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Nature-Based Therapy

A sanctuary of healing rooted in the natural world — where the garden, the soil, and the living earth become partners in your therapeutic journey.

1248 Laurel Lane, San Luis Obispo
Adjacent to a community garden
Children & adults welcome
Outdoor therapy consent provided
Calm healing space for EMDR therapy

Garden Sessions

Soil, plants & healing

Herbal Therapy

Herbs that calm the nervous system

Sunflower Views

Live community garden next door

Children & Adults

Hands-on, experiential healing

A Letter from Rebecca

A Sanctuary Rooted in Nature

Dear Clients,
Before my family moved to San Luis Obispo in 2017, I ran my therapy practice out of a house with a backyard in Connecticut. I watched my clients light up in that environment, and I saw how much it supported their healing. Ever since we moved to SLO, I’ve held onto that vision — a practice rooted in nature.
I actually visited our 1248 Laurel Lane site six months before signing the lease. I knew right away it was for me, but I wasn’t ready to make the jump. Every time I passed the house though, I held onto the vision of my young clients planting flowers in memory of a loved one or adults learning about herbs that calm the nervous system.
Long story short, my circumstances changed, and after a series of herculean efforts on my part, I secured the lease to this dream office on July 30, 2026!
As a certified herbalist and a Waldorf Education parent, I have seen the healing power of nature in my family’s life. My vision has been to create a sanctuary of healing for us all — staff and clients — a place where, upon arrival, we can all remember that we are part of nature.
With Gratitude, Rebecca Velasquez
Owner · Licensed Clinical Social Worker · Certified Herbalist
To take part in our outdoor and garden-based sessions, clients complete a brief outdoor therapy consent and waiver as part of getting started with this work — your therapist can walk you through it.
What Nature-Based Therapy Offers

Healing Through the Natural World

Nature-based therapy is for anyone seeking a deeper, more grounded approach to healing — where the earth itself becomes part of the process.

Children Healing Through Soil

Children are able to touch the soil and watch something beautiful grow — a powerful way of healing from trauma and grief through direct connection with living things.

Herbal Support for Adults

Adults gain a hands-on experience learning about herbs that support their mental health — bridging ancient wisdom with modern therapeutic practice.

A Living Therapeutic Environment

From the therapy room, clients have a direct view of sunflowers with heads bigger than their own — a constant, living reminder that growth is always possible.

Trauma & Grief Work

Planting flowers in memory of a loved one, tending to something fragile and beautiful — these garden-based acts carry a healing power that words alone cannot reach.

A Sanctuary for All

A space designed not just to "work" but to feel like coming home on the deepest level — for clients and staff alike. A place to remember we are part of nature.

Community Garden Next Door

Our office sits four feet from a thriving community garden. We watch gardeners buzz around like worker bees — tilling soil, planting flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

The Vision Behind It

How Nature-Based Therapy Works

Rebecca’s vision for this practice has been years in the making — here is the story of how it came to life and what it looks like in practice.

Outdoor Consent & Getting Started

To take part in outdoor and garden-based sessions, clients complete a brief outdoor therapy consent and waiver. Your therapist will walk you through it when you get started.

Settling Into the Space

We sit in the lobby and watch the community garden together — gardeners tilling soil, planting flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The environment begins its work immediately upon arrival.

Garden-Based Therapeutic Activities

Depending on the client's needs — children plant flowers, tend to the soil, or engage in grief and trauma work through the garden. Adults explore herbs that support mental health and nervous system regulation.

Integration & Growth

Just like a garden, healing takes consistent care and time. Sessions are integrated with Rebecca's holistic therapeutic approach — somatic, herbal, and relational — for lasting change.

Ongoing Reflection & Maintenance

Clients learn practical self-care rituals and grounding tools to sustain their mental well-being and natural balance beyond therapy sessions.

What to Expect

The Healing Power of Nature

Nature-based therapy offers a dimension of healing that indoor work alone cannot provide — grounding, presence, and connection to something larger than ourselves.

Grounding & Nervous System Regulation

Direct contact with nature — soil, plants, fresh air — activates the parasympathetic nervous system, bringing calm and reducing stress hormones naturally.

Grief & Trauma Healing for Children

Planting something, watching it grow, caring for it — these acts give children a tangible way to process loss and trauma that words cannot always reach.

Herbal Knowledge for Adults

Learning about herbs that support mental health empowers adults with practical, natural tools they can integrate into daily life for ongoing emotional wellbeing.

A Sense of Belonging

Being reminded that we are part of nature — not separate from it — is itself deeply therapeutic. It reconnects us to rhythms larger and steadier than our anxious minds.

Community & Shared Life

The community garden next door is a living reminder that growth is a shared, communal act. Watching others tend their plots is quietly uplifting and connecting.

Common Questions

Nature-Based Therapy FAQs

Everything you want to know about our garden-based sessions. Questions? Call or email — happy to help.

Ready to Begin?

Free 10 minute consultation to see if it’s the right fit for you – no pressure, just a conversation.

Come Grow With Us

Your Healing Journey
Starts Here

Just like a garden, healing takes time, care, and the right environment. We’re ready to walk alongside you.