‘It makes me feel great’ – Getting outdoors increasingly used as mental health treatment

BOSTON — Most people find that even a simple walk outside can lift their spirits and make them feel better.

One woman strolling around Jamaica Pond said, “I have to get out of the house every day to feel like I’m part of the world and connected to nature. It really just sets me right for the day.”

A man added, “It really makes me feel great, the fresh air, the nice breeze, all the beautiful scenes, just look at it.”

Now, more therapists are harnessing the power of nature to enhance the way they treat their patients.

It’s called ecotherapy.

“I like to say ecotherapy is psychotherapy outside,” said Yaffa Garber Tilles, LICS, who calls her practice Ecotherapy Boston.

She’ll walk and talk with her clients in any kind of weather.

About half of her patients now prefer to have their sessions outside.

“We need more time outside to kind of re-calibrate and figure out what actually makes us feel better and usually the answer is exercise, fresh air, and talking to a human.”

Ecotherapy can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, and postpartum mood disorders.

“People are feeling very disconnected,” said Kymberlee O’Brien, Ph.D., a professor at William James College in Newton. “One thing we find with ecotherapy is it makes it very easy for people to get that sense of connection.”

She says the isolation from COVID and a dependence on technology has taken a toll on many people’s psyche.

“I think with screen time, at least with anxiety and those kinds of things, people tend to ruminate,” O’Brien said. “When you get outside, if you have walk and talk therapy, or if you go to the woods or the ocean, it just gives the brain a chance to open up and think about the other things.”

Yaffa added, “More than ever, we need to remind ourselves how to be in nature, how to regulate our emotions.”

Ecotherapy covers other therapeutic approaches besides walking and talking.

It includes animal assisted therapy which often incorporates horses, dogs, or a farm setting.

Another form is wilderness therapy which can revolve around hiking or camping in remote areas.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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