Nature therapy is gaining attention as more people seek meaningful ways to support their emotional well-being and personal growth. In a world where daily schedules are often busy and technology plays a major role in everyday life, spending intentional time in natural environments can offer a valuable opportunity to slow down and reconnect with oneself. Nature has long been associated with feelings of calm, reflection, and renewal. While every person's experience is unique, many individuals find that being outdoors helps them become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, and surroundings. When incorporated into a professional therapeutic setting, nature therapy can provide a different environment for self-exploration and emotional growth. At Lexie Glisson Therapy and Wellness, therapeutic services are designed to support individuals through compassionate and personalized care. Nature-informed approaches can complement traditional therapeutic methods and provide an alternative setting for emotional exploration. By integrating natural environments into the therapeutic process, individuals may discover new ways to engage with their emotions and personal experiences. Understanding Nature Therapy Nature therapy is an approach that incorporates natural settings into the therapeutic experience. Unlike traditional sessions that take place exclusively indoors, nature therapy may involve meeting in outdoor environments where individuals can engage with both nature and the therapeutic process. The goal of nature therapy is not simply to spend time outdoors. Instead, it is about intentionally using natural surroundings as part of a broader therapeutic journey. The environment can become an additional element that supports observation, reflection, and meaningful conversation. Natural spaces often encourage individuals to slow down and pay attention to the present moment. The sounds of birds, movement of trees, changing weather, and open landscapes can provide a unique backdrop that differs from the pace and distractions of everyday life. As a result, some individuals find that nature therapy creates a comfortable environment for discussing personal experiences and emotional challenges. The Relationship Between Nature and Emotional Well-Being Human beings have maintained a connection with nature throughout history. Although modern lifestyles have changed significantly, many people still feel drawn to natural spaces when seeking rest, perspective, or relaxation. Natural environments can offer a temporary break from constant notifications, crowded schedules, and everyday pressures. This shift in surroundings may help individuals focus more clearly on their internal experiences. The relationship between nature and emotional well-being is often linked to mindfulness and awareness. When people spend time in nature, they may become more attentive to their surroundings and less focused on distractions. This increased awareness can create opportunities for emotional insight and self-reflection. The following table highlights some ways natural environments may support emotional wellness. Nature Experience Potential Emotional Support Walking outdoors Encourages present-moment awareness Sitting in a quiet green space Supports reflection and relaxation Observing natural surroundings Promotes mindfulness Outdoor therapeutic sessions Creates a different setting for conversation Time away from daily distractions Encourages emotional clarity While experiences vary from person to person, many individuals appreciate the sense of openness and perspective that natural settings can provide. How Nature Therapy Supports Emotional Health Nature therapy can support emotional health in several ways. The combination of therapeutic guidance and natural surroundings creates opportunities for personal exploration and emotional awareness. Encourages Mindfulness Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. It is often an important part of emotional well-being because it helps individuals become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Natural environments can naturally encourage mindfulness. For example, individuals may notice the sounds around them, observe changes in the landscape, or focus on their breathing while walking outdoors. These simple observations can help bring attention back to the present moment. As a result, mindfulness becomes more accessible and integrated into the therapeutic process. Because mindfulness encourages awareness rather than avoidance, it can play an important role within both emotional therapy and wellness therapy approaches. Creates Space for Reflection Many people find it difficult to create time for reflection in their daily lives. Work responsibilities, family commitments, and digital distractions can make it challenging to pause and examine personal thoughts or emotions. Nature therapy provides a setting that may encourage deeper reflection. The slower pace of natural environments often allows individuals to step away from immediate demands and focus on their personal experiences. This reflective space can support conversations about relationships, life transitions, personal goals, and emotional challenges. It may also help individuals gain greater insight into patterns of thinking and behavior. Supports Emotional Awareness Emotional awareness is an important part of personal growth. Understanding emotions can help individuals make informed decisions, communicate effectively, and develop healthier coping strategies. Nature therapy encourages individuals to pay attention to their emotional experiences in a supportive environment. The outdoor setting may help some people feel more comfortable exploring emotions that are difficult to discuss in other contexts. Rather than rushing through feelings or avoiding them, individuals can take time to observe and understand their emotional responses. This process can contribute to greater self-awareness and emotional understanding. Promotes Connection Connection is an important aspect of emotional wellness. While connection often refers to relationships with others, it can also include connection with oneself and the surrounding