Nature & Sensory Practices

Nature & Sensory Practices access our sensory world, which shapes how we feel and function. Through our connection with light, scent, sound, touch, and the natural environment, emotional regulation can be supported gently and directly. These practices cultivate steadiness through embodied experience.

Such practices as forest bathing, gardening, aromatherapy, and sensory rituals such as bath rituals and sound bathing intersect with psychology to support emotional balance, stress recovery, and embodied presence. By working through the sensory world, regulation is supported gently and directly.

These Nature & Sensory Practices part of a broader mind-body and somatic approach to mental health and are integrated within the MindBody & Somatic Therapies and Integrative Mental Health frameworks.

Latest Insights + Articles

DBT Emotion Regulation Skills: An Overview

DBT’s Emotion Regulation skills help a person build up a base of positive experiences that helps stabilize emotion

Originally posted January 9, 2019. Happy reading! Thank you to my loving readers for visiting my humble blog! Looking back at the dynamic range of topics in the BirthTouch® blog, that touch on mental health and mindbody therapies, I thought I’d share the most popular blogs of the year. 1. DBT STOP & TIP Skills: Life is worth living even if there is pain The top top spot was claimed by an article about a very, very popular and evidence-based therapy called Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or...

ACCEPTS: A DBT Skill for Coping With Overwhelming Thoughts and Emotions

ACCEPTS is a DBT distress tolerance skill that offers practical ways to shift attention when emotions feel unmanageable.

DBT Mindfulness “What” Skills: Using Coloring Books for Adults

Coloring is a way to practice mindfulness. You can incorporate the DBT mindfulness “What” skills of Observe, Describe and Participate into mindful coloring in order to help your mind and body fully be in the moment.

6 DBT Skills to Nurture Your Mental Health During the Holiday Rush

This post reflects how I personally use DBT skills during high-stress seasons. It is an illustration of using DBT in a lived experience. Lots of us get flustered during the busy holiday season. If you’re already coping with challenges such as grief, depression, anxiety, PTSD, or bipolar disorder, staying grounded in healthy routines becomes even more important. As I started thinking about cooking for Thanksgiving—something I usually enjoy—I noticed myself feeling unexpectedly irritable. I...

What Makes Therapy Successful? Eight Evidence-Based Keys (Plus One Bonus)

The evidence shows that common factors, not specific techniques, are the strongest contributors to successful therapy outcomes.

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Matrescence Bath Ritual Guide & Workbook

A guided ritual for rest, reflection, and nervous system support during the transition into motherhood.

Motherhood changes us emotionally, physically, relationally, and spiritually. Yet many women move through this profound developmental transition without space to pause, reflect, or tend to themselves with care.

The Matrescence Bath Ritual was created as a gentle companion for this season of change.

This offering includes:

an 8-minute guided Matrescence reflection

a beautifully designed ritual guide & workbook

prompts for emotional processing and identity reflection

nervous system–supportive self-care practices

a quiet space to pause during the transition to motherhood

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