What Can Ecotherapy Teach Us About Leadership (Issue #42)
I talk a lot about ecotherapy, and there’s a reason why.
You might be surprised to learn that a few years ago, I actually got certified in ecotherapy. At the time, I wasn’t doing it for work. I wasn’t even entirely sure what I’d do with it. I just knew I was exhausted—mentally, emotionally, physically—and that the only time I truly felt like myself again was when I was outside.
Walking in quiet woods. Sitting barefoot in the grass. Watching the stillness of the water on days when everything else felt chaotic.
That feeling of grounding, of quiet insight, of reset was what led me to pursue ecotherapy more intentionally. Through my training, I learned that this wasn’t just a personal hunch. There's real science behind the idea that time in nature improves focus, lowers anxiety, reduces stress hormones, and even increases our ability to process complex emotions. It’s used as a therapeutic tool for depression, trauma, grief, and burnout.
But what surprised me most was how directly it connected to leadership.
During the certification process, we weren’t just learning to take people on mindful walks we were learning how to create space.
Space for reflection.
Space for presence.
Space to ask better questions.
Space to notice what's going unspoken.
And honestly, that’s leadership in a nutshell.
I’ve carried these lessons into how I lead teams and coach others. I ask more questions. I pay attention to energy, not just deliverables. I give my teams time to think instead of filling every silence. I treat our team rhythms like ecosystems—what’s being overused, what’s depleted, where are we out of sync?
So when I encourage people to step outside, to unplug for a minute, to take a “thinking walk,” I’m not just talking about wellness. I’m talking about leadership, about returning to clarity, about reconnecting with what matters, and about learning to lead from a place of wholeness, not depletion.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, stretched thin, or pulled in too many directions lately… consider this your gentle nudge. Step outside. Breathe. Touch a tree. Don’t overthink it. Let nature do what it does best: restore and reveal.
Enjoy the summer time.
Until next time, stay well
~Colleen