Clinically speaking, ecotherapy, also known as nature therapy or green therapy, is the applied practice of the field of ecopsychology, originally developed by Theodore Roszak. In many ways, however, ecotherapy is simply a prescription to spend time outside.
Ecotherapy is based on the idea that people are both connected to and impacted by their surroundings, and nature is known to have healing effects. One study found that after completing a fatigue-inducing task, study participants who spent 40 minutes of time walking through a nature preserve reported less anger and other negative emotions than participants who were directed to perform other activities. Another study found that walking through nature reduced depression by 71% while walking through a shopping center only reduced depression in subjects by 45%.
In addition to mood-elevating effects, nature has been shown to reduce anxiety, decrease aggression, and increase creativity. Some studies have even shown that just listening to the sounds of nature can help people recover from stress more quickly. The healing power of nature should not be underestimated.
The Asana Recovery Center offers a supervised detoxification and residential treatment program that includes a variety of different therapy options for those struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Call us at (949) 438-4504 to learn more about our inspiring facilities and find out whether our substance addiction treatment program is the right fit for you.
