Nature, nature connectedness, and climate crisis in psychotherapy. Qualitative results of a cross- sectional online survey among more than 1100 psychotherapists

Empirical evidence on the curative and preventive effects of nature on mental health and well-being is growing. Nature, nature connectedness, and climate change are topics of increasing interest among psychotherapy associations and in psychotherapy and counseling research, theory, and practice. However, up to now, studies in this field have often focused on one psychotherapy/counseling modality or on one client group only – or they consist of small sample sizes. We conducted an explorative, cross-sectional online survey with a sample size of N = 1.190 that included psychotherapists being trained in different modalities (humanistic, behavioral, psychodynamic, systemic) to receive a wide range of perspectives referring to nature and nature-connecting methods in psychotherapy. Results reveal that psychotherapists perceive nature-connecting methods as highly relevant for psychotherapeutic practice enhancing, for example, the client-therapist relationship, and opening up new experiential spaces. Outcomes also indicate a broad spectrum of potentials and aspects referring to the support of clients’ personal development and therapeutic progress (e.g., walking side by side in outdoor therapy, nature connectedness, silence in nature). Nature-connecting methods were judged to foster ecological awareness, sustainable attitudes, and to positively affect emotional responses to the climate crisis in clients. Study participants also detected a lack of structured training opportunities and a range of challenges and risks (e.g., contraindications, loss of therapy room as safe space, legal issues). The empirical findings of our study contribute to the growing evidence in the field of nature-based psychotherapy and counseling and underline the necessity for further research in this context.