Recreation Therapy, TBI, PTSD, and the Healing Power of Nature

Today I had the privilege of meeting with a veteran who has been living with the invisible wounds of war—specifically, brain injury and PTSD. He shared that he had been experiencing relentless migraines and difficulty sleeping. That insomnia often opens the floodgates of trauma, pulling him back into memories he’d rather forget. It’s a cycle that’s all too common among the veterans we serve—physical symptoms triggering emotional distress, and emotional distress amplifying physical symptoms.

As recreation therapists, we do more than just listen. We partner with our clients to identify therapeutic strategies that can help them cope, heal, and reconnect with themselves and their communities. Today was a perfect example of that.

Though he was hesitant to leave his home, we decided to ease into the day with a visit to the local botanical gardens. Nature can be an incredible tool in the healing process. As we walked, we moved through various terrains, engaging both body and mind. The bilateral stimulation of walking helped calm the nervous system, while being outdoors gave us the opportunity to activate all five senses—smelling the flowers, feeling the breeze, hearing birdsong, and observing the natural beauty around us.

Through this gentle activity, we worked on improving his endurance and reducing negative thought spirals. By simply being present in a safe and peaceful environment, his anxiety lessened. Although his migraine and back pain didn’t disappear, he noticed a tangible difference: his blood pressure felt lower, and he described a sense of calm that had been absent for days.

At the end of our session, he told me he was grateful he pushed through and got outside. He felt more productive, more grounded, and—most importantly—less alone in his experience.

This is the heart of recreation therapy: creating space for healing, one step, one conversation, and one meaningful experience at a time.

#TransformingLivesThroughRecreation