What is Nature Therapy?
The term Nature Therapy is an unregulated term, meaning it can be used by a lot of professionals in a lot of different ways.
This graphic, created by The Center for Nature Informed Therapy, is one way of looking at how some people might use this and similar terms.
In many contexts, “nature therapy” has a focus on mental health and is directed mostly towards adults, not necessarily educators and less frequently used with children. There are also quite a few certification programs in the world, for all different niche areas, including:
The Cedarsong Way therapy track program differs from these definitions and programs in several key ways:
- It is intended not as a primary clinical intervention, but as an adjunct therapy to support and reinforce other therapies a child may be receiving
- It enables Forest School teachers to include and support kids with special challenges in their programs
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It comes from the established therapeutic framework of Integrated Movement Therapy, a whole person therapy modality developed by Erin’s sister, Molly Lannon Kenny, a licensed speech-language pathologist and autism specialist
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It focuses on documentation, program planning, goals and objectives while understanding the difference between offering “therapy” and offering a “therapeutic experience.”
- The training is led by licensed pediatric clinicians and draws on best practices both in a conventional clinical or educational setting, as well as inspiring adult facilitators to use the beneficial qualities of the natural world
and outdoor education to foster self-esteem and learning readiness - It provides specific, empirically sound techniques for behavioral management, inclusion, and developmental advancement.
