Ecotherapy: An evidence-based therapeutic practice
The Quiet Catch | Guided by Shinrin-yoku, Blue Mind, Dark Nature & Worlding Practices
At The Quiet Catch, ecotherapy is not an add-on; it is the foundation of every experience. Every group program, ecotherapy session, special event, and The Quiet Catch cards are informed by it.
Why Ecotherapy Matters
Ecotherapy is increasingly recognised in research fields including environmental psychology and public health as a legitimate approach to supporting wellbeing. Studies show consistent links between nature exposure and:
- Reduced stress, anxiety and cortisol levels
- Improved mood and emotional regulation
- Calming the nervous system
- Enhanced attention and cognitive restoration
Elissa’s work sits within this growing evidence base translating research into lived, sensory experiences that are accessible, grounded, joyful, and place-specific.
Private 90-minute ecotherapy sessions are available in four practices. Choose the one that calls to you:
Choose the way you’d like to travel:
- By car: Follow me in your own vehicle as we visit 1–3 nature spots.
- By bike: Follow me on your bicycle as we ride together through nature, pausing for guided moments of connection.
What Is Ecotherapy?
Ecotherapy (sometimes called nature therapy or green therapy) refers to structured and unstructured practices that use the natural world as a setting for restoration, reflection, and reconnection.
At The Quiet Catch, ecotherapy is not theoretical. It is applied through your own lived experience on the Island, guided by Elissa’s training, observation, and facilitation of sensory engagement with place.
With Elissa as your guide, it can include:
- Slow, guided Island immersion walks and sits
- Sensory-based mindfulness in natural environments
- Forest bathing practices adapted for island ecosystems (among trees and mangroves)
- Blue mind engagement (water, waves, tides, horizons, shoreline awareness)
- Nature-based reflection and creative noticing practices using art (e.g. drawing, writing)
- Quiet, night-based “dark nature” experiences such as moonlight meditations and star gazing
Book An Ecotherapy Session
Private ecotherapy sessions on Bribie Island are 90 minutes, led by Elissa, and shaped around one of three nature-based practices or the place-based practice of worlding. Choose the session that calls to you or, for a discount, book a bundle of four.
| Session | Format | Investment |
|---|---|---|
| Shinrin-yoku / Forest Bathing | Private, 90 min | Solo $150 · Duo $220 |
| Blue Mind | Private, 90 min | Solo $150 · Duo $220 |
| Dark Nature | Private, 90 min | Solo $150 · Duo $220 |
| Worlding | Private, 90 min | Solo $150 · Duo $220 |
Not sure which practice is right for you? Each session page has more detail.
Your Ecotherapy Guide
These experiences are led by ecotherapy practitioner Elissa Jenkins who is also a professional performing artist with a Master of Arts in Social Science. Elissa’s work at The Quiet Catch sits at the intersection of evidence-based ecotherapy, sensory immersion, and place-based storytelling, translating emerging research in nature therapy and worlding into memorable, thought-provoking, and joyful experiences on Bribie Island.
Ecotherapy is an evidence-informed approach to wellbeing that uses connection with nature to support physical, emotional, cognitive, and nervous system regulation. It draws from environmental psychology, health sciences, and long-established cultural practices that recognise nature as an active participant in human wellbeing.
Research consistently shows that time in natural environments can reduce stress hormones, lower blood pressure, improve mood, and support attention and emotional regulation. Even short exposure to natural settings can create measurable shifts in wellbeing and nervous system state.
Elissa is the guide in these experiences, with nature as the teacher and healer. It’s important to understand that, while the experiences may support healing, wellbeing, and relaxation, they are not a substitute for counselling, psychological, or medical care.
Join A Special Event
Occasional special events bring small groups together for guided ecotherapy sessions on Bribie Island. These are open to anyone wanting to experience the therapeutic benefits of forest bathing, blue mind, and dark nature. Sign up to The Quiet Catch to hear about them first.
The Practices That Shape This Work
Elissa’s practice is informed by three interconnected frameworks of ecotherapy alongside worlding:
Shinrin-yoku (Forest Bathing)
Shinrin-yoku is the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in a forest atmosphere through slow, sensory awareness. Elissa is currently undertaking specialist training in this modality, adapting its principles into Bribie Island environments — where forest, mangrove, wetland, and coastal ecosystems meet. This practice supports nervous system regulation, reduced stress response, and heightened sensory awareness. Discover more about Shinrin-yoku and the practice of becoming available to the forest through slow, sensory attention. → BOOK NOW
Blue Mind Immersion
Blue Mind theory describes the mildly meditative state associated with being near, in, or on water. On Bribie Island, this becomes central to the work specifically shoreline walking, tidal observation, horizon gazing, and water-based attention practices that support calm, clarity, and emotional settling. Discover more about Blue Mind and the restorative relationship between water, attention, and wellbeing. → BOOK NOW
Dark Nature Experiences
Dark nature work explores twilight, dusk, night environments, and sensory reduction. Rather than focusing on fear or discomfort, this practice supports:
- Moonlight meditations and stargazing
- Nervous system down-regulation (calming the stress response)
- Deep listening and non-visual awareness
- Emotional processing through stillness
- Reconnection with natural circadian rhythms
It is where attention shifts from seeing to sensing. Discover more about Dark Nature and the practice of shifting from seeing to sensing in the natural world. → BOOK NOW
Worlding
Bribie Island is not the backdrop. It is the collaborator.
Worlding is the idea that a place is not something we simply observe, but something we participate in. When we slow down and pay attention, the Island begins to disclose itself through its tides, birds, stories, landscapes, and quiet moments of encounter.
Every experience with The Quiet Catch is, in some way, an invitation into this relationship. Discover more about Worlding and the practice of becoming available to place. → BOOK NOW