understanding growth and transformation while welcoming the messiness and complexity of the healing process. Ecopsychology respects the intrinsic connection between human beings and the natural world. Ecotherapy embraces the restorative qualities of nature and integrates those benefits into counseling.
Healing is a nonlinear journey that unfolds at its own pace and in unexpected ways. Ecotherapy provides a container for that unfolding. As a part of nature, we need to live in connection with the Earth for our health and well being.
Nature-based therapy services I offer
There are several ecotherapy and adventure-based therapy offerings within my practice. These offerings are tailored to suit diverse needs and experiences. Check out the services described below to find an ecotherapy offering that is the perfect fit for you!
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Ecotherapy doesn’t have to happen outdoors. And you and I don’t even have to be in the same place! Nature and your relationship to nature can be an intentional part of virtual sessions that are typical session length.
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In-person outdoor sessions are typically scheduled for an hour. However, some individuals benefit from having more time set aside for sessions. This might be due to deeper trauma processing, navigating a particularly difficult life event, or many other reasons. Clients often find scheduling outdoor sessions for 90 minutes to 2 hours is a better fit for their needs.
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Some clients desire to spend a contained amount of time doing in-depth personal or therapeutic work and find that one or multiple half-day or day-long intensives outdoors are a good fit for this. Others utilize the half-day or day-long intensive structure for a nature-focused Rite of Passage ceremony to mark and honor a transition in their life.
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Some Clients benefit from extended time away from their typical life responsibilities so they can focus on the work they are doing in therapy. And many find that setting aside several consecutive days for that work offers them a more concentrated process for deeper healing.
Some of these are scheduled in the front country for several days in a row, with Clients going home at the end of the day and returning the next day. Others are scheduled in remote settings like the backcountry as well as other environments removed from a Client’s everyday life, like retreat centers.
You may find you are able to remain focused on the work you are doing during a multi-day intensive while still going home each night. Or, perhaps you feel that being away from all parts of your everyday life allows you to better focus and benefit from the investment you are making in your mental and social health or personal growth. In this case, planning for a multi-day overnight intensive in the backcountry or at a retreat center might be a great fit for you. Often these intensives include adventure-based therapeutic work such as canoeing or backpacking.
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All of the ecotherapy services I offer are available to individual clients. They are available to clients whom I have an ongoing therapeutic relationship with. They are also available to those who are pursuing adjunct therapy support from me (they have an ongoing therapist they work with and the intensive is sought to support the work being completed with the ongoing therapist). Finally, intensives are also available to individuals who are solely pursuing intensives without ongoing therapeutic work with me or another therapist.
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I also offer ecotherapy intensives to Families who are seeking support and structure from a therapist. Currently, I do not offer ongoing family therapy. Thus, Family ecotherapy intensives are the sole service provided or are adjunctive therapy offerings (I can coordinate with your typical family or individual therapists through one or multiple stand-alone intensives). This does not mean a family cannot reach out for another intensive in the future, just that typical ongoing and consistent family therapy is not a service I currently offer.
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Finally, I offer ecotherapy services in a group format. Somethimes these offerings are typical group therapy sessions. Othertimes they are intensives in a group format.
Occasionally, I arrange affinity group intensives and offer a safe container for people with shared lived experience but no prior relationship. Typically, I hold pre-intensive group sessions in the front country for safety, foundational social connections, and group agreements.
In addition to intensives I arrange for individuals wanting to join a group experience, I also offer intensives to already established groups. Oftentimes these intensives work to increase group cohesion, improve communication and trust, and support leadership development. Other times, organizations contract me for an educational group or group therapy sessions.
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Although I offer many ecotherapy services within my practice and many Clients have positive experiences with these offerings, not everyone will find what they are looking for. Softening Stone Psychotherapy is not a fit for those seeking an intensive outpatient program, a partial hospitalization program, a structured residential program, a medical doctor who can provide patients with medication management, or services covered in network by their health insurance policy. I encourage those who are seeking those services to reach out to programs such as the Pathways program at Boulder Community Health to see if they might be a better fit for your needs.
Meet Parker Schneider | Top-rated nature-based therapist in Boulder
My relationship to nature was fostered from a very young age as a child growing up on a farm in rural Missouri. I have been privileged to live places where access to natural spaces and spending time outdoors was a given.
When I began exploring options for ongoing training and education in counseling and therapy, I knew I would be best served by paths that incorporated ecotherapy. I also knew that the clients I wanted to work with the most would benefit from healing practices outside the traditional mental health industrial complex.
In addition to over 15 years in therapeutic adventure based programming and outdoor education, I made a significant commitment to this path by pursuing graduate training. I have a clinical counseling degree in Wilderness therapy to help my clients address mental health issues.