environment. Nature therapy encourages individuals to engage with the world around them in a meaningful way. This experience may help foster a greater sense of awareness, appreciation, and presence. For some individuals, spending time in natural environments can provide a sense of perspective and balance that supports overall emotional well-being. Nature Therapy and Wellness Therapy Wellness therapy often focuses on supporting overall well-being by addressing multiple aspects of a person's life. Emotional health, self-awareness, stress management, and personal growth are frequently important components of a wellness-focused approach. Nature therapy can complement wellness therapy by providing an environment that encourages mindfulness, reflection, and personal insight. Rather than viewing emotional wellness as a single goal, wellness therapy often recognizes that well-being is an ongoing process. Nature therapy aligns with this perspective by creating opportunities for continued self-discovery and growth. Because wellness looks different for every individual, therapeutic approaches are often tailored to personal needs, preferences, and goals. Benefits of Incorporating Nature Into Therapy There are several reasons why individuals may be interested in incorporating nature into their therapeutic experience. Some potential benefits include: Opportunities for mindful awareness A change from traditional indoor environments Increased opportunities for reflection A setting that may feel less formal for some individuals Greater connection with surroundings Support for personal exploration and growth It is important to note that therapeutic outcomes vary from person to person. Nature therapy does not guarantee specific results. Instead, it provides an alternative setting where individuals can engage in the therapeutic process with professional support. The effectiveness of any therapeutic approach depends on many factors, including personal goals, the therapeutic relationship, and individual circumstances. Who May Benefit From Nature Therapy? Nature therapy may appeal to a variety of individuals who are interested in exploring emotional well-being in a natural setting. Individuals who may consider nature therapy include: Adults navigating life transitions Individuals seeking emotional support People interested in mindfulness practices Those looking for a different therapeutic environment Individuals who enjoy spending time outdoors People seeking a holistic approach to wellness Because every person's situation is unique, discussing therapeutic goals with a qualified therapist can help determine whether nature-informed approaches may be appropriate. A collaborative approach allows individuals to explore options and identify therapeutic methods that align with their needs and preferences. Nature Therapy as Part of a Holistic Wellness Journey Wellness is often viewed as a lifelong journey rather than a final destination. Emotional health, self-awareness, relationships, and personal growth all contribute to overall well-being. Nature therapy can become one part of this broader journey. By encouraging mindfulness and reflection, it provides opportunities for individuals to better understand themselves and their experiences. Many people incorporate additional wellness practices into their routines, such as spending time outdoors, engaging in creative activities, maintaining healthy relationships, and prioritizing self-care. Nature therapy can complement these efforts by creating intentional space for emotional exploration. The value of nature therapy lies not in quick solutions but in the opportunity to engage thoughtfully with the therapeutic process. Through consistent reflection and professional guidance, individuals can continue developing greater awareness and understanding of their emotional experiences. At Lexie Glisson Therapy and Wellness , therapeutic services are centered on supporting individuals with care, compassion, and respect for their unique journeys. Nature-informed approaches may provide an additional pathway for individuals seeking meaningful opportunities for personal growth and emotional well-being. Conclusion Nature therapy offers a unique way to support emotional health and overall wellness by combining therapeutic guidance with experiences in natural environments. While each individual's experience is different, many people appreciate the opportunity to slow down, reflect, and engage more intentionally with their thoughts and emotions. As part of a broader approach to emotional therapy and wellness therapy, nature therapy can encourage mindfulness, self-awareness, and personal growth. By creating space for reflection and meaningful conversation, natural settings may provide a valuable environment for therapeutic exploration. For individuals interested in learning more about therapeutic services and nature-informed approaches, Lexie Glisson Therapy and Wellness provides compassionate support tailored to individual needs and goals. Contact us today to learn more about available therapy options and how they may support your wellness journey. Frequently Asked Questions What is nature therapy? Nature therapy is a therapeutic approach that incorporates natural environments into the counseling process. It uses outdoor settings as part of a structured therapeutic experience. How does nature therapy support emotional health? Nature therapy may support emotional health by encouraging mindfulness, self-reflection, emotional awareness, and meaningful engagement with the therapeutic process. Is nature therapy different from emotional therapy? Nature therapy is not separate from emotional therapy. Instead, it can be used as an approach within therapy to support emotional exploration and personal growth. Can nature therapy be part of wellness therapy? Yes. Nature therapy can complement wellness therapy by encouraging self-awareness, reflection, and a greater connection with one's surroundings. Who is nature therapy suitable for? Nature therapy may be suitable for adults who are comfortable spending time outdoors and are interested in exploring emotional well-being in a natural environment.
