The feeling of instant calm after walking in the forest, taking a deep breath, and letting your shoulders drop. The rush as you and your crew paddle your raft furiously through whitewater. The smell of your campfire as you prepare dinner after a beautiful day hiking the mountains with your group. Gathered around the glowing embers as a splendid night sky falls, the Milky Way sparkling, sharing stories with your friends.
These images illustrate some of the holistic activities in which healing from substance abuse through nature can occur. And it’s not just about a walk in the park. Each of these activities is part of an intentional, structured approach to outdoor therapy for healing from addictions and the chronic stress and anxiety substance abuse entails. It can improve depressive mood, reduce anxiety, enhance positive affect, and diminish adverse effects [1].
Sometimes it’s called by other names: nature therapy, adventure therapy, wilderness therapy, ecotherapy or ocean therapy. In this article, I explain types of outdoor therapy and the benefits in a substance abuse program.
These immersive experiences in nature facilitate profound healing, offering unique and evidence-based benefits for psychological, physical, and social well-being that are difficult to achieve sitting in a chair in a traditional indoor setting.
What Exactly is Outdoor Therapy? Beyond a Simple Walk in the Woods
Outdoor therapy, or outdoor behavioral healthcare, is a guided, purposeful process facilitated by a trained professional whether that be a therapist, counselor, or guide. It’s the intentional combination of professional therapeutic support, local guides, and the natural environment that creates the powerful healing effect. It may be in green space or blue space (aquatic environments). Types of outdoor therapy include:
- Adventure Therapy: Focused on challenging activities to build confidence and overcome fears (e.g rock climbing, rafting, snow tubing, sledding, snowshoeing).
- Wilderness Therapy: Involves backpacking expeditions for a week or more. Learnings include survival skills such as fire-building, deep nature observation, structured group therapy sessions around the campfire, and solo reflection time in a natural, secluded setting.
- Horticultural Therapy: Develop your green thumb with gardening and other plant-based activities to promote mindfulness and nurture growth.
- Walk and Talk Therapy: Therapy sessions conducted while walking side-by-side outdoors.
- Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku): The Japanese practice of mindfully immersing the senses in the forest atmosphere.
- Ocean Therapy: Developing skills and learning to relax while swimming in the ocean (or a lake), learning to body surf, kayak surf or on a surfboard.
The Multifaceted Benefits of Healing Through Nature
Forming new habits and routines is an essential aspect of care during recovery. Because individuals recovering from substance abuse are no longer occupied with substance-related activities (obtaining, using, recovering), managing unused time can become a significant challenge.
Partly to address this, the best substance use programs incorporate greater access to, and increased time spent in, enjoyable and rewarding experiences to sustain abstinence. [2]. Outdoor therapy can play a significant role in this.
While there are few rigorous studies of outdoor therapy for substance abuse, it is believed to have a wide range of benefits. One review of 18 studies of nature-based activities showed positive and beneficial outcomes in 85% of them [1].
Research indicates that exposure to nature is associated with positive changes in the following [3]:
- Mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD)
- Self-concept
- Behavioral and emotional functioning
- Cognitive abilities, such as with executive function
- Substance use and cravings
- Attention and freedom from triggers
- Immune system health and measures of stress like blood pressure
- Resilience
- Academic performance
- Family relationships
- Social development
Shinrin-yoku, a Japanese practice of “forest bathing,” involves engaging the 5 senses by focusing on different elements, such as the range of leaf colors and the sounds of streams. Forest-bathing has been shown to reduce depression, stress, and anxiety, and previous research suggests it may be a potential treatment for addiction that warrants further exploration. [3] [6].
Benefits can be classified in several ways, as follows:
Psychological and Emotional Restoration
Time in nature allows participants to break free from urban environments temporarily, offering a restart and the opportunity to rebuild healthy habits.
Reducing Stress and Anxiety: Lowered cortisol levels (linked to stress) and reduced activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex (linked to rumination) are beneficial results of outdoor therapy. The “soft fascination” of nature engages our attention gently, allowing our overactive minds to rest.
Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) emphasizes the role of nature in reducing stress levels and promoting relaxation [4].
Combating Depression and Improving Mood: The natural light of being outdoors helps regulate both serotonin and melatonin, improving mood and sleep. Finding your way in natural environments also brings out a sense of accomplishment.
Enhancing Mindfulness and Presence: The present moment is heightened when we are immersed in nature. Birdsong, the breeze caressing our face, shimmering light through the leaves, and feeling the wonder of mountain vistas are all natural remedies to depression and anxiety.
Increasing Happiness: Studies show that contact with nature is associated with increases in [5] :
- Happiness
- Subjective well-being
- Positive affect
- Positive social interactions
- A sense of meaning and purpose in life
- Decreases in mental distress
Physical Health and Vitality
Boosting the Immune System: Plants, and especially trees like conifers, release antimicrobial organic compounds that protect them from insects and fungi. When we inhale these compounds, we can experience health benefits such as a strengthened immune system, reduced stress, and improved mood.
Improving Physical Fitness (The Gentle Way): Why go to the gym when the full-body engagement of hiking, climbing, rafting, or even gardening improves cardiovascular health, strength, and coordination, without feeling like a chore.
Enhanced Recovery and Pain Management: Some studies show that even patients with views of nature from their windows recover faster and require less pain medication. All the more so when we are outside and actively engaged with nature.
Cognitive and Social Benefits
Restoring Mental Focus and Creativity: Urban environments require directed attention, which leads to mental fatigue. Nature captures our attention merely by being immersed in it. This gives our directed attention network a chance to recharge and nourishes creativity for problem-solving [5].
Attention Restoration Theory (ART) believes that exposure to natural environments can help restore and enhance cognitive functioning by providing a restorative experience. Spending time in nature can help alleviate mental fatigue, improve attentional capacities, and enhance overall well-being [4].
Fostering Social Connection and Communication: Side-by-side activities in nature can reduce feelings of confrontation and make communication easier than in a face-to-face therapy room. Group outdoor therapy is a rich way to build trust, teamwork, and a sense of shared experience [5].
The Outdoors Is Accessible
Nature is not a luxury but a fundamental component of human health. Yet access to safe, green spaces is not equitable. Nature isn’t only a remote national park. It can be a community garden, a city riverwalk, a backyard, or even a single tree on a street. Find and connect with whatever natural elements are accessible and consider contacting the Association for Nature and Forest Therapy Guides
So step outside, breathe deeply, and begin your own journey of healing through the timeless, accessible wisdom of the natural world. The Outdoor Research Collaborative has a variety of resources for further exploration.
Find Supportive Care at Red Rock Recovery
Substance use disorder or addiction can feel insurmountable, but Red Rock Recovery Center is here to help you begin your recovery journey today with our core values of Community, Connection and Purpose.
Red Rock Recovery Center stands out from most drug and alcohol rehab centers in Colorado by offering a full continuum of care approach to substance use disorder (SUD) and addiction treatment. Our Colorado rehab center is proud to offer an addiction treatment program that includes all necessary steps to healing, from medical detox to aftercare services. Located close to major cities such as Colorado Springs, we are uniquely equipped to help countless families find healing.
Contact our admissions team!
Sources
[1] Díaz-Martínez, F ,et al (2024). Harnessing the healing power of nature: a review of natural interventions in substance abuse treatment and prevention. Environmental health and preventive medicine, 29, 64.
[2] Shirazi, A., et al. (2024). Recovery Horizons: Nature-Based Activities as Adjunctive Treatments for Co-Occurring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorders. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 15598276241300475. Advance online publication.
[3] Cramer, J., & Wanner, P. (2022). Wilderness Therapy Programs: A systematic review of research (Document Number 22-06-1901). Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy.
[4] Valley Forge Medical Center and Hospital. 2025. The Impact of Outdoor Therapy in Addiction Hospitals.
[5] Weir K. Nurtured by Nature. American Psychological Association. Vol. 51, No. 3
[6] Hansen, M. M., Jones, R., & Tocchini, K. (2017). Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(8), 851.