Supporting Trauma Outdoors

Our world has seen no shortage of trauma.

Some estimates show that 70% of Americans will experience trauma in their lifetime. But what is “Trauma”? It may seem like a silly question, but many people experience trauma and either minimize it (“that wasn’t ‘trauma’...) or simply question whether it was (“does that count?”).

The simplest definition of trauma is any deeply distressing or overwhelming event that devastates your sense of safety, impacting your physical, mental, and emotional ability to cope. 

Trauma can be:

• Acute: one time

• Chronic: frequent/repeated

• Complex: multiple, compounding traumatic events

• Vicarious: witnessing someone else’s trauma

When the question comes up: “was that trauma?” you can see the above definition. Was the incident distressing for you? Do you feel less safe as a result of it? Does it impact your ability to cope with your emotions (random crying spells, increased substance abuse, increased anger or aggression/short-temperedness, difficulty feeling happy, constant feelings of fear, et cetera)? 

Then yes, it was trauma.

Because there is no shortage of trauma, plenty will say, “yes, but it wasn’t that”... and maybe it wasn’t. But the moment we start to compare traumas, we do ourselves (and others) a disservice. The most important feature of trauma is impact. If the event(s) had a profound impact on your sense of safety, then it was traumatic.

Understanding PTSD

Now, not everyone who experiences trauma will develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Depending on genetics, environmental supports, and coping strategies, many traumatic experiences do not evolve into a disorder.

When it does, PTSD is generally characterized by:

• Intrusive thoughts or vivid re-experiencing of the event.

• Avoidance of people, places, or things that remind you of the event.

• Cognitive and mood impairments, such as memory gaps, persistent negative emotions, and detachment from loved ones.

• High reactivity, including an easy startle response, hypervigilance, or short-temperedness.

• Functional impairment that disrupts your home, work, school, or social life for at least one month.

If you live with trauma or PTSD, you know how exhausting it is to always be on alert. Our society is already designed to keep us at a baseline of high alert; PTSD cranks that baseline up to an 11.

What does all of this have to do with going outside?

That is a great question! Let me explain:

The neuroscience of trauma is important here, so bear with me.

Deep inside your brain sits the amygdala, an ancient structure responsible for your survival instincts: fight, flight, or freeze. When a traumatic event happens, your amygdala sounds the alarm, flooding your body with stress hormones like adrenaline.

Normally, your brain processes memories and files them away in the past. But during trauma, the amygdala's alarm is so overwhelming that it hijacks the filing system. The memory gets trapped in the "present tense” so, later, if you encounter anything that even remotely reminds you of that event, the amygdala fires off the exact same emergency alarm. It instantly shuts down your prefrontal cortex—the rational, thinking part of your brain—making you feel like you are back in that dangerous moment all over again.

This is where going outside is a game-changer.

Nature has a profound, scientifically proven impact on a traumatized nervous system. When you are outside, your body receives cues that it is safe, causing your heart rate to slow down and your mood to lift. Essentially, being outdoors coaxes your brain out of survival mode and reminds it how to breathe again. In short, by dropping cortisol (stress hormone) levels, nature gives your amygdala a chance to stand down and creates the safe space your brain needs to start healing. 

Here are some quick research-backed facts about supporting trauma outdoors:

1. It mimics active mindfulness: Studies show that simply viewing natural scenery shifts your body into a relaxed state, lowering your heart rate as effectively as structured meditation techniques.

2. The "Awe" effect drops symptoms: UC Berkeley researchers found that outdoor experiences that induce a sense of awe led to an average 29% reduction in PTSD symptoms that sustained long after the trip ended

3. It quiets the "worry" center: Research indicates that spending time in nature actively reduces neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex—the exact part of the brain responsible for repetitive negative thoughts and trauma rumination.

3 Ways to Regulate Your Nervous System Outdoors

Once outside, there are so many options for regulating your nervous system that entire books are written on the subject—such as The Nature Fix by Florence Williams, The Outdoor Cure by Alice Peck, Shinrin-Yoku by Dr. Qing Li, and Losing Eden by Lucy Jones.

If you want to start practicing today, here are three of my favorite techniques that I utilize on my own, and in sessions with clients:

1. The Panoramic Soft Focus

When the amygdala is triggered, your vision naturally narrows into a "tunnel vision" focus to look for danger. You can reverse-engineer calm by doing the opposite. Find a wide view and intentionally soften your eyes, allowing your peripheral vision to take in the landscape to your far left and far right. This wide, panoramic gaze physically signals to your brain stem that there is no immediate threat, forcing your nervous system to downshift.

2. Sound-Mapping

Trauma often causes us to over-focus on internal anxiety or external threat cues. Ground yourself by closing your eyes (or lowering your gaze) and trying to isolate five distinct natural sounds around you—the rustle of leaves, a distant bird, the wind, water, or even your own footsteps. Studies show that listening to natural sounds flips the brain from an internally focused "threat loop" to an externally focused, relaxed state.  

3. Sylvan Grounding (The Texture Touch)

Bring your executive brain back online by engaging your sense of touch with the physical world. Find a safe natural element—the rough bark of a tree, a smooth river stone, or cool dirt—and focus entirely on its texture and temperature (you can even verbalize your observations) for 60 seconds. This physical contact acts as an anchor, sending a message to your amygdala: “I am right here, right now, and I am safe.” (I highly encourage saying this out loud to deepen the message; the physical vibrations of your voice actually help soothe your vagus nerve!)

Whether or not your trauma turned into full Post-traumatic stress disorder, it can still have an impact on your life long term. There are countless opportunities to be reminded of your deep-seated pain, which can make you feel activated and on edge. Should those moments arise, I hope you find these techniques useful for soothing your nervous system and moving through them.

If you are interested in having a guided Outdoor Therapy Intensive to help support you after trauma, please feel free to contact me for a free 15-minute consultation. And if you want more content like this,  please subscribe and follow me on Instagram @catharsispath.

And remember: you've got this.

#mentalhealthmatters #PTSD #Natureheals #TherapyOutside #PugetSound