Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses therapeutic nature connection, as it balances between critique of, and integration in, the conventional healthcare system in Sweden, based on ethnographic research between 2018 and 2022.

Paper long abstract:

Forest bathing, nature therapy, and similar practices have quickly gained popularity in many parts of the world in the last decade. Many practitioners have either a background or a current employment within the conventional healthcare system. And many also show clear ambitions to integrate these practices into that system. Some participate actively in clinical psychological studies, or even design and conduct such studies. On the other hand, there is also a critique of the narrowness of conventional medicine, formulated in terms of a holistic and ecological philosophy. This is a tension shared with many forms of spirituality and alternative medicine. To (at least partially) make a living out of these practices, practitioners need to adjust either to capitalist business models as sole proprietors or strive to integrate the practices into conventional healthcare. Of course, the endeavour to integrate the practices into conventional healthcare also entails a hope of changing the latter from within. Having followed the establishments of these practices in Sweden since 2018, through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and publications, I will in this paper discuss the delicate balancing act that its practitioners are performing in a climate where nature connection has become increasingly attractive – while alternative medicine has become increasingly controversial.