Ecotherapy
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”
– Lady Bird Johnson
Ecotherapy Now Being Offered in North Carolina
Do you feel depressed or anxious? Making changes in your life and needing support? Experiencing physical pain or an illness that is impacting your mental health? Experiencing unresolved trauma? All of these concerns and more can be supported through Ecotherapy.
Dr. Suzanna Fletcher is a licensed clinical psychologist in North Carolina who offers individual Ecotherapy sessions, a mental health therapy informed by nature connected wellness practices for residents of North Carolina. She is paneled with Blue Cross Blue Sheild and TRICARE Standard. She expects to have openings for clients May, 2024. Dr. Fletcher can be reached at Drsuzanna.fletcher@birchwalking.earth or at (603) 568-1784.
What is Ecotherapy?
Ecotherapy is a therapeutic approach that values the deep connection we have to the natural world and understands that reconnecting or connecting in new ways with nature in a therapeutic manner can reduce anxiety and depression, increase feelings of well-being and happiness, help in the processing of personal concerns and trauma, and improve attention, sleep, and even physical health.
Do you experience feeling of calm and wellbeing when spending time outdoors gardening, sitting on your porch or under a tree, gazing up at the stars, taking a leisurely walk, listening to nature sounds, tending to house plants or other nature connected activities? Are there other ways you connect with nature? Decades of research has confirmed the psychological and physiological benefits of being in nature. Incorporating a faith based foundation is also an option for clients.
Therapeutic Approach
Dr. Fletcher uses a combined approach to therapy (nature connected wellness and person centered therapy) that aims to provide improved mood, increased self-confidence, a stronger sense of personal identity, greater self-trust in making decisions, while decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety. This approach also aims at decreasing symptoms of trauma and regaining a positive sense of self. This combined approach allows for deeper insight, healing from a painful past or present, greater ability to resolve current challenges, improved focus, and improved ability to manage life stressors. Each of us has the ability to discover the best solutions for ourselves and the ability to make appropriate changes in our lives. Incorporating a faith based foundation is also an option for clients as discussed above.
“I have a lot of anxiety. I had forgotten how relaxing it is to be a nature. This has really helped me lower my walls. Also, working with a therapist who is very accepting, has helped me to talk about my anxiety and other things that have been troubling me for years. I am making progress.”
~ Author Unnamed
A Word from Dr. Fletcher
During sessions, I will listen without judgment while I encourage and support clients in their process of healing and growth in areas they deem appropriate. My approach to therapy also incorporates interaction with nature as an avenue for healing, connection, and growth.
Research over the last several decades has clearly demonstrated the benefit of spending time in nature on our mental health and physical health particularly when slowing down and mindfully opening our senses to the experience.
Taking a break from computers, television, phones, and environmental noises (traffic and others) gives us a break from artificial sensory inputs that often contribute to anxiety, stress, depression, and irritability. These artificial sensory inputs also stress our central nervous system and impede our ability to focus and concentrate. Benefits from nature connected wellness practices include improved mood (decrease in symptoms of anxiety and depression), improved focus, decrease in cortisol (stress hormone) levels, lowered blood pressure, an increase in natural killer cells (NK cells), improved immune responses, and many others.
Additional benefits of time in nature include exposure to sunlight which helps to balance our melatonin levels and increase our bodies’ production of Vitamin D. Melatonin helps regulate our sleep cycle and Vitamin D helps to boost our immune system, aid in brain development, help keep our hearts healthy, and other benefits.
Get In Touch
Contact Dr. Fletcher to discuss your questions and/or desire to start Ecotherapy. Dr. Fletcher is currently taking adults living in North Carolina who carry TRICARE Standard or Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Private pay is also accepted.
Email Dr. Fletcher or call (603) 568-1784. You may also complete the form below.