Overview

A groundbreaking guide for therapists, educators, healthcare workers, and helpers who want to bring nature into their practice - ethically, practically, and with heart. What if the most powerful tool in your therapeutic toolkit isn't a technique - but the living world outside your door? The Ground Beneath Our Work introduces Nature-Informed Therapy (NIT) and Nature-Informed Care (NIC), a flexible, evidence-informed framework for weaving nature into clinical practice, education, healthcare, faith communities, and everyday helping roles. At the heart of the book is the ROOTED(TM) model - six practical mechanisms for integrating nature into professional care: Regulate Attention Open the Senses Optimize Dosage Tend Relationships Enact Reciprocity & Meaning Design the Setting Dr. Heidi Schreiber-Pan draws on over 20 years of clinical experience, her own research, and the ancient wisdom of Indigenous and land-based traditions to offer: A 30-day implementation plan with session tools and trackers Clinical case stories showing NIT in action Practices for diverse settings - from therapy offices to schools, hospitals, parks, and nursing homes Guidance on ethics, safety, equity, and outdoor group facilitation Tools for addressing eco-grief, climate anxiety, and nature-deficit With a foreword by Robert J. Wicks, Psy.D., author of It's Good to Be Lost Once in a While (Oxford University Press), this book is both a practical manual and a quiet invitation to remember: we have never not been in relationship with nature. For licensed clinicians, counselors, social workers, psychologists, educators, chaplains, park rangers, coaches, and anyone whose work involves caring for others. ""I cannot recommend this book highly enough."" - Mark A. Salvatore, MD, MS, Harvard Medical School ""A deeply human and clinically usable resource."" - Dr. Christine Lynn Norton, Professor of Social Work, Texas State University ""This book has forever changed how I sit in my own backyard."" - Thomas R. Medema, Former National Park Service Associate Director

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9781962949170

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Reviews

""I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Dr. Schreiber-Pan's work in Nature-Informed Therapy and Care addresses a fundamental truth: for nearly all of human history, our well-being has been shaped in connection with the natural world. This work helps Western medicine recognize insights long understood within Indigenous traditions-that whole-person healing is rooted in our relationship with the non-human world."" - Mark A. Salvatore, MD, MS, Harvard Medical School ""A timely and deeply grounding contribution to the mental health and healthcare fields, reminding us that healing does not occur in isolation from the natural world. I read this as a healthcare provider who found the concept of Nature-Informed Care both accessible and immediately applicable. Heidi Schreiber-Pan offers clarity, compassion, and wisdom that extend far beyond any single profession. This is a book for anyone seeking to integrate nature into their professional practice and personal life in ways that restore resilience, meaning, and hope."" - Komkwuan Paruchabutr, DNP, FNP-BC, WHNP-BC, CNM, FACNM, FNAP, FAAN, Georgetown University ""This book fills a critical need in clinical practice: a framework that is both grounded in nature and rooted in justice. Dr. Schreiber-Pan's integrative approach-from nature as co-therapist to the ROOTED model and the 30-day clinician toolkit-gives clinicians tangible pathways to enhance regulation, expand sensory engagement, and cultivate reciprocity. A deeply human and clinically usable resource."" - Dr. Christine Lynn Norton, Professor of Social Work, Texas State University ""Both lyrical and practical-an inviting blend of reflection and grounded tools for integrating nature into the counseling process. Dr. Heidi Schreiber-Pan writes with clarity and warmth, offering insights, practices, and rich vignettes that will resonate with both new and seasoned helping professionals. A vital companion for anyone seeking to bring the natural world into the healing journey."" - Ryan F. Reese, PhD, Author, Natural Approaches to Optimal Wellness ""The Ground Beneath Our Work offers a vision of healing through relationship with the natural world. This book is both a practical guide and a gentle call to remember our deep connection with nature, offering inspiration for anyone seeking to weave nature more fully into life and practice."" - Megan Delaney, PhD, Author, Nature is Nurture ""Schreiber-Pan illuminates a way of being human that is truly meant for every human being... We can re-ground ourselves and find nourishment and healing not just in far flung wild places, but on our neighborhood sidewalk or our own back porch... this book has forever changed how I sit in my own backyard."" - Thomas R. Medema, Former National Park Service Associate Director ""A must-read for clinicians and thought leaders who care deeply about the environment... It offers both depth and practicality, and it is written with remarkable beauty, clarity, and precision... [It] will spark motivation, reasoning, and provide a clear path forward in your practice."" - Jennifer Udler, LCSW-C, SEP, Author, Walk and Talk Therapy

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