#129: Hiking Therapy with Ecotherapist Aimee Frazier#129: Hiking Therapy with Ecotherapist Aimee Frazier
Sun & Moon Sober Living Podcast
Ecotherapist Aimee Frazier talks about hiking-based therapy, how different natural landscapes affect trauma and mental health, and practical ways to bring more nature into everyday life. The conversation also touches on adventure, risk, and using outdoor experiences to support recovery and emotional resilience.
45:57•18 Jul 2026
Hiking Therapy, Trauma Healing and the Mental Health Power of Nature
Episode Overview
- Meeting for therapy on hiking trails can feel more approachable and less scrutinising than a traditional office for many people.
- Simple sensory practices in nature, like noticing sounds and smells, help bring attention back to the present and reduce anxiety and rumination.
- Different landscapes have different effects: forests can ease anxious thoughts, water can support people with PTSD, and mountains can boost confidence and resilience.
- Adventure and endurance sports can be healing but may also become avoidance or risky behaviour, so it helps to reflect honestly on the purpose they serve in your life.
- Research cited by Aimee suggests aiming for around 120 minutes per week in nature for better mental wellbeing, even if that’s through small, accessible outings or visualisation.
“The research shows 120 minutes per week is the goal for like optimal mental wellbeing.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation shines a light on how time outdoors can support trauma healing, mental health, and life in recovery. The episode centres on ecotherapist and Licensed Professional Counselor Aimee Frazier, who runs Portland Hiking Therapy. Instead of a traditional office, Aimee meets adult clients on forest trails around Portland, weaving together movement, mindfulness, and nature with approaches like CBT and solution-focused work.
You’ll hear her describe a typical session, from settling on a quiet log to connect with the five senses, to choosing a trail that fits a client’s energy and comfort that day. Aimee shares how nature can feel more approachable than an office for many people, especially those in larger bodies or with marginalised identities who may feel scrutinised in city life.
She talks about using “nature as metaphor” – like a fallen tree representing feeling uprooted – to help people express what’s going on inside without having to say it directly. There’s rich discussion on how different landscapes affect us: forests calming anxious minds, water helping people stay present with PTSD, and mountains sparking awe and confidence.
Aimee also touches on long-distance hiking as a space for processing trauma, including the story of Earl Shaffer, a war veteran who hiked the Appalachian Trail to “walk off the war.” Importantly, she doesn’t romanticise adventure. She talks about how mountaineering and endurance sports can slip into avoidance or risky behaviour, and how some people experience a crash or low mood after big expeditions.
Her suggestions include “micro adventures” and a very practical goal: “The research shows 120 minutes per week is the goal for like optimal mental wellbeing.” If you’ve ever felt that screens and city life pull you away from yourself, this episode might get you thinking: what kind of landscape could support your recovery and mental health this week?
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