In Nature-Informed Therapy, we begin with a foundational truth: humans are nature. For more than 99% of our evolutionary history, we lived entirely within natural environments—our senses, nervous systems, and emotional rhythms shaped by the landscapes that sustained us. The flicker of firelight, the sound of flowing water, the shelter of trees—all became part of how our brains learned safety, connection, and belonging.
Our evolution was not separate from nature but interwoven with it. The human nervous system co-regulates with natural cues: morning light signals wakefulness; darkness invites rest. Our microbiome depends on soil, air, and plant life. Even our social instincts mirror ecological interdependence—thriving through cooperation, diversity, and mutual care, just as healthy ecosystems do.
When modern life pulls us away from these relationships, our bodies and minds can lose balance. NIT is one way to help restore that equilibrium by re-engaging the innate pathways of connection that evolution built into us. Through mindful presence in or outdoors, sensory grounding, and attunement to natural cycles, we begin to remember our place in the larger web of life.
Healing, then, is not about returning to something new—it’s about coming home to what we’ve always been: nature in human form.
*Writer and human/nature advocate, Richard Louv (2012) notes that humans had 30+ senses during our historic evolutionary immersion in nature - 30+! The majority of these senses are no longer utilized/exercised in our modern environments as we spend 93% of our day indoors, per US Environmental Protection Agency and DemandSage.
Now let's get curious about ourselves:
How much time did you spend outside today? (Not including time inside a vehicle)
Within this last week?