The wind, the rain, the mountains and rivers, the woodlands and meadows and all their inhabitants; we need these perhaps even more for our psyche than for our physical survival.

–Thomas Berry

We’ve both felt a strong connection to nature for years. When my husband lived and worked in downtown Portland, he used to spend his free time on property he owned. Hiking the gentle hills, cutting firewood, and camping in his rustic cabin restored his soul. For me, the same applies. Growing up in Alaska helped foster an appreciation and kinship with the environment. It’s simply restorative. Or as some say, ” it’s ecotherapy.”

Ecotherapy is a different kind of mental health treatment. Basically, it’s about teaching mindfulness, recognizing our “connection to the rest of life.” Therapists often use nature as a metaphor for challenging events or things that come up in life. Roger S. Ulrich is a Texas A&M researcher who studied the healing aspects of nature views outside hospital rooms. Richard Louv is a San Diego journalist who came up with the term “nature deficit.” Both men believe our lack of a relationship to the environment can cause mental health problems in children and adults.

Elbow Room for the Soul™ is Good for What Ails You.

Proponents of ecotherapy say the practice in general is addressing our culture’s need to get back to nature. The more outside time, the more engagement with nature, and the more access to healthy food, the better off we are as indivudals, and a society. A British Study published in September 2015 showed a high exposure to natural environments ( green space and gardens) was associated with fewer mental disorders among older people.

We wholeheartedly believe that living in homes with Nature As Neighbors and Elbow Room for the Soul™ is life affirming and healing. Our clients do too. If you’d like to learn more, call us today at ViewHomes™ of Clark County – Harcourts USA, The Carl Group.