Before you take clients outdoors...

While Ecotherapy is a growing approach to mental health treatment, it is still a deviation from the norm (thank goodness). Prior to moving sessions outdoors, there are some considerations to keep you competent, confident, and protected with your clients. The checklist offered is not exhaustive but is a start to feeling prepared and ethical in your work.   

There are four categories to consider before meeting clients outside...

​Client & Session Considerations 
You want to make sure your client comes prepared with what to bring, what to expect, confidentiality plans, etc.

Site Considerations 
Nature is everywhere. How do you determine what location will be best suited for your client? 

Therapist Considerations
There are certain certifications and levels of preparedness you'll want to have before taking your client outdoors. 
 
Assets for Eco-therapists 
Are you wondering if you yourself have a sufficient knowledge of and relationship with the Places you take clients? One of the most impactful aspects to safely and creatively collaborating with nature is this! 

If you are newly considering ecotherapy or wondering if you want an ecotherapy certification, this checklist is a perfect introduction into what you'll want to know. 

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ECOTHERAPY FAQs

​Q: Do I Need To Have An Ecotherapy Certification? 
A:  Continuing education is an important part of professional practice. Counseling clinicians may earn continuing education credit in an Ecotherapy training yet are not required to hold certification in Ecotherapy in order to practice this approach.

Some Ecotherapy trainings and certifications may be formally approved through a state or national board. Others will not formally approved yet they can provide the appropriate requirements to still earn continuing education credits (such as a certificate or verification form with program title, core content areas, date and hours attended, and signature of facilitator).
 
Even though certification is not required to move sessions to outdoor spaces, for safety, ethical, and quality reasons it is recommended that therapists receive additional training in multiple areas such as Ecotherapy (research, philosophy, ethics, safety, assessment, interventions…), Eco-literacy, and emergency first aid such as Wilderness First Aid, First Aid, CPR, or Wilderness First Responder.

Q: How Do I Introduce Ecotherapy To My Clients? 
A: Introducing clients to outdoor sessions begins indoors. A therapist may already have a sense (through their therapeutic relationship and assessments) that a particular client may be a good candidate for nature-based therapy. If so, the clinician may state that they have added Ecotherapy/Nature-based Therapy to their services and then ask the client if they are open to hearing about this approach and the benefits. A counselor may speak about the many general benefits of nature exposure and nature therapy, but one also needs to be sure to articulate specificity for that client and their unique presenting concerns and intentions. This can then be added to their treatment plan and notes.
 
In addition to sharing the benefits, it is necessary to talk about the cautions and other considerations associated with moving sessions outdoors. This may include lack of confidentiality or exposure to elements and wildlife. Along with these are the therapists’ plan and knowledge for addressing each of the cautions. This conversation can be guided by the additional liability waiver for nature therapy as it should include benefits and considerations. Such a conversation can be helpful for the therapist in getting to know their clients in a new way and can support greater trust between clinician and client.

Q: What Is The Difference Between Ecotherapy and Wilderness Therapy and Nature Informed Therapy? 
​A: With the increase in ‘alternative’ and outdoor approaches to therapy, many names are used to describe these various options and the terms are often used interchangeably. This can get confusing to both clinician and client. The descriptions for each may also vary from therapist to therapist, as there are no formal definitions.

Here are a few general descriptions and their differences:
Ecotherapy: May also be called Nature-based Therapy (NBT), Nature-informed Therapy, Green Therapy. Ecotherapy is often an umbrella term for other nature approaches such as horticulture therapy, equine therapy, and animal-assisted therapy.
Here is my personal definition: ‘Nature-based Therapy situates the therapeutic process and therapeutic relationship within natural settings that more accurately reflect the dynamic, interdependent, and complex nature of both. Ecotherapy/NBT is an experiential, collaborative, and relational therapy that draws on the presence, wisdom, and sacredness of nature as well as the clinician’s theoretical orientation to support the client's presenting concerns and therapeutic goals.’

Ecotherapy/NBT is often facilitated by an individual therapist working with individuals, couples, or a family in urban, suburban, or front-country settings.
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Wilderness Therapy: A form of therapy combining outdoor experiences with a therapeutic process. This form may integrate adventures, survival skills, and group-bonding activities with a focus on behavior, beliefs, perseverance, and flexibility.  Wilderness Therapy is often facilitated by 2 or more therapists and nature guides and works frequently with groups of people - often adolescents and young adults. WT takes place in front-country or back-country settings and may be a day-long or months-long experience. WT is sometimes used interchangeably with Adventure Therapy but this may have a differentiated definition, depending on the therapists perspective.