Harvard Meditation and Psychotherapy Learning from Nature
Research shows that connection to nature can have a wide range of benefits, such as improved attention, memory, mood, social interactions, happiness and wellbeing, and reduced stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic disease. Although human beings have evolved with nature, benefit from nature, and are part of nature, modern society is increasingly alienated from the natural world and our environment is in crisis. Eco-anxiety and climate distress are having a significant impact on mental health, especially among young people.
Meditation and psychotherapy can be harnessed to improve our relationship to nature, and nature can have a positive influence on how we meditate and do clinical work. This webinar series explores the importance of nature from a variety of perspectives—scientific, therapeutic, mindfulness, and indigenous. Attendees will learn useful tools and strategies to help their patients realign with, benefit from, and support the natural world. Therapists will also have a chance to explore their own relationship to nature and environmental disruption.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Summarize the research supporting the mental and physical health benefits of exposure to nature.
- Teach their patients mindfulness practices to enhance their sense of connection with nature in urban and rural settings.
- Guide patients with trauma to alleviate their distress by engaging safely and effectively with the natural world.
- Engage therapeutically with adults and youth who are experiencing eco-anxiety.
- Integrate elements of indigenous wisdom into mindfulness practice.
- Understand and manage the clinician’s own emotional distress associated with climate change.
Let’s take a look at the topics
Here are the topics covered in the Meditation and Psychotherapy Learning from Nature course based on the provided information:
| Session | Speakers |
|---|---|
| Mindfulness in Nature Practice – Pathways to Wonder, Wisdom, and Well-Being | Mark Coleman |
| Discussion / Q&A | Christopher Germer, PhD; Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD; Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD; Mark Coleman |
| Mindfully Accessing Earth for Emotion Regulation, Mental Health, and Trauma Recovery | Barbara Hamm, PsyD; Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD |
| Discussion / Q&A | Christopher Germer, PhD; Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD; Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD; Barbara Hamm, PsyD |
| Hearing the Cry of the Earth: Responding Compassionately to Change, Loss, and Disruption | Kaira Jewel Lingo, MA |
| Discussion / Q&A | Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD; Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD; Kaira Jewel Lingo, MA |
| Connecting and Reflecting: Contemplative Practices as a Way of Addressing Eco-Anxiety and Climate Distress | Christopher Willard, PsyD; Dekila Chungyalpa |
| Discussion / Q&A | Christopher Germer, PhD; Christopher Willard, PsyD; Dekila Chungyalpa |
| Indigenous Wisdom and Integration of Mindfulness and Earth Awareness Practices and the Impact on Mental Health | Bonnie Duran, DrPH |
| Discussion / Q&A | Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD; Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD; Christopher Germer, PhD; Bonnie Duran, DrPH |
Who you will learn from
🎓 Course Directors
Harvard Medical School Continuing Education attracts the best and brightest faculty from all around the world. As a student in this course, you’ll have access to outstanding course directors and faculty.
Course Directors
| Name | Title & Affiliations |
|---|---|
| Christopher K. Germer, PhD |
Faculty and Co-Founder, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion Supervisor, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance Lecturer on Psychiatry (part-time), Harvard Medical School Faculty, Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy Co-Developer, Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Training Program Private Practice and Supervision, Arlington, MA |
| Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD |
Faculty, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance Assistant Professor of Psychology (part-time), Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Faculty, Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy |
| Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD |
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Center Director, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance Director, Mindful Mental Health Service, Cambridge Health Alliance Director of Addiction Research, Cambridge Health Alliance Faculty Affiliate, Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth |
| Karen Kuc, MPH |
Director, Continuing Education in Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance Associate in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School |
Faculty
| Name | Title & Affiliations |
|---|---|
| Dekila Chungyalpa |
Founder and Director, Loka Initiative Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds Innovations, University of Wisconsin Madison |
| Mark Coleman |
Founder, Awake in the Wild, The Mindfulness Institute, and the Mindfulness Training Institute Author Mindfulness Teacher Consultant |
| Bonnie Duran, DrPH |
Professor, School of Social Work Adjunct Professor, Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health Director, Center for Indigenous Health Research, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, University of Washington |
| Barbara Hamm, PsyD |
Teaching Associate in Psychiatry (part-time), Harvard Medical School Affiliate, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance Psychotherapist in Private Practice |
| Kaira Jewel Lingo, MA |
Buddhist and Mindfulness Teacher Author |
| Christopher Willard, PsyD |
Psychologist and Educational Consultant Teaching Associate in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School |
🧠Who Should Enroll?
- Primary Care Physicians
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Counselors
- Family Therapists
- Others
Why This Course?
In an era marked by rapid urbanization, climate instability, and rising mental health challenges, many people—patients and clinicians alike—feel increasingly disconnected from the natural world. Yet, research continues to confirm what ancient traditions and indigenous cultures have long known: nature is a profound source of healing.
This course bridges cutting-edge psychological science with timeless wisdom, offering a unique opportunity to:
✅ Reconnect with Nature
Learn how exposure to natural environments can significantly improve mood, reduce stress, and promote emotional regulation—even in urban or clinical settings.
✅ Address Eco-Anxiety and Climate Distress
Understand the psychological impact of climate change—especially on youth—and gain tools to support clients facing ecological grief, fear, and uncertainty.
✅ Heal Through Mindfulness and Earth-Based Practices
Discover how nature can enhance mindfulness, support trauma recovery, and foster a deeper sense of belonging—for both clients and clinicians.
✅ Integrate Indigenous and Contemplative Wisdom
Explore how traditional knowledge and spiritual practices can enrich psychotherapy and restore harmony between humans and the Earth.
✅ Support Your Own Well-Being as a Clinician
Learn to manage your personal feelings of overwhelm, burnout, or despair related to climate change by grounding in earth-connected practices and community wisdom.
Whether you’re a therapist seeking new ways to help your clients, a physician navigating rising levels of patient distress, or a caregiver feeling the weight of ecological uncertainty, this course offers practical, evidence-based, and soulful approaches to support healing—for individuals, communities, and the planet.
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