There is growing evidence that connecting people with green spaces can deliver positive outcomes for the prevention of mental ill-health and supports the management of mild to moderate mental health conditions.
Social prescribing and community-based support is part of the NHS Long-Term Plan and commitment to make personalised care, business as usual across the health and care system and eco therapy is a focus of interest.
With this in mind, The Eco Therapy Garden, Community Interest Company was founded as a local accessible intervention for the management of mental health and social isolation, offering a unique and innovative personal programme of eco and talking therapy.
Ecotherapy is an umbrella term for treatment modalities that include the natural world in relationship of mutual healing and growth. In two studies at the University of Essex, 108 people gardened, walked, ran, cycled, and got involved in conservation activities. Of these, 94% reported benefits to their mental health and participants in other outdoor activities reported less anger and tension and improved mood (Mind Publications, 2007)
Our one-acre community therapy garden in Merseyside is a safe green facilitated space providing a holistic approach to wellness. Clients can take part in a range of eco therapies from grow your own produce, conservation work or nature watching to eco crafts such as making herb pouches to help combat sleep difficulties. Our weekly tea and chat group feedback sessions find that taking part in the therapy garden project gives a sense of purpose, overall greater community engagement and improved mental health.
While our data shows eco therapy acts as an effective early intervention and management for the majority of clients, for some the addition of counselling sessions are required for full response to treatment. Outdoor spaces can and are used by practitioners to undertake counselling sessions to great effect, be that community spaces or private green spaces and on fair weather days we take our counselling sessions outdoors. Session outcome data finds clients experience a greater sense of calm and longer benefits post session than with our office-based sessions.
Our client referrals are varied and come mainly from social prescribing link workers with many referrals from other health professionals, community leaders or client self-referral. Presenting issues are much the same as a regular counselling service. However, we see a greater number of clients presenting with depression because of social isolation along with those presenting with mental health difficulties arising from a decline in their physical health of which eco therapy is particularly helpful with.
The therapy garden is not only a place for informal eco therapy and formal clinical counselling but a place for the whole community. A space where the community can benefit by reconnecting with nature. Our wider service users range from: families who bring their children for free play, with children who are neuro diverse especially benefiting, young adults with complex learning and adults with complex mental health needs who attend with support from their key workers, organisations such as the youth offending team, whose service users become part of the garden community when paying back to society, domestic violence service users, refugees and asylum seekers who use the garden as an enclosed facilitated green safe space.
With over four years eco therapy delivery experience, positive client feedback and outcome data, along with evidence coming steadily from various pilot studies across the U.K our role now includes promoting eco therapy and sustainable healthcare. As such we have consulted other organisations in developing their green spaces for eco therapy, provided placements for students Counsellors, Occupational Therapists and encourage qualified Counsellors to consider eco therapy as a specialist area of interest and study.
Further reading:
Green Social Prescribing for Sustainable Healthcare | Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
NHS England » Green social prescribing
Gardens And Health Report | The King's Fund (kingsfund.org.uk)
Angela Davies (MNCPS Acc.)
Founder of The Eco Therapy Garden C.I.C
