What it is

Nature-Based Therapy at Ember Centre is a powerful, experiential approach to healing that takes the therapeutic process beyond the traditional office setting and into the living, breathing world around us. 

Our approach honors the belief that we are not separate from nature, but deeply embedded within it. By engaging the senses, moving the body, and opening to the wisdom of the land, Nature-Based Therapy invites a deeper understanding of the self in relation to others, the environment, and the systems that surround us. 

The outdoors becomes a co-therapist—providing metaphor, space, play, and perspective in the therapeutic journey.

What it looks like at Ember Centre

At Ember Centre, Nature-Based Therapy sessions take place in parks, beaches, forests, or gardens, carefully selected to feel safe and inspiring for each client or family.  Our experienced counsellors are trained in Nature-Based therapeutic practices and hold Wilderness First Aid Certification to ensure participant safety. 

Each session is guided by your goals, pace, and comfort levels, integrating somatic tools, narrative therapy, and attachment-focused approaches within the context of the natural world.

You might find yourself:

• Walking and talking through the woods or along a beach

• Sitting quietly under a tree to explore mindfulness or regulation tools

• Playing interactive nature games with your family

• Engaging in creative expression and exploration activities

• Building a fire, tracking animal signs, or learning about local plants and creatures

Sessions are playful, dynamic, and relational, incorporating movement, sensory awareness, and meaningful shared experiences. 

Benefits

• Increased emotional resilience, presence, and nervous system balance

• Strengthened family bonds and improved parent-child relationships

• Reconnection to self, others, and the living world

• Increased confidence and agency through hands-on activities

• Opportunities to practice problem-solving, communication, and trust

• A sense of calm and clarity through time in nature

• Deepened self-awareness and insight through storytelling and movement

• A felt sense of belonging—within community, land, and self

• Opportunities to feel challenged, supported, and empowered in new ways