Reconnecting to the Land: Healing with Mother Nature as Co-Therapist

How Land-Based Therapy Found Me

For me, land-based therapy is something that emerged naturally. I’ve always been open to working creatively and in places or spaces that feel good to the people I am walking alongside — whether that’s in my office, their home, or outside. Over the years, I’ve had sessions in my vehicle, beside a lake, at the park (with young ones), or walking a trail together.

I started to notice that I felt more energized and alive after sessions outdoors. My coworkers noticed it too. It was as if the land itself was helping us to breathe more freely.

Mother Nature as Co-Therapist

Land-based therapy, to me, is really about having Mother Nature as my co-therapist. She holds an abundance of teachings and wisdom, and I truly believe that when we immerse ourselves in nature, we allow ourselves to be held and guided by this ancient knowledge.

Elders have often guided me to simply go and sit in nature — to talk with the trees, to watch the little critters all around me. Lessons are everywhere, if only we take the time to look.

What Happens When We Heal on the Land

When I began bringing together therapy work and the outdoors, I found that something almost magical happens. People become more open, more grounded, more free. We have more resources available to us — and the land becomes a resource that remains with people long after therapy has ended.

As we heal on the land, there is reciprocity: the land heals with us. Nature teaches us about letting go, about being held, about connection and interrelationship. It is humbling to be reminded that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.

Why Reconnection Matters

In our world today, so many of us have become disconnected from the natural world — and it’s this disconnection that allows harm to occur. When we reconnect with nature, we deepen our relationship with her and become more aware, more compassionate protectors of our Mother.

What Land-Based Therapy Can Look Like

Land-based therapy shifts and changes depending on the individual. I tailor my approach for each person. For some, it might mean respectfully picking medicines. For others, it’s sitting beside a grounding element such as rocks, fire, or water. Sometimes it’s walking in nature together, combining movement, breath, and reflection. At times, we create meaningful ceremonies or rituals, weaving in storytelling and gratitude.

Remembering Our Place

Mother Nature doesn’t rush or compare; she moves in rhythm. She shows us when to slow down and rest, and when it’s time to rise, move, and prepare for what’s ahead. She reminds us that intensity and stillness both have their place — that fire, wind, and water each have their own medicine. When we listen, she helps us return to our roots and remember who we are - part of a greater web of life, not separate from it.

An Invitation to Come Home

If this way of healing speaks to you, I invite you to explore what it might mean to reconnect with the land — both within and around you. You don’t have to go far; even stepping outside to feel the ground beneath your feet can be a beginning.

Mother Nature is always waiting to hold you, teach you, and welcome you home. And if you feel called to walk this path in a supported way, I’d be honoured to walk alongside you. Through land-based, holistic therapy at Sacred Reconnections Wellness, we can listen together — to your story, to your body, and to the land that remembers who you are.