We are a part of nature, or more specifically our souls are. Our egos are shaped by the societies and families we are born into, by our personal history, as such they are ‘man-made’. Whereas the soul is the natural, fundamental, unconditional part of our personalities. Eco art therapy; combining nature and art therapy, allows us to connect with the fundamental in us. 

It is the soul that connects with nature. Or to put it another way, being in nature brings us into a soul state of consciousness. The same frame of consciousness that we want to foster in the art therapy space. Therefore, introducing nature into the art therapy setting helps us to more readily access a state of flow. Working with natural objects also highlights the shamanic roots of the art therapy process, being reminiscent of how indigenous peoples make art. I find working with natural objects is also more transactional. The individuality of each piece of wood contributes more to the finished product than a generic  piece of paper. 

Children naturally know how to be in nature, how to connect with it, be nourished by it. As adults, we can often lose this connection. Studies have shown that time in nature helps improve depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. Access to nature also reduces stress and improves sleep, increase happiness and reduce negative emotions, promote positive social interactions and even help generate a sense of meaning in life. 

What this means in relation to art therapy?

Spending some time in nature at the start of the session serves the same purpose as beginning the session with mediatation or grounding exercises and may be more appropriate than the latter for people who have unrecognized trauma. Weather dependent it means there is also the option of conducting the entire session outdoors. Using natural objects as materials in the art making process is another way of doing eco art therapy. 

Living on a farm nature is on my doorstep, so its very convenient and powerful modality to incorporate into the way I work. As with creativity itself, finding peace in nature is something clients can take with them when our time together ends.