Sometimes four walls can feel like too much. Nature therapy takes the conversation outdoors, walking gently side by side on a quiet trail, where many people find it easier to breathe, to think, and to begin.
In-person and outdoors, in the warmer months · off-season or by preference, in-office or online.
Clinically reviewed by Svetlana Antonyshyn, Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #001652). Last reviewed June 2026.
Nature therapy, also called ecotherapy, is simply psychotherapy that happens outside. Instead of meeting in an office, you and your therapist walk gently together, or sit, in a natural setting, and the calm of the outdoors becomes part of the work.
It is still real, professional therapy with a Registered Psychotherapist. What changes is the setting, and for a lot of people, that change matters. A quiet trail can feel less clinical and less exposing than sitting face to face in a room, which makes it easier to slow down and speak honestly.
We will be honest about what it is and is not: nature therapy is a complement to evidence-based talk therapy, not a replacement or a cure. For many people it is a gentler, more natural way in.
Nature therapy is real psychotherapy, held outdoors. By trading the office for a quiet trail, it lowers the pressure of the room, so it can feel easier to settle, to open up, and to do the work.
Nature therapy often begins by simply arriving in your senses. Tap through a short grounding practice you can use on any walk.
“Look for five things you can see, the way light moves through the leaves, a bird, the shape of a cloud.”
Naming what you see pulls your attention out of looping thoughts and into the present, where worry tends to loosen its grip.
This is a taste of what an outdoor session can hold. Talk it through with a therapist, free for 20 minutes.
Nature therapy can be a good fit when a room feels like too much, when you think more clearly while moving, or when you simply feel more like yourself outside.
Nature therapy is one of several therapy approaches we draw on, and it blends naturally with talk therapy. In your free consult we will help you find the right fit.
A trustworthy page shows you where the evidence stands, and where it does not.
A 90-minute walk in nature lowered rumination, the looping negative self-talk linked to depression, and quieted activity in a brain region tied to it. A matched city walk did not.
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that outdoor, nature-based activities improved mood and reduced anxiety, including for people with existing mental-health challenges.
Across studies, time spent in forest settings was linked to lower cortisol, a key stress hormone, pointing to a real, measurable calming effect on the body.
In a study of nearly 20,000 people, spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature was associated with better health and wellbeing.
Most of this research measures time in nature, not nature therapy as a standalone treatment, and the field is still young. That is exactly why we offer it as a complement to established, evidence-based therapy, never a replacement, and our psychotherapists do not diagnose or prescribe. What nature therapy reliably offers is real and humane: a calmer setting, a gentle pace, and a space where it can feel easier to begin.
Relaxed, unhurried, and led by you. A gentle walk-and-talk, not a hike, with the calm of nature alongside the conversation.
If the weather turns, or walking is not right for you on a given day, we simply meet in the office or online. Your therapy never has to stop.
Before your first outdoor session, you and Carol agree on a quiet trail near Woodbridge or Barrie, what to expect, and how confidentiality works outside.
Many people find it is easier to open up while moving. We walk gently, pause when you like, and let the calm of nature settle the conversation.
What comes up on the path becomes the work. Carol helps you understand it and carry something calmer and clearer back into daily life.
Nature therapy is not just a nice walk. Carol brings established, evidence-informed approaches into the outdoor setting, tailored to you.
Every session is held by a Registered Psychotherapist regulated by the CRPO. InnerSight was founded by Svetlana Antonyshyn, RP, on the belief that healing should treat the person, not a label. More about our approach.
Nature therapy at InnerSight is led by Carol McDowell, a trauma-informed Registered Psychotherapist. Watch her short intro, read her full profile, or meet her in a free consultation.
Carol brings nearly 30 years as a journalist and a deep belief in the healing power of your story. She has supported people through complex challenges, including PTSD, trauma, depression and substance use, and draws on Internal Family Systems, Narrative and Somatic approaches within a warm, humanistic relationship.
She is a steady, compassionate guide for using the restorative calm of nature to make sense of the past and write a new ending, at a pace that always feels safe.
Prefer indoor or online therapy, or a different focus? Browse all 25+ therapists and we will help you find the right fit in your free consultation.
No hidden fees. Most clients pay little or nothing out of pocket after insurance.
Meet Carol, ask anything, and see if an outdoor approach feels right for you. No obligation.
Nature sessions are booked as standard individual therapy. Most private insurance plans cover a portion of services from a Registered Psychotherapist.
Sessions with supervised therapists in training, at a lower rate. Same structure, same care, more accessible.
Psychotherapy is also tax-deductible as a medical expense in Canada. Worried about cost? See our reduced-fee program.
Nature therapy, sometimes called ecotherapy, is psychotherapy that takes place outdoors in a natural setting rather than in an office. You and your therapist walk gently side by side, or sit, in green space, and the calm of the natural world becomes part of the work. It is still real psychotherapy with a Registered Psychotherapist, simply held in a setting many people find easier to open up in.
Time spent in nature has a growing research base for lowering stress, easing low mood and quieting rumination, and outdoor nature-based activities have been shown to improve mood and reduce anxiety. The evidence is strongest for nature exposure itself; nature therapy as a standalone treatment is a younger field. We offer it as a complement to established, evidence-based talk therapy, not a replacement, and we are honest that it is not a cure.
On quiet trails and green space near our Woodbridge and Barrie offices, chosen for privacy, gentle terrain and easy access. Your therapist agrees a specific meeting spot with you beforehand. If you would rather start indoors and move outside later, that is completely fine.
Mostly, yes. Outdoor sessions run primarily through the warmer, drier seasons and depend on the weather. When it is too cold, wet or icy, or any time you prefer, we simply meet in the office or online instead, so your therapy never has to pause.
Just comfortable shoes and clothing for the weather. This is not a hike or a fitness session, it is therapy at an easy, conversational pace. We can walk slowly, pause, or sit on a bench whenever you like, and the route is chosen to suit your comfort and mobility.
Your privacy matters, so we choose quiet routes at quieter times and keep a comfortable distance from others. You stay in control of what is discussed and where, and we can pause the conversation any time someone passes. We talk through how confidentiality works outdoors before your first session.
It can suit people working through stress and burnout, anxiety and overthinking, low mood, grief, trauma, or a sense of disconnection, and anyone who simply feels more themselves outdoors. At InnerSight it is offered by Carol McDowell, a trauma-informed Registered Psychotherapist. It may not suit acute crisis or situations that need in-office support, which we will help you figure out in a free consult.
No referral is needed. Nature therapy is booked as individual psychotherapy, so the usual session fee applies and most private insurance plans cover a portion of services from a Registered Psychotherapist. You can book a free 20-minute consultation online at psychotherapyclinic.janeapp.com or call (905) 553-9507.
Outdoor sessions run on green space near our Woodbridge and Barrie offices. Regular in-office and online sessions are available at all three locations, year-round.
Online in 2 minutes or by phone. No referral, no credit card.
Talk through what you are looking for and plan your first outdoor session together.
Walk, talk, and let the calm of nature become part of your healing.
In immediate crisis or having thoughts of suicide? Call or text 988 any time, or call 911. You deserve support right now.
