The Natural School Counselor: Using Nature to Promote Mental Health in Schools

Abstract

As children and adolescents spend less time outdoors, research increasingly demonstrates that natural environments play an important role in healthy development. School counselors work to optimize student learning and psychosocial development, while serving as frontline professionals promoting mental health among youth. This literature review examines outcomes of recent research on the connection between nature, mental health, and learning in school-aged youth. It outlines opportunities for infusing nature into all aspects of the school counseling program. Two case examples illustrate how creative school counselors incorporate outdoor environments into their comprehensive school counseling programs.

Keywords:

• nature
• outdoor education
• outdoor environments
• outdoors
• school counseling