Some of my credentials and experience are:
Licensed Professional Counselor (CO LPC.0016271)
Wilderness First Responder (SOLO) since 2013-most recent recertification Jan 2023
Masters (MA) in Clinical Counseling with a focus in Ecotherapy from Naropa University, in Boulder, CO
Working in outdoor education, adventure-based therapy, and therapeutic programs since 2008
Providing telehealth sessions and In-person sessions outdoors
Conducted Research Presentations and Publication on Rites of Passage
Why choose Softening Stone Psychotherapy
Mental health counseling at Softening Stone Psychotherapy offers a unique and empowering approach to healing. Some reasons that others choose me for their mental healthcare and ecotherapy needs are:
Trauma-Responsive Care
I am trained in trauma resolution practices and trauma-informed approaches. I work to provide a competent, safe, and supportive space for healing from past traumas. In nature-based sessions, we focus on regulating the nervous system through grounding techniques and sensory experiences, facilitating trauma recovery and emotional resilience. Working outdoors can also be helpful in the resourcing phase of EMDR therapy.
Relationship-Focused
I prioritize the relationship between individuals and nature, recognizing its profound impact on mental health and well being. Through hands on activities, outdoor activities, and reflective practices, you'll develop a deeper understanding of your interconnectedness with the world around you.
Disruption of Norms
I challenge the status quo by abandoning unexamined beliefs and values rooted in oppression. You can expect me to reject adherence to outdated norms and traditions within the mental health field, in favor of honoring your autonomy, expertise, and life experiences. I prioritize an approach that includes critical inquiry, self-reflection, wider social health, and ongoing learning. I aim to create an environment of radical authenticity and inclusivity.
Liberation-Centered Healing
My approach to therapy is liberation-focused, centered on empowering you to reclaim your agency, voice, and sense of self-determination in the face of systemic oppression. I provide ecotherapy that acknowledges how those same systems of oppression impact the Earth. I also hold the hope that healing in these ways will support us in dismantling those systems to be in right relationship with the Earth
Environmental Integration
I embrace the transformative power of nature, weaving it with traditional therapy techniques to provide a holistic approach to healing. Our sessions take place in outdoor settings, allowing you to reconnect with the world around you. Nature can become an active participant in your healing journey.
Ecotherapy Expertise
My specialization in ecotherapy allows me to incorporate environmental sustainability and nature connection into the therapeutic process. By fostering a deeper connection with the Earth, we promote personal growth and self compassion, build resilience, and foster ecological stewardship, addressing climate-related anxieties or grief along the way.
FAQs about nature-based therapy
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Ecotherapy shifts and changes from one client to another. Ultimately, each Client finds what way of engaging in ecotherapy is the best fit for them. You can expect patient centered care.
There is a broad range of experiences that fall under wilderness therapy and ecotherapy. Some typical nature based care experiences are mindfulness based techniques outdoors or with natural objects, hands on activities like gardening and horticulture, relational experiences with animals and other parts of the natural world, nature art and creative exercises, metaphor and meaning-making, foraging, and other outdoor activities.
Some common environments ecotherapy takes place in are city parks, Boulder county open space and other public open spaces, bike paths and trails, retreat centers, private land, and remote backcountry areas.
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Anyone who tells you their approach to healing is the best, while indicating nothing else works, is probably trying to sell you something that won’t end up being as good of a fit as they claim. There is no one right way to heal.
What we can say for sure is that what we have been doing in the mental health field isn’t working. Rates of serious mental health issues and suicide have continued to rise, despite more people accessing therapy and medication management than ever before. The truth is that therapy is not enough, and will never be enough in this world on fire. Because an individual’s experience and struggles are not the problem here.
We need to do things differently. Spending time in nature is incredibly healing in its own right. Ecotherapy is an exceptionally effective approach for improving mental health, developing positive relationships, and to build resilience. Typically, I recommend incorporating other healing practices and learning opportunities with ecotherapy to provide an eclectic approach.
At the end of the day, each individual's healing journey is unique. I will collaborate with you to develop a personalized approach tailored to your specific needs, goals, and preferences.
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My honest and most basic answer to this question is because we are made to be connected with the natural world. Nature-connection is an evolutionary and genetic need. And the less time we spend outdoors, the more awful we feel. Nature, in and of itself, heals.
Beyond that simple answer, researchers have been working to understand this for a long time. There is so much research that shows exposure to nature improves well-being, reduces stress, and improves overall health. Research into “blue zones,” or areas in which the population has longer life spans, shows that interconnectedness to the environment is part of their way of life.
Time and again, scientists find that nature improves mood and cognitive functioning, increases feelings of meaning and purpose, decreases blood pressure and heart rate, and improves self-esteem. We repeatedly hear the advice to slow down, spend time in nature, and notice the green around us. Intentional connection with nature can offer you so much of what you are looking for.
Unlock your healing potential in and with nature.
Maybe you’re seeking help for anxiety or depression, climate grief, or trauma; or perhaps you’re simply seeking a deeper connection with nature. Ecotherapy can provide the framework you need on your own unique path to wellness.
We can slow down, breathe, and heal in nature. We can help you reconnect with yourself, your loved ones, and the wider world. Reach out for a free consultation if you are seeking collaborative exploration and are curious if ecotherapy is a good fit for you.