Have you ever found yourself wanting to reach out to a friend, ask a colleague for a favor, or even just say hello to a stranger, only to stop yourself mid-thought? The internal dialogue usually sounds like this: “I don’t want to be a burden,” or “They look busy, I’ll just stay out of their way.” On the surface, this feels like kindness. It feels like being “nice.” But in my work as an equine-partnered therapist on Lookout Mountain, I see this dynamic play out in the pasture every week. Through the lens of the herd, we often discover a deeper truth: “I don’t want to bother them” is frequently a sophisticated protective strategy designed to avoid the pain of rejection. Understanding Attachment Styles: Why We Avoid Connection Our early experiences with caregivers create a "blueprint" for how we seek connection. When we feel the urge to "stay out of the way," we are often operating from a specific attachment wound. Relational Anxiety and the Fear of Being a Burden If you grew up with Anxious or Relational Attachment , you may feel that you have to "earn" your space or perfectly time your approach to ensure you aren't pushed away. Disorganized Attachment and the Risk of Vulnerability For those with Avoidant or Disorganized Attachment , the nervous system might preemptively decide that connection isn't available. You might stop yourself from asking to avoid the "catastrophe" of a 'no.' By staying invisible, you feel safe from the sting of being unwanted. Equine-Assisted Therapy: A Mirror for Social Anxiety In a session, a client might look at a horse grazing peacefully and say, “I really want to go over there, but I don’t want to interrupt her. I don’t want to negatively impact her peace.” In equine therapy, we use this moment to look at Projections . Are you actually respecting the horse, or are you projecting your own fear of being "too much" onto the animal? The Difference Between Politeness and Self-Abandonment The big reframe in my work is this: Approaching isn't harmful. Asking is not an inconvenience. Horses are autonomous beings with clear boundaries. If a horse doesn’t want to engage, they will simply walk away. In the pasture, we learn that a horse’s "no" isn't a punishment, it’s just information. This helps us separate our self-worth from someone else’s boundaries . How Equine Therapy Helps Heal Attachment Wounds Healing happens when we move from reacting (staying invisible) to responding (asking clearly while respecting boundaries). In session, we practice the art of asking without collapsing through Somatic Tracking and Dual Awareness in Session I might invite a client to voice their internal experience: “I’m noticing I want to connect with you… and I’m also afraid you’ll say no.” We then practice: The Soft Approach: Moving with presence rather than pressure. Sensing Consent Cues: Learning to read the horse's "Green, Yellow, and Red" lights. Regulating the Nervous System: If the horse moves away, we notice the tightening in the chest and breathe through it without diving into a story of shame. Overcoming People-Pleasing in Real Life This pattern of "not wanting to bother people" shows up long after you leave the farm. It is the root of many common struggles: Professional Stagnation: Not asking for the promotion because you don't want to "inconvenience" the boss. Relationship Friction: Not expressing a need because you've decided, "It's not a big deal, I'll let it go." Social Isolation: Deciding for others that they probably don't want to talk to you. Reprogramming the Nervous System with the Herd Reprogramming your nervous system means learning that you can ask... and you can survive the answer. You don’t have to override your sensitivity to connect. You simply learn how to include yourself in the equation. Visit the Herd. If you recognize this "don't bother them" protector in yourself, you aren't broken. You are protective.
