title: Nature-based therapy: its potential as a complementary approach to treating communication disorders.
abstract: Nature-based therapy (NBT) has been incorporated into the practice of many medical and mental health professions. Occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and to a lesser extent, speech-language pathologists have used NBT practices as a complementary means of treating a variety of physical, emotional, and cognitive disorders. This article includes a description of NBT and the three types that comprise the practice and a review of the literature demonstrating the use of NBT in the general population and, more specifically, with individuals with neurogenic communication disorders. It concludes with a discussion of directions for future research of NBT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Harold Goodglass Aphasia Research Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. klundgre@bu.edu
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lundgren
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000818:Animals; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome