🌿 Walking Therapy and the Healing Power of Nature: Reflections on the APA Feature

Side by side on the trail—movement, nature, and conversation working together.

When I first began taking my clients outdoors years ago, I wasn’t trying to start a movement. I was simply following intuition—the quiet pull that said healing happens more easily when we’re surrounded by life itself: the rustle of leaves, the rhythm of footsteps, the grounding feel of air on skin.

So it was a deep honor to see this practice, walking therapy, highlighted in the October 2025 issue of the APA Monitor in an article titled “Walking Therapy Benefits”. I was invited to share my experiences and insights, alongside other clinicians who are helping bring nature-based therapy into the mainstream of mental health care.

How to integrate walking therapy into your practice

Why This Matters

The APA’s feature reflects something many of us have known intuitively and are now seeing validated by research: movement, nature, and mindful presence can unlock pathways to healing that go beyond what’s possible within four walls.

It’s also meaningful because large professional establishments, such as the American Psychological Association, have not always viewed outdoor or nature-based therapy with enthusiasm. For years, these approaches were often met with skepticism, seen as unconventional, unmeasurable, or “less clinical.” The inclusion of walking therapy in an APA feature signals a turning point: a recognition that what once seemed peripheral now has a rightful place in the conversation about evidence-based care.

When we walk side by side, therapy becomes less about confrontation and more about companionship. Clients often describe feeling freer to speak, to think, and to breathe differently. There’s a sense of movement, both literal and metaphorical, that mirrors the therapeutic process itself.

What Sets CNIT Apart in This Conversation

As the Center for Nature Informed Therapy (CNIT) continues to grow, being part of this national dialogue feels deeply meaningful. CNIT’s mention in the article stands out because it reflects more than one therapist’s practice—it represents a collective movement toward accessible, research-informed, nature-based mental health care.

Here’s what makes CNIT’s approach unique:

• A Mission-Driven Nonprofit Advancing Nature-Informed Therapy.

CNIT is among the few nonprofit organizations in the U.S. dedicated specifically to advancing Nature-Informed Therapy (NIT). Our mission is to expand access to nature-based mental health care, establish professional standards, and strengthen the scientific foundation for this work.

• Scholarships that Expand Access and Equity

Through our growing scholarship fund, CNIT supports students, interns, and clinicians who feel called to this work but may face financial barriers. This ensures that the next generation of practitioners represents the full diversity of our communities.

• Community and Global Reach

From our Therapeutic Pathways garden walks to our international collaboration training Ukrainian park staff in trauma-relief methods, CNIT embodies the belief that nature’s healing power belongs to everyone, everywhere.

• Building the Field’s Future

With CE-approved trainings, ongoing research partnerships, and a community of dedicated practitioners, CNIT is helping shape the future of nature-informed mental health care—where accessibility, ethics, and evidence walk hand in hand.

Moving Forward

Seeing walking therapy recognized by the APA feels like a milestone, for me personally, but also for everyone who has quietly been bringing clients outdoors, trusting that healing doesn’t have to be confined to a couch.

If you’re curious about integrating nature-informed therapy into your work, or if you’d like to support CNIT’s mission to make this approach accessible to all, I’d love to connect. Together, we can keep walking this trail—toward a world where healing feels a little more human, and a little more wild.