Time in nature can be a form of mental and physical healthcare

Outdoor behavioral therapy blends healthcare with the healing power of the natural world, Texas State University’s Christine Norton, Ph.D., explains. 

December 10, 2025

Christine Norton, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Social Work at Texas State University. With over 20 years of experience working with youth and young adults, her research and area of practice focuses on positive youth development, adventure therapy, experiential education, international social work, and developing innovative approaches to child and adolescent mental health. Norton is also a research scientist with the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center and launched the Foster Care Alumni Creating Education Success (FACES) program at TXST.  

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This interview was taken from a Faculty Experts video and has been edited for brevity.

What is outdoor behavioral therapy?  

CN: Outdoor behavioral therapy is a form of mental health treatment that utilizes our relationship and connection with nature. There are two branches of outdoor therapy; doing things in nature, like hiking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting. And then there’s being in nature, which might be going for a walk, being in your garden, or sitting and enjoying a breeze on a hot day.

What are the benefits of spending time in nature?  

CN: Research has shown that that only 10 minutes a day either sitting or walking in nature can give us both physical and mental health benefits. Physically, it can slow our rate of respiration, reduce our blood pressure, support chronic pain, and ease muscle tension. From a mental health perspective, it can address depression, anxiety, mental rumination, nervous system dysregulation, and more.

When we step outside, we just feel that kind of calm come over us.  

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