Embracing Healing in the Open Air
By Susannah Moore
There’s something profoundly affirming about watching new shoots push through rich, dark soil—witnessing life unfold in real time. Creating and tending to the Integrate Therapy and Wellness Garden has been one of the highlights of my career. When I was in graduate school I learned about ecotherapy and began to dream about creating a nurturing outdoor therapeutic space. I never would have imagined that just a few years later I would be sitting with my clients in that very same garden I had been dreaming of.
What Is Ecotherapy?
Ecotherapy—sometimes called nature-based therapy—is an umbrella term for therapeutic practices that intentionally bring people into contact with the natural world. It ranges from structured wilderness expeditions to more intimate practices like gardening, forest bathing, or animal-assisted interventions. Rooted in the recognition that humans evolved in close relationship with the environment, ecotherapy leverages the grounding, restorative qualities of nature to support mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
Why Outdoor Therapy Works
When we engage in therapy outdoors, we invite nature into the therapeutic process, benefitting from the grounding impact of soil, plants, and wildlife around us. I notice that when clients choose to have their session in the garden, they become more aware of their bodies, their surroundings, and subsequently, their emotions. Their breath deepens as they feel the breeze, their posture shifts as they settle onto the garden bench, and their words flow more freely as they witness butterflies alighting on nearby blooms.
Outdoor therapy pairs so well with reprocessing trauma because nature cradles us as we work through our wounds. The steady hum of bees, the whisper of leaves, and the tactile feel of dirt beneath our fingers remind us that we are part of a larger web of life—one that holds us, steadies us, and invites us to soften into healing.
Join Us for a Therapist Plant Exchange
To celebrate community and self-care, Integrate Therapy and Wellness Collective is hosting a Plant Exchange & Therapist Self-Care Social on Friday, August 1, 2025, at 9 AM. Bring a plant or a cutting to swap, connect with fellow therapists, and nourish your own well-being as you help our garden—and each other—grow.
RSVP by emailing us at hello@integratetherapyandwellness.com or texting 717-594-9633
Step into the warm embrace of the therapy garden and experience the healing nature of outdoor therapy. Whether you’re seeking solace, community, or a fresh perspective on growth, the garden welcomes you with open arms—and growing possibilities.
