Back to the hearth, into the heart: A nature-based creative therapy group for adolescents impacted by sexual abuse

This note from the field describes a nature-based creative therapy (NBCT) group held within a semi-wild/cultivated natural landscape in an urban setting focused on utilizing an environmental arts therapy approach with adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse or assault. The authors provide a visual narrative that is embedded in seasonal change and informed by the three-stage trauma model. Images from the group are presented alongside vignettes to create a journey through one group session. Additionally, themes regarding the active and curative elements of the NBCT group are considered as a basis for further research. The note from the field reflects on the benefits of this approach, which include enabling young people to connect with nature and each other, resource themselves, find autonomy and agency, develop a symbolic creative language for self-expression and engage in embodied therapeutic practice.