The Immediacy of Love: An Animas Quest into the More Than Human World I recently returned from two weeks in the Arizona wild that felt less like a trip and more like a tectonic shift of the self. It began with retaking the Equilateral (EMDR + Equine Assisted Therapy) training. This was a time of stripping back the layers to re-anchor into the wisdom of my body and the silent, honest presence of horses. But the grounding was only the preparation for the underworld descent of the Animas Valley Institute intensive: Deep Imagination. Somatic Healing and the Power of the Animal Body The transformation began the moment I closed my eyes on my first night in Arizona. I dreamt I was in the wild, surrounded by hundreds of cats. Their bodies were low, their eyes tracking me, stalking me like prey. I felt a familiar timidity, a fear that these wild beings could turn and attack at any moment. But then, the atmosphere shifted. The cats began rubbing against my legs, brushing past me, and purring with a deep, vibrating resonance. I felt caught between a cautious need to move slowly and a sudden, overwhelming realization: maybe they are just deeply relational. What followed was a sensation I feel I’ve been waiting my whole life for. It was a feeling of euphoria and a primal, erotic charge. It was a deep longing and desire finally being met. This dream became the blueprint for my time in the canyon. It taught me how to move through the world not as a spectator, but as an animal body, listening for the shimmering conversation between the hunter and the beloved. Transforming Fear into Relationship through Deep Imagination As I moved deeper into the canyon, the Wild Other changed its shape. I carried a second dream of being chased by a rattlesnake, paralyzed by the strike. With the help of a guide, I entered the somatic heart of that fear. I allowed my spine to elongate, stretching tall while my feet rooted into the earth. From this place of animal strength, I was able to turn and meet the snake’s gaze. In that eye-to-eye contact, the threat transformed into a relationship. I felt a deep, strange longing to be inhabited by this being, to allow the snake’s fluid, ancient power to become my own. Finding Flow and Softening in the More Than Human World Later, during a solo wander in the heat of the canyon, I found a deep bend in the river that moved in the exact, undulating shape of a serpent. I gave myself to it. I let the Snake River take me downstream, over and over. Each time, the challenge was the same: How soft can I get? I practiced softening every muscle, letting go of the ego’s need to control, allowing the current to devour my resistance. I wasn't just swimming. I was practicing the immediacy of love, a total, defenseless presence to the flow of life. The Practice of Reciprocity and Sacred Movement To honor these encounters, I entered into a silent ceremony. I offered the movement of my own body as an expression of deep respect and gratitude to the wild cat and the rattlesnake who had guided me. For four minutes of uninterrupted, silent movement, I let my body speak back to the canyon. In that dance, I wasn't just observing nature. I was offering myself to it. It was an act of reciprocity, a way to say, “I see you, I thank you, and I am here.” Moving from Ego to Intuition in the Wild The ego, however, is a persistent marcher. After the river, my thinking mind decided I needed to reach a specific, noble spot further up the canyon. I fought the current, ignoring my intuition three times as the walking grew harder. It took a prickly, thorned branch catching my skin to stop me dead in my tracks. When I finally surrendered and turned around, I saw the beauty I had been marching past: cottonwood fluff drifting like snow through the golden light. As I walked back downstream, the moment my mind drifted back to my noble goal, I tripped. I looked down and realized I was standing exactly where I had started, at the bend of the Snake River. And there, to my left, was the answer to my journey. I had asked the snake how I could stay connected to its power. There stood a tree with webbed roots , the exact image from my internal vision. Wholeness and the Immediacy of Love I am remerging from the canyon with a new understanding of wholeness. It is not a solo achievement or a destination we march toward. It is a collective recognition of the More Than Human world. We heal the long severance from our souls when we refuse to look away from the stalking cat, the striking snake, or the divine gift in another’s eye. When we stop trying to conquer the wild and instead allow ourselves to be devoured by its beauty, the gates of the kingdom swing wide. Salvation is not a distant destination. It is the euphoria of the purr and the softening of the spine. It is the immediacy of love
How to Meet a Horse: Somatic Awareness and Equine Communication Signs
