WCP 2025

Introduction: There is growing evidence of the curative and preventive effects of nature, nature exposure and nature relatedness on health and well-being. Recent studies and reviews show that psychotherapy and counselling conducted in nature affects, for example, working alliance, clients’ and professionals’ mental and physical health, therapy motivation, eco-anxiety, pro-ecological behaviours. Still, overall empirical evidence is poor – especially in the context of clinical applications.
Methodology/Approach: The presentation provides insights into a randomized clinical study that compared walk and talk psychotherapy in nature with conventional psychotherapy indoors and in seated position. Participants were clinical patients suffering from major depressive disorders and their psychotherapists. We applied a mixed methods approach (quantitative measures and qualitative follow-up interviews) and assessed feasibility (primary outcome parameter) and mental and physical health (secondary outcome parameters) among participants.
Results/Findings: Results show that psychotherapists and patients estimate psychotherapy in nature as a valuable addition within the range of psychotherapy treatment. Walk and talk psychotherapy in nature affects the participating patients’ and psychotherapists’ health and well-being.
Conclusion/Perspective: Considering that pioneers of modern psychotherapy, such as Sigmund Freud, Hans Zulliger, C. G. Jung, Lou Andreas-Salomé, Viktor Frankl, had already conducted psychotherapy sessions while walking and/or in nature or highlighted the importance of nature in relation to human health, the lack of current research or concepts in this context is surprising. Nature-assisted approaches may also be a valuable psychotherapy contribution addressing the effects of global challenges (e.g., climate change/crises) on human mental health by focusing on the treatment of eco-anxiety or the promotion of pro-ecological behaviours. This presentation – and the accompanying clinical study – are intended to provide impulses for further theoretical, empirical and practical discussions on the topic.