Can a NATURE prescription be as effective for treating anxiety and depression as traditional talking therapy? A phenomenological study into the thoughts of those who have delivered both
Research poster exhibition 2026

Aim and Objectives

There is increasing evidence showing the benefits of being in nature, “ecotherapy” and/or
“nature-based interventions” (NBI’s) for mental health.

This study aimed to interview qualified psychotherapists who practiced traditional talking
therapy (TTT) who also volunteered as “nature guides” for the mental health charity Dose of
Nature delivering 1:1 nature prescriptions (NPs) to clients over 8 weeks. Participants were
asked to compare these two ways of working with clients and the advantages/disadvantages
of each for treating anxiety and depression. The focus was specifically the lived experience
and attitudes of the therapist/nature guide.

Design or methodology structure:  

This MA study utilised Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), which is a qualitative
analysis technique that “is concerned with the detailed examination of human lived
experience” (Smith et al., 2002, p.26). The epistemological underpinnings of IPA are
phenomenology, hermeneutics and ideography, and the latter denotes looking in detail and
depth at a small number of cases or individuals. Reflexivity on the part of the Researcher
took place at all levels.

Researcher conducted semi-structured 50-minute interviews with 3 participants who were
both qualified psychotherapists and voluntary Dose of Nature guides. Data analysis was
then performed on the recorded interviews in the following way; reading and re-reading
followed by exploratory note making, which were then used to create a series of experiential
statements, which were then grouped in personal experiential themes (PETs) according to
common ideas. These were then developed across participants into group experiential
themes (GETs):

• Reading
• Exploratory
• notes
• Experiential
• statements
• PETs
• GETs