As a busy September comes to a close, many of us notice that we are spending more and more time indoors. This can be especially true if your life rhythms are tied more closely to the school calendar than the wall calendar.

Work, school, sports, extracurricular activities, and social commitments can quickly fill the week. When life gets busy, taking time to care for yourself often falls to the bottom of the priority list.

That is one of the reasons I offer At Your Pace: Connecting in Nature, a nature-based therapy option for adult individual counselling clients at Bedford Couple & Family Therapy.

After a free phone consultation and an initial virtual or office appointment, we can take therapy outside and meet in a local park in the Bedford, Nova Scotia area.

What Is Nature-Based Therapy?

Nature-based therapy brings mental health counselling into an outdoor setting. Instead of sitting together in a therapy office, we might walk through a park, find somewhere comfortable to sit, or combine the two.

It is still counselling. We can explore many of the same concerns that we would address during an office or virtual therapy session. The difference is that nature and, when appropriate, gentle movement become part of the environment in which that therapeutic work takes place.

For some people, walking side-by-side can also feel different from sitting face-to-face in an office. Being outside may provide space to slow down, notice what is happening internally, and approach difficult thoughts and emotions in a different way.

How Can Spending Time in Nature Support Mental Health?

Research into nature-based interventions suggests that spending intentional time in natural environments may support mental health and well-being. Studies have explored potential benefits related to anxiety, depression, stress, mood, and overall mental health.

Nature-based therapy is not a replacement for appropriate mental health or medical treatment. Instead, it offers another setting in which evidence-informed counselling can take place.

Depending on the person, spending time outdoors may support:

♡Reduce irritability 

♡Lower blood pressure

♡Reduce stress hormones (cortisol) 

♡Reduce feelings of isolation 

♡Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression 

♡Restore capacity for attention and concentration 

♡Increase feelings of calm

♡Increase dopamine production and endorphin levels 

♡Help build mental strength and resilience

Most importantly, the therapy is individualized. We aren’t going outside because being outdoors is supposed to make every difficult feeling disappear. Nature simply gives us another environment in which to do meaningful therapeutic work.

Who Might Benefit From Nature-Based Counselling?

At Your Pace is available to adults receiving individual therapy and may appeal to people experiencing:

• Anxiety or ongoing stress

• Feeling overwhelmed or emotionally depleted

• Life transitions or periods of change

• Low mood

• Relationship concerns

• Difficulty making space for their own needs

• Feelings of disconnection

• Challenges with emotional regulation

• A desire to develop healthier coping strategies or greater resilience

You don’t need to be outdoorsy, athletic, or interested in hiking. You simply need to be comfortable with the idea of having some of your counselling sessions outside.

Do We Have to Walk During Nature-Based Therapy?

No.

I want At Your Pace to be as physically accessible as possible. We can walk throughout the session, spend the session seated, or use a combination of walking and sitting.

The pace is determined by what works for you. This is a therapy session that happens to take place outdoors—not a workout.

If you have an injury, medical condition, mobility concern, or other health issue that could affect your ability to participate safely, I recommend speaking with your physician or physiotherapist about what level of physical activity is appropriate for you.

Is Nature-Based Therapy the Same as Going for a Walk?

Not quite.

Going for a walk or spending time outside can certainly be valuable on its own. Nature-based therapy, however, involves working with a trained mental health professional toward your individual therapeutic goals.

Our conversations might focus on anxiety, stress, relationships, emotions, boundaries, life changes, patterns that feel difficult to change, or other concerns that brought you to counselling.

The park provides the setting. The therapeutic relationship and the work we do together remain at the heart of the session.

What Happens at the First Appointment?

We begin with a free phone consultation to talk briefly about what is bringing you to counselling and whether my approach may be a good fit for you.

Your first full counselling appointment takes place either virtually or in the office rather than in the park. This gives us an opportunity to get to know one another, discuss your concerns and goals, and determine whether nature-based sessions are appropriate for you.

If we decide that At Your Pace is a good fit, future individual therapy sessions can take place in a local park.

Who Provides At Your Pace Nature-Based Therapy?

At Your Pace: Connecting in Nature is offered by Deborah Hubble Smith, MC, RCT, a Registered Counselling Therapist at Bedford Couple & Family Therapy in Bedford, Nova Scotia.

I work with adults experiencing concerns including stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, life transitions, overwhelm, and disconnection. My approach to counselling is warm and collaborative, with an emphasis on helping clients understand their emotions, relationships, and patterns while working toward meaningful change.

At Your Pace allows me to offer that same therapeutic work in a different setting for clients who feel drawn to movement, nature, or simply getting outside of the traditional therapy room.

Can nature-based therapy help with anxiety and stress?

Nature-based counselling can be used to address anxiety, stress, and overwhelm just as these concerns can be addressed during office or virtual therapy. Research into nature-based mental health interventions has found promising results for some mental health outcomes, although the strength of the evidence varies. Nature-based therapy should therefore be viewed as a way of delivering counselling rather than a guaranteed treatment for a particular condition.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Because sessions take place outdoors, weather and seasonal conditions need to be considered. We can discuss plans for outdoor sessions and what alternatives are available when the weather does not make meeting outside practical or comfortable.

Is nature-based therapy confidential?

Confidentiality remains an important part of therapy, but meeting in a public outdoor environment creates considerations that don’t exist in a private therapy office. We will discuss privacy, confidentiality, and the practical considerations of meeting outdoors before beginning nature-based sessions.

Do I need to be physically fit?

I aim to make this as physically accessible to anyone who would like to participate – we can move throughout the park or spend time seated.  However, I still recommend clients speak with a doctor or physio therapist regarding any health concerns that may impact your ability to safely engage in nature therapy.

Can all of my counselling sessions take place outdoors?

Your initial counselling appointment takes place virtually or in the office. After that, we can discuss whether outdoor sessions are clinically and practically appropriate for you and how nature-based therapy might fit into your counselling.

Interested in Nature-Based Therapy in Bedford, Nova Scotia?

If improving your mental health while spending more intentional time outdoors appeals to you, At Your Pace: Connecting in Nature may offer a different way to experience individual counselling.

Bedford Couple & Family Therapy provides counselling and psychotherapy services in Bedford, Nova Scotia, with virtual counselling also available for eligible clients.

If you would like to learn more about nature-based therapy with Deborah Hubble Smith, MC, RCT, contact Bedford Couple & Family Therapy to arrange a free 15-minute phone consultation and explore whether At Your Pace may be a good fit for you.