Why You Can Be Safe but Not Feel Safe: And What Horses Mirror Safety isn’t just a thought. It’s a nervous system experience. There’s a big difference between being safe and feeling safe : Being safe means there’s no present-moment threat. Feeling safe means your nervous system agrees. If you’ve ever been in a totally normal moment, nothing dangerous is actually happening, but your body is acting like something is wrong, you’re not alone. You might notice a tight chest, foggy thinking, an urge to escape, or a sudden numbness. That’s often a conditioned response : an inner state that doesn’t match your outer reality. This is where a tool called dual awareness can help. What is dual awareness? A nervous system tool for feeling safe Dual awareness is when you place equal attention on your outer world and your inner world . It helps you check for congruence between: what’s actually happening right now, and what your nervous system is experiencing. When your inner experience matches your outer circumstances, you’re more likely to respond with choice and clarity. Step 1: How to check for safety in your environment Before we do anything internal, we start with the obvious question: Am I actually unsafe right now? If there’s a real present-moment threat, that’s not the time to talk yourself out of it. Your nervous system is doing its job. If you’re physically safe, here are a few gentle ways to orient to the present moment: What do I see right now? Where are my feet? What sounds do I hear? Step 2: How to check your breathing, body, and thoughts Next, shift your awareness inward and notice what’s happening without forcing it to change. Breath: fast, slow, shallow, deep Body: tense, relaxed, strained Thoughts: scattered, racing, absent, foggy, sharp, hyper-alert Then try naming your experience in a way that creates a little space: “A part of me feels scared.” “A part of me wants to leave.” Instead of: “I’m not safe.” This small shift can help you stay connected to what’s happening inside without becoming consumed by it. Step 3: How to tell if you are safe but not feeling safe Now that you’ve tuned into both your outer world and inner world, ask: Does my internal experience match my external circumstances? Being safe + feeling safe is a congruent state. Being safe + feeling unsafe is an incongruent state. Incongruence doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It often means your nervous system is responding from old learning rather than present-moment reality. What horses mirror in equine-assisted therapy: congruence and nervous system state When working with horses, they can support this process by mirroring congruence or incoherence in real time. Horses are especially sensitive to authenticity. They don’t care if you’re sad, mad, bad, or glad. What matters most is whether your inner state is congruent with your outward expression. As you attempt to connect, you may notice patterns in how horses respond. Signs a horse may sense calm and congruence Turn toward you with soft eyes and gentle curiosity Eat or drink water (often a sign of rest and digest) Hold their head in a neutral or lowered position; ears forward or neutral Stand with a leg cocked or lie down to rest Signs a horse may sense stress, activation, or incongruence Become restless, busy, or more alert Lift their head or pin their ears back Break connection and move away Test boundaries by crowding your space or bumping you These are only a few examples, and it’s always more complex than one behavior. It’s about the whole scene: the context, the relationship, and the overall vibe. That’s also why it’s important to do this work with an experienced equine professional. In session, I use my own dual awareness to track what’s happening and help you and the horses move toward deeper congruence. How you rewire the nervous system: repetition and returning to the present Dual awareness helps you stay connected to yourself and your environment in the present moment without getting swallowed by a conditioned response based on the past. Every time you notice you’re elevated and you come back to reality, you’re reprogramming your nervous system. Every time you catch an old story and choose to reorient to the present moment, you’re reprogramming your nervous system. Every time you become aware that your body is reliving an old experience that doesn’t match what is actually happening right now, you’re building a new bridge. You’re learning to respond to the world as the mature adult you are, instead of like the younger part of you that didn’t know what to do. Therapy support in Boulder and Denver: equine-assisted therapy, EMDR, and nervous system work If you’ve been wondering why you can know you’re safe but not feel safe, you’re not alone, and it’s workable. Dual awareness is one of the ways we start building that bridge. Want support with this work, with or without horses? Reach out to schedule a consultation and we’ll explore what kind of therapy support fits best.
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