Evidence Base: Grief Pathway

What this page is for

This page outlines the nature‑based grief research that informs the Grief Pathway.

However, it does not claim to treat grief or produce specific outcomes.
The evidence base is included to show that the approach is grounded in established research, even where evidence is limited or indirect.

What nature-based grief research exists

There is little research that studies nature-based or presence-based practices specifically for grief.

Instead, this pathway draws on adjacent research examining how people tend to respond to:

• Natural environments
• Reduced cognitive demand
• Supportive, non-directive settings
  in these contexts, during periods of stress, fatigue, or emotional strain.

Key findings from related research

Across multiple studies, time spent in forest or natural environments has been associated with:

• Reduced physiological stress markers (e.g. cortisol)
• Changes in heart rate variability linked to parasympathetic activity
• Lower blood pressure and pulse rate compared with urban settings
• Reduced mental fatigue and attentional demand

Overall, researchers typically observe these findings in short-term field studies comparing natural and built environments.

Relevance to grief

Grief is often accompanied by:

• Sustained physiological stress
• Cognitive fatigue
• Heightened emotional load

This section draws on nature‑based grief research that explores how low‑demand natural environments may reduce stress and cognitive load.

As a result, it may make it easier for some people to remain present with difficult experience without additional pressure to process, explain, or resolve it.

Attention, meaning, and non-verbal experience

Psychological research also suggests that natural environments may:

• Require less directed attention
• Support quiet reflection without verbal processing
• Offer a sense of continuity or perspective during periods of loss

Even so, these effects are not specific to grief, but may be relevant when grief is present.

Important limitations

• Most studies are short-term and observational
• Evidence is associational, not causal
• Individual responses vary widely
• There is limited research focused directly on bereavement

For these reasons, the Grief Pathway is offered as a supportive, non-therapeutic experience, not as a treatment or intervention.

How this evidence informs the Grief Pathway

The research above informs:

• The slow pace of sessions
• The emphasis on simplicity and sensory contact
• The absence of outcome-driven activities
• The choice not to frame grief as something to be resolved

Participants are not asked to talk about their loss or move towards a particular emotional state.

Selected references

The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) — forest vs city environment effects on stress markers (salivary cortisol, blood pressure, HRV). PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19568835/

Forest bathing and cortisol levels: systematic review — cortisol reductions in forest groups vs controls. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31001682/

Forest bathing enhances NK cell activity — immune markers in healthy adults. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17903349/

Shinrin-yoku psychological effects — mood and stress markers in forest environments. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17055544/

Full references and research context are available in the downloadable PDF.

Further detail

A full summary of the research context, including references and limitations, is available in the downloadable PDF.

Closing note

Grief is complex, personal, and non-linear.
This pathway does not seek to manage grief, but to offer a setting in which it can be present without pressure.