BBC随身英语｜大自然的疗愈力量
英音听力｜BBC & 经济学人等
The power of natural therapy
The great outdoors: it's the place to head for when you're in need of peace and quiet, open spaces, beautiful scenery and exercise. Whether a huge mountain range or a local country park, these natural areas are a perfect tonic for our stressed-out lives, and their therapeutic effect is being used more and more to treat mental health.
As an example, in the foothills of the Snowdonia National Park in the UK, specialist therapy sessions are held to help people who suffer from depression, anxiety and stress. Outdoor art-related activities are held for patients, but the setting alone has been credited with improving the mood of patients. Art psychotherapist Pamela Stanley told the BBC that there was a "growing body of evidence" to support eco-therapy.
It's true that for most of us connecting with the natural world definitely lifts our spirits. But the mental health charity Mind says eco-therapy has been recognised as a formal type of treatment that can sometimes be prescribed to someone by a doctor. It doesn't involve taking medication, but instead it just develops a person's relationship with nature. This natural remedy can take on many forms, but can include doing yoga in a forest, gardening or even hugging a tree.
Evidence has shown there are many benefits of this 'green' therapy, including improving social contact, social and work skills and coping abilities. It's what Dr Rachel Bragg from the University of Essex calls 'psychological restoration'. She told the BBC's All in the Mind programme that nature-based therapies should be part of a "toolkit" of care for patients.
One reason why getting back to nature is, well, natural, is something called biophilia, a sort of understanding or empathy with the natural world. According to environmental psychologist Birgitta Gatersleben, "the idea that nature reminds us of life, and if we are exposed to the natural elements, then our sort of negative feelings get almost immediately replaced with positive emotions."
Of course, eco-therapy won't cure everything, but it is an option for therapists to use. And as we become more aware of the causes and effects of mental health, it's good to know that help might lie outside our towns and cities, and that nature can give us a helping hand.
词汇表
mountain range [reɪndʒ] 山脉
tonic [ˈtɒnɪk] n. 滋补剂，补药，良方
stressed-out [strest aʊt] 不堪重负的，压力重重的
therapeutic [ˌθerəˈpjuːtɪk] adj. 治疗的，疗愈的，有益健康的
foothill [ˈfʊthɪl] n. 山麓小丘，丘陵地带
Snowdonia National Park [snəʊˈdəʊniə] （威尔士）斯诺登尼亚国家公园
specialist therapy session [ˈspeʃəlɪst ˈθerəpi ˈseʃn] 专门的治疗疗程
be credited with [ˈkredɪtɪd] 被认为有（功劳、成就等）
psychotherapist [ˌsaɪkəʊˈθerəpɪst] n. 心理治疗师，精神治疗医师
eco-therapy [ˈiːkəʊ ˈθerəpi] 生态疗法（通过与自然环境互动来改善心理健康和情绪）
lift one's spirits 振奋精神，提振情绪
prescribe [prɪˈskraɪb] vt. 开具（药方、治疗方案）
medication [ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃn] n. 药物，药物治疗
remedy ['remədi] n. 疗法；药物
psychological restoration [ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkl ˌrestəˈreɪʃn] 心理修复，心理恢复
toolkit [ˈtuːlkɪt] n. 工具箱，一套工具
biophilia [ˌbaɪəʊˈfɪliə] n. 亲生命性，热爱生命或自然的本性
empathy [ˈempəθi] n. 共情，移情，同理心
📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】
