What is Ecotherapy?
Ecotherapy recognises that being outside and in nature is good for our physical and mental health. Whether it’s the sunlight that helps regulate stress hormones and circadian rhythms (the body’s internal clock), the scents and sounds that relax the nervous system, or the movement that supports mood and energy, research consistently shows that time in nature helps to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, while improving attention and concentration.
Ecotherapy connects nature with wellbeing by offering space for people to engage in meaningful emotional work and reflection while benefiting from the outdoors. Reflection involves examining emotions, beliefs, and behavioural patterns in order to see and understand them more clearly and, where needed, to reshape them into healthier ways of relating to ourselves and others. This can lead to freedom from the difficult emotions that can otherwise be restrictive and unhelpful and that can drive unwanted behaviours. Nature supports this process by reducing stress and mental noise, which allows participants to reflect with more clarity and to reach more life-altering revelations.
Still Waters Ecotherapy combines the benefits of nature and reflection with social work practice. This means programs are designed to support emotional work in safe, structured ways, with clear boundaries and respect for each person’s experiences. It also means facilitation is founded on evidence-based understandings of the impacts of stress and trauma, and includes practical strategies to support recovery.
Still Waters Ecotherapy brings this together to provide three streams of programs that:
Support personal wellbeing and recovery for people experiencing stress, anxiety, and trauma through structured and trauma-informed programs.
Provide reflective practice for professionals working in helping roles, offering space to slow down, reflect, and strengthen ethical and sustainable practice.
Create accessible ecotherapy experiences that invite people from all walks of life to reconnect with nature and meet new people through enjoyable and restorative outdoor activities.
At its core, ecotherapy is simply about creating the right conditions for people to slow down, feel safe, and gain perspective on their inner and outer worlds. By combining social work practice with time spent in nature, Still Waters Ecotherapy offers programs that do this in ways that are both accessible and meaningful.