“I look at my own forest and fields in a different way”: the lived experience of nature-based therapy in a therapy garden when suffering from stress-related illness

Abstract

Evidence confirms that nature-based therapy (NBT) has a positive effect on people with mental illnesses. However, there is a lack of evidence on the meaning of NBT for specific patient groups. The Nacadia® Therapy Garden was designed according to an evidence-based design process, and an NBT programme was developed. The aim of the study was to illuminate the phenomenon of participants’ lived experience of the NBT in Nacadia. Fourteen participants took part in semi-structured interviews (SSIs), and by way of reflective lifeworld research, the SSIs were analysed to identify and describe the meanings of the phenomenon. The essence of the phenomenon was found to be a process of adopting a searching approach to NBT and Nacadia to become familiar with the conditions. This familiarity stimulated the development of confidentiality and attachment to Nacadia. Feeling protected, safe, cared for, and not exposed was important, and motivated feelings of freedom, reduced demands, and increased the ability to access and try a spectrum of NBT activities. It encouraged participants to develop personal approaches and coping strategies to implement in their everyday lives for moving on.

Women’s lived experience of well-being in everyday life when living with a stress-related illness

“…Furthermore, two longitudinal studies have focused on therapeutic garden rehabilitation for people with stress-related illness (Eriksson et al, 2011;Sidenius et al, 2017). Eriksson et al (2011) describe how women on sick leave with stress-related illness experience the rehabilitation in a therapeutic garden.…”

“…The described enjoyment can be understood as an expression of well-being as described in our study. Sidenius et al (2017) have described the lived experience of nature-based therapy in a therapy garden as feelings of familiarity with the garden and a sense of belongingness. The garden was described as a supportive environment and a suitable shelter that contributed to senses of safety and freedom.…”

Efficacy of nature-based therapy for individuals with stress-related illnesses: randomised controlled trial

“…The results thereof support the conclusion that the participants considered the treatment to be very individual thanks to the therapy form and the garden design. 31 However, because of the difference in treatment set-ups between STreSS and NNBT (see supplementary File 3), the NNBT participants could be regarded as clustered as opposed to the STreSS participants. This issue inflicts a major limitation since it was not accounted for in the study design, which also raises the question of how to set-up future study designs entailing a hybrid between individual and group therapy.…”

The Tree Is My Anchor: A Pilot Study on the Treatment of BED through Nature-Based Therapy

“…While the way psychotherapeutic NBT is conducted depends on the underlying therapeutic approach, NBT also has therapeutic potential on its own. One potential advantage intrinsic to NBT concerns bodily experiences through sensorimotor stimulation in the natural environment, which has been found to enhance mental and physical well-being [ 9 , 10 ]. Another concerns the mirroring process: being in a natural environment is demonstrably perceived as comforting by clients in NBT, and offers metaphors by which they can mirror themselves and frame their anxieties [ 8 , 11 ].…”