OT Faculty, Alumna Publish New Text on Nature-Based Allied Health Practice

Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA, and Shannon Marder, OTD, OTR/L, have authored the recently published, “Nature-Based Allied Health Practice: Creative and Evidence-Based Strategies,” an innovative and comprehensive guide to incorporating nature-based strategies into healthcare settings to promote client well-being.  

Amy Wagenfeld is a teaching professional in Sargent’s Department of Occupational Therapy Post Professional Online Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program. She is also principal at Amy Wagenfeld Design and an affiliate associate professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture, at Washington University.   

Shannon Marder is a graduate of Sargent’s Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Program. She is also an occupational therapy practitioner in the field of home healthcare.  

Wagenfeld and Marder’s “Nature-Based Allied Health Practice: Creative and Evidence-Based Strategies,” presents evidence in support of nature’s physical, mental, and emotional health benefits, and offers strategies for facilitating nature-based therapy. Featuring narratives from allied health practitioners around the globe, the text serves as a toolkit for practitioners to safely and effectively implement nature-based therapy. Considerations for addressing challenges to nature-based practice, including those related to liability insurance and client privacy when practicing outdoors, are also provided. 

In a recent interview, Wagenfeld and Marder highlighted the ways in which client empowerment is enhanced by integrating nature into therapy sessions. Wagenfeld emphasized the benefits of bringing therapy outside, whenever possible. She has served as a consultant to design professionals, including landscape architects, to create therapeutic outdoor environments. Similarly, Marder discussed the importance of re-conceptualizing therapy environments. She emphasized the benefits of shifting from traditional understandings of therapy environments as indoor clinics toward considering the possibility of using outdoor spaces or indoor environments designed to support nature and health.  

As the evidence base for nature-based therapy grows, Wagenfeld and Marder anticipate that their text will support allied health practitioners’ use of nature in their work with clients. “Nature-Based Allied Health Practice: Creative and Evidence-Based Strategies” is leading the way towards a future in which nature-based therapy is accessible to all those who wish to experience it.