Ask Your Therapist to Take You Outside: Nature-Based Therapy for Adolescent Mental Health and Wellness
Ask Your Therapist to Take You Outside: Nature-Based Therapy for Adolescent Mental Health and Wellness
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Issue Date
2022-10-24
Authors
Mackenzie, Mary
Journal Title
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Abstract
Adolescents are in the midst of a mental health crisis. Inordinate amounts of screen time and a deteriorating connection to the natural world parallel a steep rise in hospitalizations related to suicide and self-harm as well as diagnoses of anxiety, depression, and attention deficit disorders. The current approach to treatment is falling short of the needs of Canadian youth. This paper explores the ways in which connection to nature is a vital component of mental health and well-being. It also examines how the healing power of nature can be used to bolster healthy adolescent development at a time of critical need. A workshop curriculum inspired by the research has been developed to encourage therapists who work with adolescent clients to take their practice outdoors.
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Keywords
adolescence , mental health , nature-based therapy , technology
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess