Graduation Year

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (Psy. D.)

Abstract

Around the world, trauma disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are on the rise. Evidence-based treatment protocols, such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE) are effective in treatment. However, high dropout rates, stigma, and other barriers to treatment are driving the exploration of alternative treatment options. Nature-based interventions, such as wilderness or adventure therapy, forest bathing, and horticulture therapy, have been utilized for a variety of medical and psychological disorders for several years. There are limited formal programs, but research generally supports positive outcomes with specified interventions. However, there are several challenges to studying the effectiveness of these types of treatments. Moreover, although often called “therapy,” psychologists are rarely involved in the development or implementation of such programs. This could lead to increased risk and poor outcomes, particularly for individuals with trauma disorders. This paper will discuss types of nature-based interventions, theories behind these treatments, summarize research on current nature-based therapy programs, and discuss how these types of interventions are beneficial for veterans. Lastly, this paper will present a novel program called Project H.O.M.E. (Healing Outdoors through Mindful Experiences), which utilizes a variety of nature-based interventions along with skills from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to treat PTSD in veterans.

Faculty Mentor

Theresa Botts, Ph.D

Department Affiliation

Psychology

Committee Member

Melinda Moore, Ph.D.

Department Affiliation

Psychology

Committee Member

Dustin Wygant, Ph.D.

Department Affiliation

Psychology

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