When people picture therapy, they often picture a stuffy room with someone sitting across from them studying them with narrowed eyes, scribbling furiously in a notebook. Of course, this image of therapy is outdated. Therapy in the 21st Century is active and exciting. Yes, many types of talk-oriented therapies exist out there, but other experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy are more active, engaging, and ultimately more fun.
Understanding Experiential Therapy and Its Benefits
Experiential therapy is very much what it sounds like (though certainly more complex than one might think). These are therapies that use experience to address emotional issues underlying negative behaviors.
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines experiential therapies as “approaches to therapy that emphasize the importance of promoting and using knowing by experience when facilitating client change.” In other words, these therapies facilitate change through experiences that give rise to new realizations or knowings.
Many types of experiential therapies exist, which range from creative expression to physical activity engagement. Creative experiential therapies include art therapy, drama therapy, journaling, music therapy, film therapy, and dance therapy. Some physical activity-based experiential therapies include aquatics forms such as surf therapy, adventure therapy, equine therapy (which we specialize in here at Clearview), and nature immersion therapy. The latter is a perfect therapy for engaging with the beautiful landscape that Montana has to offer.
What Exactly Is Nature Immersion Therapy?
Nature immersion therapy is an experiential therapy where an individual connects to the land in some way and in turn finds some connection to themselves. Now, this isn’t confined to going out for a hike or planting some vegetables in horticulture therapy. It does involve having these natural experiences and then discussing them with an experiential therapist afterward to break down the emotions and cognitions that arose.
Nature immersion therapy offers myriad benefits. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Besides physical health improvements, nature exposure can bring about positive influence upon psychological constructs such as boredom, friendliness, wellbeing, and liveliness. However, across more than one hundred studies on nature/wildlife exposure, stress mitigation has been shown to be one of the most consistent and important psychological benefits.”
The Journal also explains that “Besides improvements to physical and psychological well-being, exposure to natural environments has been shown to bring about positive impacts on cognitive functioning.” Perhaps there is no better place to experience these positive impacts than in “Big Sky Country,” otherwise known as Montana.
Why Is Montana the Perfect Place for Nature Immersion Therapy?
Montana is the perfect place for nature immersion therapy because it has something for everyone to experience. This spacious state has a vast landscape that includes epic mountains, crystal clear lakes, and plenty of plains for which horses can run while assisting in equine therapy.
Not only is Montana an ideal place for nature immersion therapy, but so is where Clearview Horizon Girls Academy is located in Heron, Montana. We can take advantage of all that Montana has to offer, and we can do it right outside of our recovery ranch’s doors
What Types of Outdoor Activities Does Clearview Offer?
We believe that it is critical for our students to get outside and engage with nature while at Clearview Horizon Girls Academy. Yes, this landscape offers physical wellness. However, it also offers the opportunity for emotional and spiritual growth (which can be gained from nature immersion therapy).
The outdoor activities that we offer at Clearview are vast, and they continue to grow every year. We offer river rafting, rock climbing, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, camping, and outdoor group sports.
Also, we are right next to Schweitzer Mountain which is perfect for nature immersion therapy including snowshoeing and sledding. Lake Pend Oreille also offers a perfect lake escape for boating and taking in the 360-degree views of God’s beauty in Montana.
Clearview: Helping Students Connect to Themselves, Connect to Nature, and Connect to God
In the Bible, Psalm 96:12 reads, “Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice.” Here at Clearview Horizon Girls Academy, we believe in giving thanks for all of the beauty that the Lord has surrounded us with.
Our goal is to share that beauty with all of our students. We aim to help our students connect to themselves by connecting to nature. In doing so, we hope they find a better connection to God (or the Higher Power of their understanding).
Looking out at the purple Montana sunrise over the mountains reminds us that anything is possible. This includes each of our students’ recovery, their newfound appreciation for nature, and their successful journey out into the world.
Montana is one of the most beautiful, vast, and scenic areas in the country. Here at Clearview Horizon Girls Academy, we are blessed to have our recovery center ranch located smack dab in the middle of it. This also makes Clearview the perfect place for experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy. We offer many activities that help our students connect to nature and in turn better connect to who they are and who they want to be. If you feel like your daughter may be struggling with life-controlling issues and/or mental health, we can help. For more information on the benefits of nature immersion therapy in Heron, Montana, please contact Clearview Horizon today at 866-584-4788.
