Out of the Clinic and into the Woods
The Promising Practice of Nature-Based Therapeutic Mentoring—A Conceptual Review of a California Program that Partnered with the Public Health System of Care
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15685751 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Peter Mayfield (corresponding author), Kathleen P Tebb (University of California, San Francisco) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 73-85 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ecopsychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1942-9347 • E-ISSN: 1942-9347 |
| Publisher | Mary Ann Liebert, Inc (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/19429347251409799 |
| OpenAlex | W7120191802 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 51 |
The United States is experiencing a youth mental health crisis marked by rising need and persistent inequities in access to effective care. Whole Hearts, Minds & Bodies (WHMB) is a clinically supervised, community-embedded, nature-based therapeutic mentoring program developed in Truckee/North Lake Tahoe, California, to serve adolescents and young adults with serious emotional disturbance. This conceptual article describes the WHMB model, its treatment methods, delivery system, theoretical foundations, and cultural and community context and explores how its approach integrates psychological, ecological, and resilience-based frameworks. WHMB is grounded in Self-Determination Theory, Resilience Theory, and the Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions. Practice is organized around four interrelated components (“roots”): authentic relationships, nature connection, embodied peak experience, and helping others. Therapeutic mentors, paraprofessionals working under licensed clinical supervision, meet youth where they live, learn, and play, bringing nature into the therapeutic process through structured outdoor experiences, reflection, and family engagement. The WHMB model illustrates a humane and equity-oriented approach to behavioral health care that reduces barriers to access, builds deep engagement, and reimagines how healing relationships can unfold in community and natural settings
Conceptual model · Context (archaeology · Embodied cognition · Grounded theory · Mental health · Psychological resilience · Public health · Therapeutic relationship · Child Therapy and Development · Outdoor and Experiential Education · Urban Green Space and Health
Overcoming the Odds
What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis
The role of the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy.
Impacts of Adolescent and Young Adult Civic Engagement on Health and Socioeconomic Status in Adulthood
Using Nature and Outdoor Activity to Improve Children's Health
Associations between Nature Exposure and Health
The nature of awe
From Mastery to Accountability
Relation between working alliance and outcome in psychotherapy
Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents
Self-Determination Theory Applied to Health Contexts
Adolescent Resilience
Cultural Humility Versus Cultural Competence
Green space is associated with lower violent assault rates
How perceived sensory dimensions of urban green spaces are associated with teenagers’ perceived restoration, stress, and mental health
Awe in nature heals
Examining the relationship between civic engagement and mental health in young adults
Mental health benefits of nature-based recreation
Effectiveness of Mentoring Programs for Youth
A Developmental Perspective on Community Service in Adolescence
Association between residential greenness during childhood and trait emotional intelligence during young adulthood
Clinic and park partnerships for childhood resilience
Does Urban Greenspace Reduce Mortality Inequalities Based on Poverty, Race, or Both in Philadelphia, PA
Academic resilience and caring adults
The State of Rural Public Health
How Personal Transformation Occurs Following a Single Peak Experience in Nature
Psychological resilience, positive emotions, and successful adaptation to stress in later life
Resilient Individuals Use Positive Emotions to Bounce Back From Negative Emotional Experiences
Resiliency and Vulnerability to Adverse Developmental Outcomes Associated With Poverty
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |