Nature-guided therapy (NGT) takes a systemic approach to therapy, seeking to assist people not solely in terms of their individual psyches, relationships, family systems, or social and cultural milieu but also in the person–nature connection. It is a specific model in the broad field of ecotherapies that explore and apply the ecopsychology research about how contact with nature can have therapeutic benefits. NGT has been used in the treatment of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, substance abuse, relationship issues, and child and adolescent therapy.

Historical Context

NGT originated in the Australian prison system in the mid-1970s when the clinical psychologist George W. Burns was researching targeted reinforcers for behavior therapy programs. He observed that nature contexts were most commonly rated as rewarding, relaxing, and enhancing. ...

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