Feeling blue? Therapists have ideas about how to use greenery to boost your mood.

Many visitors know the Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton as 22 acres of mood-boosting flowers and greenery.

But a Towson therapist thinks there’s more to wring out of a trip through the flora.

Heidi Schreiber-Pan has been sending volunteers on a specially designed tour of the gardens to see just “how much nature could help humans.”

“Nature as therapist,” she said.

People probably already realize they feel physically and mentally better after spending time walking or even sitting outside — among trees, along the ocean or just in their backyard. And there are plenty of studies showing its mental health benefits.

But walking through a garden with full attention and purpose could make a measurable difference, said Schreiber-Pan, executive director of the Center for Nature Informed Therapy, a Towson-based research and training facility.

The effort began as a service project for Ukraine. She spoke to park rangers in Kyiv who reported people were seeking relief from the war in urban green spaces, but the rangers were at a loss for how to guide them toward a more therapeutic experience.

The Ladew study began April 14. At the end of eight weeks, Schreiber-Pan will collect feedback from participants and use the data to set up a similar program in a Kyiv botanical garden next spring.

She also plans to expand to other green spaces around the Baltimore region for those looking for a little structure in their nature therapy, also known as ecotherapy. That will be for individuals and adapted for groups, such as veterans or survivors of tragedies.

Crossing the threshold

The first step in the program steers volunteers to pass through a “threshold.” It’s a set of metal markers at the park’s entrance where these visitors are asked to mentally put away their to-do lists and obligations and concentrate on the environment in front of them.

They spend up to 90 minutes walking along a path with a set of stops where they are supposed to consider specific themes, including resilience, peace, connection, authenticity, hope and self-efficacy.

One stop, for example, is at a large maple tree that has survived many storms because of its deep roots. The guide encourages the volunteers to write down an experience of hardship and recall how their own strengths pulled them through.

Another stop includes a koi pond, where the fish survive despite murky water and lilies blocking the sun. There, volunteers reflect on what helps them flourish, like good food, sleep and connections with others.

Rick Martin heard about the study at an area senior center and volunteered. He said he used to just walk through the garden but never really sat on a bench and contemplated how the surroundings made him feel.

Staring at nature instead of his phone gave him a sense of calm and made him view things in a more positive light. Now, he said, he’s changed his morning routine to include 10 minutes looking at the trees in his Phoenix backyard, escaping life’s chores and the heaviness of daily news.

“I think it is lowering my blood pressure; it makes me feel great,” he said, adding that the process feels necessary, “especially with the world as it is right now.”

The idea of nature therapy isn’t new. But it’s gaining attention from more therapists, some of whom are embracing “walk-and-talk” sessions with patients outside.

The American Psychological Association is now pointing therapists to the benefits of incorporating nature into their work. Schreiber-Pan’s center also offers training for therapists, as well as the public.

Others are “prescribing” nature for people to experience on their own.

Schreiber-Pan and others say the idea began expanding more quickly after the coronavirus pandemic took such a heavy mental toll and revealed a lack of professionals to handle the crisis.

She pointed to a ranking from Mental Health America that placed Maryland in the bottom half of states for access to mental health care, with significant unmet need among adults. But the state is also home to hundreds of parks, parks, gardens, arboretums and green spaces that could help fill a need.

No appointment needed

The beauty of nature walks is that people can go on their own time, with no clinical appointment or insurance required.

A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports found that 120 minutes per week in nature was associated with a better sense of health and well-being.

Those benefits came no matter the person’s age or level of health, whether they were exercising or not, in their backyard or a park, or if they spent one long session in nature or a series of short spans.

Other research shows that interacting with nature has physical and mental benefits, lowering stress levels, decreasing anxiety, reducing negative thoughts, and increasing feelings of happiness and well-being. For children, nature can aid ADHD symptoms and lower rates of depression.

Patricia Hasbach, an Oregon-based psychotherapist, is among those at the forefront of the ecotherapy movement. She’s authored several books, including most recently, “Prescribing Nature: A Clinician’s Guide to Ecotherapy.”

She said she begins every session asking people about their relationship to nature to better understand how it fits into their lives, as well as their level of access.

Hasbach has begun taking those interested on walks along her state’s Willamette River, which she said puts people more at ease and helps them open up about whatever is bothering them.

“I find it’s helpful for folks with anxiety,” she said. “Sitting for 55 minutes in a session itself can be anxiety-producing. Older teens and young adults especially seem to benefit from walking side-by-side and talking issues through.”

Still, she said ecotherapy isn’t “a panacea or suitable for everyone,” and not a replacement for professional therapy.

She and Schreiber-Pan said walking can be a challenge for some, and therapists who venture out with patients need to be prepared for someone to be stung by a bee, for instance.

Walk-and-talk sessions in public spaces also pose privacy issues. But both experts believe ecotherapy could benefit a lot of people, even if it’s from a bench or looking out of a window.

“Nature knows what people need,” Schreiber-Pan said.

How to get started

Want to get started without a formal ecotherapy plan? The therapists have tips.

• Put down your phone, walk at half your normal pace in the nearest park or even along a tree-lined street while focused on the natural world.
• Listen for wind, water and birds, the most calming of sounds, and do not use headphones.
• Find a “sit spot” outside for 10 minutes and a flower or stone to focus on.
• Watch the sun rise or set once a week and reflect on the new start it offers.
• When your attention is waning at work, take a break and walk or look outside for a few minutes to recharge.
• To bring nature indoors, paint a room in natural colors and add plants and maybe a birdfeeder in the window to check on regularly.